How Often Should You Change Your Tampon

We think tampons are great! They allow you to do all of your favourite activities during your period - because your period shouldn’t stop you from being the best YOU that you can be. But do you wonder how often you should change your tampon when you have your period? Here’s the low down on tampon change – how to do it and how often.

In general, you should change your tampon every 4 to 6 hours. But you can safely leave a tampon in for up to 8 hours. Using a tampon overnight is fine but if you are sleeping more than 8 hours, you should use a pad instead. You’ll need to change your tampon more often on heavy flow. The more you get used to your period, the better you’ll know when to change your tampon.

You should always use the lightest– or lowest absorbency – tampon for your menstrual flow. Because your flow changes from day to day, you’ll probably need to keep a number of different absorbencies in the cupboard. If you change your tampon after six hours and there’s still a lot of white on it, this means you should go down an absorbency level.

Knowing how often you should change your tampon is important for preventing leaks. Knowing how often you should change your tampon is also important for taking precautions against an infection called toxic shock syndrome, or TSS. TSS is extremely rare, but can be life-threatening. Even though it’s highly unlikely you’ll get TSS, it’s still important to take precautions against it. This means not leaving in your tampon for more than eight hours. Read more about TSS here.

When you’re ready for a tampon change, relax your muscles, gently pull on the string (don’t worry! It’s sewn on tight!) and your tampon will slide out. Wrap it up and bin it. You’re all set to go! When your period is over, don’t forget to take out your tampon! Forgetting a tampon inside you can be quite unpleasant, to say the least.

For first time tampon users, we recommend TAMPAX Pearl Compak. They have a rounded tip and grip marks on the applicator, making them super easy to insert. Now that you know all about how often you should change your tampon, feel free to tampon on for a fun, confident, worry-free period.