Period vs Cycle - What's the Difference?
It still shocks me when I hear people speaking about their periods as if thats the ONLY thing that happens within their menstrual cycle, but as far as it goes in terms of education, we cannot be to blame.
We weren’t taught about our bodies in great detail at school, and when we were, it felt distant and detached from ourselves.
We didn’t get the chance to associate the fluctuating hormones throughout our cycles to our day-to-day moods, libido, skin, changes in our focus and energy levels. It felt like a clinical education, far from our own bodies. A graph in a textbook that explained the different hormones and how one impacted the next.
What we were (possibly, if you were fortunate enough to actually get even a small amount of education on your menstrual cycle at school), taught, was that once a month, we get a period - its usually uncomfortable and shows that we aren’t pregnant, and that is the only purpose of our monthly bleed.
This couldn’t be more far from the truth.
Your menstrual cycle is the ENTIRE time from the start of one period to the next. Each week or so of your cycle is incredible, and having a natural menstrual cycle that is healthy and properly “balanced” (your hormones are SUPPOSED to fluctuate, but sometimes they can get out of whack, and that can pose issues) in each phase is absolutely ESSENTIAL to your overall wellbeing.
Your menstrual cycle isn’t just about your Period, but actually includes 4 important phases;
The Menstrual Phase (aka the Period)
The Proliferative Phase (usually the few days to week following your period)
The Ovulatory Phase (The FERTILE PHASE - the only days that you can fall pregnant throughout your menstrual cycle)
The Luteal Phase (The time after ovulation and before your next period)
The first half of your cycle is comprised of the Menstrual, Proliferative & Ovulatory Phases, which are all Oestrogen-dominant (or, should be).
The Luteal Phase is Progesterone-dominant (or, should be); a true Luteal Phase and Period ONLY happen after a successful ovulation has occurred, which should be happening whether or not you want to have children. If you are not ovulating (which can be determined by tests), this is called an ‘Anovulatory’ cycle, and this can be impacting your overall health and needs to be looked into closely by a professional.
Progesterone, which is produced mostly in the Luteal Phase after a successful ovulation, is essential for regulating blood pressure, promoting relaxation & sleep, aids metabolism, has been shown to improve memory and more.
Do you now understand the difference between your period and your menstrual cycle? Is there anything that still confuses you? Email us at info@hartskincare.com.au or comment below to have your questions explained,