Monthly periods are something that connect all women together, but talking about it is still pretty taboo. Ever see a tampon or sanitary pad commercial? The liquid they use to demonstrate absorption is always blue, when in reality it’s red. You know, because it’s blood and blood is red.
Even worse: Women in some countries are banished outside during menstruation.
We (meaning men and women) need to get comfortable talking about periods. Canadian artist Annelies Hofmeyr is doing her part by putting periods front-and-center on her nails.
“I really don’t understand why my tampon nails never became a trend,” she wrote on Instagram, along with a photo of her nails that feature blood red “stains” over a white base, topped off by little blue tampon strings.
She’s not the only one wearing her uterus on her nails.
Period-inspired nails are becoming a sort of mini-trend on Instagram, with several people posting their own works of art under the #periodnails hashtag. Some announce their current status quite literally with a “I’m on my period” declaration featuring mini tampons.
Not ready to ask for the look at your nail salon? You can invest in nail decals featuring intrauterine birth control devices (IUDs) and menstrual cups.
More talk around periods is definitely a good thing because education is still lacking: upwards of 50 percent of girls in India don’t know anything about menstruation before they get to puberty. Also, girls are getting their periods earlier than ever and a lack of information can leave them unprepared — and embarrassed — when it happens for the first time.
The Instagram reaction to Hofmeyr’s work is pretty positive with comments like “genius” and “perfect.” Will in be as popular in public? Maybe, maybe not — but it’ll start a conversation, which is never a bad thing when it comes to health.
