"Is it just me or am I the ugliest person alive?" a woman in her early 30s asks the camera on TikTok, accompanied by the caption "POV: Girls in their luteal phase." The video has 2.4 million views and hundreds of comments. "This is literally me," one woman writes. "I'm angry at how accurate this is," another says.
There are thousands of videos like this one on social media, lamenting the "luteal uglies" - the changes in appearance and mood that women say appear during the luteal phase of their menstrual cycle. During this phase, which occurs in the second half of a woman's cycle and ends when she gets her period, women experience a huge drop in oestrogen. So are the "luteal uglies" a real thing?
According to Dr Louise Newson, a GP and women's hormones specialist, this change in hormone levels means women can experience a shift in their appearance, sleep and mood during this time. "Our hormones affect our skin, they affect our collagen, so a lot of people find their skin becomes drier, their complexion not so bright, they might have acne and spots," Newson explains. "They might get bloating and breasts can change shape." Elena Spaven, 25, can relate to the TikTok videos and says she feels "extremely bloated" during the second half of her cycle.
"My skin feels dull and textured and just looks more tired in general, and my chest feels heavier and sore." That's because when your oestrogen falls in the days before your period, progesterone rises, ramping up oil production in your skin, explains Dr Helen O'Neill, an associate professor in reproductive and molecular genetics at University College London. During this hormonal shift, your body holds on to more fluids, meaning you may end up with a puffier face, general bloating and tender, swollen breasts. Elena, who works in hospitality and as an actress in London, says she feels lethargic and "completely unmotivated" during her luteal phase.
"I feel like my brain is working in slow motion, I tend to become clumsy and way more forgetful," she says. "I don't want to socialise as much and I feel low." Newson says that while women are starting to talk more about the impact of their cycles, many still do not know what to do about it. "These women are genuinely suffering and it's affecting their ability to work, function, socialise and just exist," she says.
The response to women's concerns can also be frustrating, she adds. "Would you say to a man 'Oh your testosterone is down, just don't go to the gym, have a duvet day?' It's unacceptable that women have to put up with it." Your relationships may also change during the luteal phase, Newson says - which is something freelance journalist Henrietta experiences. "If I find myself wanting to get irritated with my wonderful, hilarious, chilled out partner there's an extremely high chance I haven't had my coffee, haven't eaten or that I am in my luteal phase," said the 30-year-old.
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