Are there ways to naturally delay your period before a holiday? Here’s what you need to know.
You’ve booked your beach holiday, got excited about new bikinis and hot weather outfits, and then suddenly realise you are due on your period during your stay.
There’s no need to panic (with plenty of solutions from period swimwear to sustainable products to see you through) but you aren’t alone if you’ve also caught yourself Googling ‘can I naturally delay my period before my holiday?’
In fact, new research by Intimina, involving a survey of 2000 UK adults, found that 15 per cent of respondents had considered postponing or delaying a trip because they were due to be on their period.
So, can you really push your period back before a holiday or another big event like a wedding? We asked the experts to dive into the science and separated the fact from the fiction when it comes to the internet’s favourite period delaying hacks, as well as revealing the best options to try instead.
Do period delaying natural remedies actually work?
In short, no. Yet, search in the wrong (but very popular) places online and you’ll actually find no shortage of suggestions of how you might be able to naturally delay your period so it misses a big holiday or social event, like a wedding.
Supercharging your vitamin C levels to make your period come early is one of the most persistent suggestions, with the theory going that very high doses of vitamin C might increase your oestrogen levels and lower progesterone. That’s why drinking lemon juice has become a forum favourite as a period delaying ‘hack’.
Other suggestions we’ve seen include drinking certain herbal teas such as raspberry leaf, chamomile or ginger, eating particular foods like lentils or spicy food, or even having sex to nudge your cycle off schedule.
But here’s what the experts say:
Lack of scientific evidence
“There are all sorts of supposed period delay hacks circulating online, from drinking lemon juice or taking high doses of vitamin C to eating particular foods, exercising or having sex,” explains the doctor and Intimina’s women’s health expert, Dr Susanna Unsworth. “Some of these claims are based on the idea that particular foods, vitamins or activities can influence hormone levels or interfere with the menstrual cycle. In reality, there is no good scientific evidence that any of these methods can reliably delay your period.”
Proceive fertility and pregnancy nutritionist Charlotte Grand agrees: “there aren’t any foods, herbs or dietary supplements that I would suggest trying for delaying menstruation, and taking large doses of supplements without a nutritional or medical reason is not something I would recommend, particularly when there is no good evidence that it will achieve the desired result.”
Potential side effects
It’s not just that these period delaying hacks aren’t supported by science. They could be doing you more harm than good.
“It’s important to remember that herbal remedies and supplements aren’t automatically harmless because they’re described as ‘natural’,” explains Dr Unsworth. “Some can interact with prescribed medications, including hormonal treatments, and the dose and quality of different products can vary.”
Over-supplementing with vitamin C can be particularly problematic. “High-dose vitamin C can cause gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhoea, abdominal cramps and nausea, and excessive supplementation can increase urinary oxalate; this is a particular concern in people susceptible to kidney stones or with kidney disease,” reveals the NHS GP and women’s health specialist, Dr Komal Chadha.
Why isn’t delaying your period that simple?
Unfortunately our periods are much more complex than any online hack would suggest. “The menstrual cycle is controlled by a complex interaction of hormones involving the brain, pituitary gland and ovaries,” explains Dr Unsworth. “So menstruation isn’t controlled by one simple switch.”
Instead, to paraphrase Dr Chadha: “it is a hormonal sequence of coordinated changes in oestrogen and progesterone, throughout the month, which eventually leads to menstruation.”
“That means by the time your period is approaching, you’re not dealing with an isolated event that can simply be moved forwards or backwards with a particular food or drink,” continues Grand.
Can very intense exercise delay your period?
It’s true, certain types of exercise can affect your menstrual cycle, particularly when training is very intense or accompanied by significant changes in nutrition or body weight, as this can interfere with or delay ovulation. But that doesn’t mean it’s an effective way to move your period before a holiday.
For one, the effect of physical or psychological stress on your ovulation can be unpredictable. “You can’t, for example, exercise more intensely for a few days and expect to move your period from Friday to Monday,” explains Dr Unsworth.
