Those 4-5 days every month requires every ounce of self-care and caution. During the Monthly Menstrual Cycle, eating right to ease the pain and ensuring proper hygiene are the two most vital steps for good Menstrual Health. Good Menstrual Health Hygiene is only possible if women take extra care while they are on their periods. The internet is filled with a lot of menstrual health-related advice, and one often gets confused about what to pick and what to throw in the trash.

Before sharing the most essential tips for maintaining Menstrual Health Hygiene, it’s important to note that when it comes to maintaining period health, there are still many women in India who doesn’t have access to basic amenities even now. In fact, a lot of women still use leaves, rags and other unsanitary substances during their period without even knowing the gruesome effect of those unhealthy habits on their overall Menstrual Health.

Here are some of the tips that you can incorporate to keep your menstrual hygiene in check:

Keep the pubic area clean

Since we all have pubic hair, the blood flowing out of the body can be trapped there, causing your periods to be messy. Apart from that, it can also cause infections if not cleaned regularly. Though you should always wash the vaginal region, you must give more attention towards keeping your pubic area clean during your Monthly Menstrual Cycle. When your period starts, clean the vaginal area at least twice a day and don’t forget to wipe the area with clean tissue paper.

Don’t use vagina cleaning products

Some people really hyped the vagina cleaning products, and in few months, the internet was filled with articles guiding people on how vaginal cleaning products should be their holy grail product. Well, our vaginas are well-equipped to clean themselves and don’t need any artificial hygiene product. In fact, using those synthetic products can lead to more infections and the growth of bacteria.

Don’t use pads or tampons for long intervals

A lot of women make the mistake of using a pad or tampon for a very long time, which is a quite harmful practice. If you keep the soaked in blood pad very close to your vaginal area for a very long time, it can expose the vaginal area to bacterial growth, itching and infection. In fact, tampons should not be left in the body for more than 4 hours. Change your pads and tampons after every 4-5 hours, depending upon the period flow.

Wear comfortable undergarments

While it's important to use clean, sanitary products, one must also wear comfortable undergarments as your vagina needs some breathing during periods. Tight or uncomfortable fabrics can lead to infections. Stick to breathable cotton fabrics during periods.

Never use two pads together

Most women who deal with heavy period flow tend to use two pads instead of one so as to avoid staining of clothes. In this case, two is not better than one! One can change the pads in lesser intervals if they have a heavy period flow, but using two pads can cause bacterial infection down there.