What are the 'luteal uglies'? And how they're affecting women
Social media trends highlighting the 'luteal uglies' have brought attention to the physical and emotional changes women experience during the second half of their menstrual cycle. Experts confirm that hormonal fluctuations, specifically drops in oestrogen, cause symptoms like bloating, skin changes, and mood shifts.
Why it matters
Increased public discourse on women's health helps destigmatize natural biological processes and encourages better understanding of hormonal impacts.
Image source, Getty Images By Ella Kipling Published 3 minutes ago "Is it just me or am I the ugliest person alive?" a woman in her early 30s asks the camera on TikTok, accompanied by the caption "POV: Girls in their luteal phase."
The video has 2.4 million views and hundreds of comments.
"This is literally me," one woman writes. "I'm angry at how accurate this is," another says.
There are thousands of videos like this one on social media, lamenting the "luteal uglies" - the changes in appearance and mood that women say appear during the luteal phase of their menstrual cycle.
During this phase, which occurs in the second half of a woman's cycle and ends when she gets her period, women experience a huge drop in oestrogen. So are the "luteal uglies" a real thing?
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