More importantly, it’s way too dangerous an approach, with longer-term health implications.
“Trying to manipulate your cycle through extreme exercise or calorie restriction is not recommended because prolonged low energy availability can cause menstrual dysfunction and adversely affect long -term bone and reproductive health,” explains Dr Chadha.
In fact, “if someone’s cycle suddenly changes or their periods repeatedly become late or absent without an obvious explanation, that’s something to investigate rather than something to try to replicate as a period delaying ‘hack’,” warns Grand.
So what can delay a period?
While the answer to the question, “Can I naturally delay my period?” is basically a resounding ‘no’, there are medical options to help you reduce, skip or postpone bleeding.
Contraceptives
“If you’re taking the combined contraceptive pill, it is often possible to postpone bleeding by taking active pills continuously or extending the time between breaks,” reveals Dr Unsworth. “In fact, we now commonly recommend tailored or continuous use of combined hormonal contraception, as there is no medical requirement to have a monthly withdrawal bleed.”
A word of caution though: always speak to your doctor before making any changes to your birth control routine. Delaying your period for a holiday isn’t worth the risk of an unwanted pregnancy, after all. Equally, suppressing your period through hormonal means isn’t always 100 per cent effective. Spotting or breakthrough bleeding can still happen, so you may want to continue to pack some of your traditional period products, especially as any bleeding can be less predictable than normal.
Period delay tablets
Another option is prescription medication, which is specifically designed to delay your period. “These [medications] work by maintaining the hormonal support to the lining of the womb, preventing the usual withdrawal bleeding,” explains Dr Unsworth. “They generally need to be started before your period is due [around three days before] and can be taken regularly for as long as you wish to postpone bleeding. Your period will usually start within a few days of stopping the medication.”
Grand highlights Norethisterone as a popular, UK-licensed option to look out for, while Dr Chadha mentions Medroxyprogesterone as an off-licence alternative for people who may require a medication with a slightly reduced clot risk. Of course, that consideration from Dr Chadha is significant, as it highlights that, as with any prescription medicine, certain period-delay medication isn’t suitable for everyone, and both options require medical supervision, as there are potential side effects and your own medical history to consider. It’s worth noting that these pills don’t provide contraception either and can be more difficult to use if your periods are irregular.
“For a one-off event such as a holiday or wedding, I’d suggest speaking to a clinician at least one to two weeks beforehand where possible,” suggests Dr Chadha. “That gives time to establish the expected period date, check contraindications and obtain the appropriate medication without feeling rushed.”
You may also find that period-delay medication isn’t available on an NHS prescription when it’s being requested for convenience or lifestyle reasons, such as a holiday, wedding or sporting event, Dr Chadha explains. The good news is that these medications are often available privately and aren’t particularly expensive, including through online pharmacies. However, that doesn’t negate the need to speak to a doctor before taking them, as no period-free holiday is worth risking your actual health for.
How to have a stress-free period when on holiday
Of course, there’s plenty of options to have you feeling confident when on your period – be it during a holiday, wedding or just day-to-day life. The main thing is to find the right solution for you, whether that be a period swimsuit, tampons, menstrual cups or pads. Some of the CF team’s favourites are below.
And finally, just remember, if you are researching period delaying hacks not just because of a holiday but because your periods are regularly heavy, painful, unpredictable or interfering with your day-to-day life, then it’s time to have a wider conversation with a healthcare professional. “There are lots of effective treatments available to help manage troublesome periods, rather than simply trying to postpone them for individual events,” ends Dr Unsworth.
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Becki Murray is Citizen Femme’s Beauty and Wellness Director. As one of the only UK journalists to hold a Distinction-grade diploma in cosmetic science, she combines her unique knowledge with an editor’s eye to help you make smarter choices about beauty, wellbeing, and aesthetics. Becki also heads up CF’s spa guide so you could say she’s an expert in the science of relaxation too…
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