IT can be seriously difficult to balance comfort and style on the best of days – let alone when your period strikes.
And with the festive party season in full swing, it’s a situation many of us will have to carefully plan around so we can feel confident.
TikTokker, Nic (@nicnak88), took to the platform to ask for help when her sheer, lace party outfit was under threat from her monthly cycle.
Ahead of her glamorous night out, she stood in front of her camera and asked viewers: “We all know what day one’s like – it’s not pleasant, is it?
“And I know for a fact I’m gonna be sitting there all night thinking, ‘am I alright?'”
Luckily for Nic, one heroic commenter suggested she make a quick dash to Primark to grab some period pants.
And amazingly, her outfit was saved.
In an update video, Nic said: “Look at this, someone said to go to Primark and get period pants, right?
“So these are the trousers that I’m wearing, and these are the pants I had.”
Nic held up her trousers, a pair of gorgeously ornate ‘Midnight Sequin Extreme Flares‘ in pink from Cocobooloves.
She then showed viewers a three-pack of pants, containing the lighter pink pair she had previously planned on wearing: “Wait till you see the period pants, look!
“I think they actually might be a better match.”
Holding up her new Primark period pants (£10 for a three-pack), she said: “Oh my god, look! Is that not the most perfect match you’ve ever seen?
“They are the perfect match, and obviously inside you’ve got a wee bit of built-in security there for any leakage.”
“So panic is over, I got myself some period pants.”
Viewers online were amazed by her quick fix – and flooded the comments with compliments for Primark’s period pants.
One user said: “I swear by Primark period underwear! On heavy days I wear them with a tampon, at night or lighter days I wear them alone. CHANGED THE GAME. I don’t buy pads anymore.”
Another person agreed, saying: “Period pants are the one! I love mine.”
And somebody else chimed in: “They are actually perfect, that way you won’t be stressing about it all night, there is nothing worse having it on a night out, have a great time”
Loads of viewers were keen to see Nic’s outfit with the new period underwear, with one writing: “I wanna see this outfit, looks gorgeous.”
So Nic posted another video to show her fans the incredible outfit before she headed out, where people commented on how ‘absolutely stunning’ and ‘amazing’ she looked.
WHEN it comes to periods, there is a textbook definition of normal – but then there is also what a normal period looks like for you.
For some (lucky) people, these definitions overlap; for others, they don’t.
The NHS recognises a ‘normal period’ as losing between 30 and 60ml, or six to eight teaspoonfuls, each month. A ‘heavy’ period’ is anything more than 80ml.
Another, arguably simpler, way of working out whether your period is heavy is to count the number of pads or tampons you use.
Having to change a pad or tampon every one to two hours, or emptying a menstrual cup more often than is recommended, is a sign your period is heavy.
An NHS test can also help reveal whether your periods are heavy and if it’s worth seeing your GP.
Dr Fran Yarlett, GP and medical director at The Lowdown, said: “Heavy periods can be normal for some people.
“But if your periods have changed and become heavier, this can signify medical problems.” This could be:
