Hi there! My name is Lara and I, along with half of the world's population, have a period. I have been experiencing a period pretty much every month since I was around 13 years old. I am now 28 years old. That is around15-plus years of period experience under my belt. I've seen some blood. And some shit. And other stuff.
My period is pretty regular and generally comes every month. It is also literal hell on earth thanks, in large part, to the fact that I have endometriosis. One of the (many) symptoms I experience personally with my endometriosis is pain with insertion due to pelvic floor issues. Because of this, I have long been looking for an alternative to tampons and cups.
Obviously I could use pads, but since the world as we know it continues to slowly disintegrate before our eyes thanks to global warming, I also wanted something that was environmentally friendly! That's why I decided to try Thinx.
Here’s a little diagram from the Thinx website that shows how the fabric absorbs your blood:
When I finally decided to take the plunge and use Thinx a little over a year ago I was very skeptical. It just looked like...underwear? I didn't understand how it was going to hold my blood and clots while also not making me feel as if I was sitting in a pool of my own blood at all times.
The first time I wore them I was uncomfortable, to say the least. I felt like everyone could tell that I was walking around just leaking blood into my underwear. But I was pleasantly surprised by how the fabric really did its best to absorb so much of the wetness (sorry) of my flow that I didn't feel like I was just sitting in a pool of my own blood.
But by my fourth period wearing these things, I was used to it. And in fact, it felt as if my flow started to...change? I felt like I was somehow bleeding less, but it also felt more free. It's hard to explain, but I somehow felt like I was simultaneously leaking less blood while also having a wave of cleaner, less painful blood leave me. It just felt more free.
I also had less pain during my period. That's not to say my cramps changed. They didn't really. But wearing tampons or cups can be so uncomfortable for me internally, and wearing this underwear just isn't, therefore I was more comfortable during my cycle. That's all I can really ask for.
One of the biggest questions I had about using Thinx was...how the hell do I wash them? What I do personally is first rinse out my used Thinx in my bathtub or sink to remove excess blood. Then I just throw them in with my other wash. It has never once caused weird stains.
Since trying out the undwear over a year ago, I've become a convert. I now exclusively rely on Thinx panties during my period, and I've even purchased the training shorts ($60) to wear on walks/hikes during my period. But the underwear I wear most during my flow is the original hiphugger ($34). I live in them.
But I also often wear the boyshorts ($39). I love sleeping in these during my period because it makes me (and my sheets) feel extra protected.
