Everyone’s Tampon Q&A
Everyone’s Tampon Q&A
Before you begin: Basic Q&A
About Using Tampons
Q. Can I use it right, even on the first try?
Even on your first try, if you read the instructions that come with the product, you’ll be able to use it right. Please read the instructions. If you’re not used to using tampons, try first on a day with heavy flow and it’ll be easier to put in. The menstrual blood will help it slide in.
How old should I be before I use them?
Even if it’s your first time, you can use them with your first period, but it’s recommended to wait until your periods become regular. Mothers and guardians are asked to offer guidance to a child who is planning to use a tampon for the first time.
When is the best time to use a tampon?
Tampons can be used anytime during menstruation. *Do not use tampons for 8 weeks after giving birth and during the first period after giving birth.
Can I use them even on days when I don’t have my period?
Tampons are made for absorbing menstrual blood. Do not use them when you are not having your period. *Discharge doesn’t have as much moisture as menstrual blood, and trying to absorb discharge with a tampon can result in damage to the vaginal walls, so they are not recommended for absorbing vaginal discharge. Pantyliners are the best way to deal with vaginal discharge.
How do I know which tampon to choose?
We recommend tampons that come with a plastic applicator to help guide the tampon into the right place. They come in Light (for light flow days), Regular (for regular flow days), Super (for heavy flow days), and Super Plus (for very heavy flow days). Choose the tampon that matches your flow level.
About Inserting Tampons
Doesn’t it hurt when it goes in?
With Sofy Soft Tampons, a plastic applicator is included to help the absorbent tampon go to the right spot in your body, so insertion doesn’t hurt.
Also, when tampons are in the correct position inside your body, they don’t hurt or feel uncomfortable. They’re comfortable. To make it easy to insert, squat a little and try to relax your body. If you’re nervous, the muscles in the area will stiffen and it may be difficult or hurt when trying to insert the tampon.
Won’t it damage my body?
The safe applicators are thoroughly tested, and designed according to ergonomic design principles. The end is rounded and smooth, so there’s no concern that it will damage your body.
Is it safe, hygiene-wise?
Tampons are sterilized and individually wrapped, so they are very hygienic. It’s important to store them in a clean place, and wash your hands before using them, without excessively touching the tampon and applicator.
Won’t it go in too far?
At the end of the vagina is the entrance to the uterus (the opening of the cervix), which is only 2 or 3 mm in diameter, so the approximately 1 cm diameter tampon will not fit through. *For half a year after giving birth, the cervix can stay open, so don’t insert tampons further than the recommended spot.
See “What are Tampons? Where does it go in?”
When Using Tampons
Won’t it fall out when I move?
A tampon inserted into the correct position will be held firmly by the walls of the vagina, so it won’t naturally fall out even with vigorous activity. In the rare case that the inserted location is shallow, it may be pushed out by abdominal pressure.
Won’t it hurt or feel uncomfortable?
When tampons are in the correct position inside your body, they don’t hurt or feel uncomfortable. They’re comfortable. If it is inserted correctly and located in the comfort zone of the vagina, it won’t hurt feel uncomfortable while in use. If it hurts or feels uncomfortable, the tampon may not be in the correct position.
How long can I keep it in?
Tampons are meant to be kept in for 4 to 8 hours. Each person’s experience will vary. Change it according to the flow volume. *Do not use a tampon for more than 8 hours at a time.
Can I trim the string?
The tampon string is meant to be used to pull out the tampon after use, so if the string is cut, it may not be possible to remove the tampon. Never cut the string.
Taking It Out
Won’t the string break off when I pull?
The tampon string is a sturdy string made up of several threads. The string is firmly stitched to the tampon with a sewing machine, so even when you pull on it to remove the tampon, it won’t pull off or tear apart.
*Just to be sure, always give the string a good tug before inserting the tampon to make sure it won’t come off.
See How to Use Tampons
Do they ever get stuck, or left inside?
If you’re nervous and tense up your body, or if your flow of menstrual blood is light, it can be difficult to remove the tampon. When removing it, relax your body and breathe out, pulling gently on the string at a forward diagonal angle.
*In rare cases, part of the fiber can be left in the vagina, but that will be naturally ejected through the vagina’s self-cleaning mechanism, so there is no health hazard.
Disposal and Storage
Can I flush it down the toilet afterwards?
Don’t flush it down the toilet! Throw away the applicator, wrapping, and the tampon itself in the garbage, for example in the little garbage can located in restroom stalls.
Can I throw it away in the burnable garbage?
Applicators, finger covers, and so on are plastic. Dispose according to local trash disposal guidelines. Boxes and other paper items can be disposed of as burnable garbage. It is good hygiene and good manners to wrap a used tampon in toilet paper before throwing it in the garbage.
Is there a use-by date?
There is no use-by date. It depends on how they are stored, but use unopened tampons within approximately five years. The products are sterilized, but please use them as quickly as possible once the package is opened. In the unlikely event that the individual wrapping is damaged, please do not use it.
How should tampons be stored?
Store tampons in a box in a clean place, away from water, heat, humidity, and direct sunlight. If they are kept in a place with high humidity for a long time, the tampons may absorb the moisture in the air and swell up, making them difficult to insert. If left in direct sunlight for a long time, the applicator can become brittle and break, which could cause injury when used.
Do not store tampons near perfumes, chemicals, or detergents. The product packaging includes an instruction manual. Always keep the manual and store it together with the product. Carrying individual tampons can cause the applicator to be bent, so keep them in their box.
Is This True?
Can a tampon break my hymen?
The hymen is not a membrane, but a fold of elastic mucosal tissue located around the vaginal opening. This fold has a 2 cm diameter opening in the middle, so a 1 cm diameter tampon will not damage or overstretch the hymen.
Can a tampon enter my uterus?
At the end of the vagina is the entrance to the uterus (the opening of the cervix), which is only 2 or 3 mm in diameter, so the approximately 1 cm diameter tampon will not fit through. *For half a year after giving birth, the cervix can stay open, so don’t insert tampons further than the recommended spot. Do not use tampons for 8 weeks after giving birth and during the first period after giving birth.
Is it true that using tampons makes it more likely to develop tumors?
If you follow the guidelines and use tampons correctly, they will not make it more likely to develop tumors.
See How to Use Tampons
See Precautions for Use
Can the body absorb a tampon?
The absorbent fibers that make up a tampon will not be absorbed by the body.
*In rare cases, part of the fiber can be left in the vagina, but that will be naturally ejected through the vagina’s self-cleaning mechanism, so there is no health hazard.
Does using tampons make it harder to get pregnant?
If you follow the guidelines and use tampons correctly, they will not make it harder to get pregnant.
See How to Use Tampons
See Precautions for Use
Can a tampon fall out if I’m straining on the toilet?
A tampon inserted into the correct position will be held firmly by the walls of the vagina, so it won’t fall out. In rare cases, for example when the inserted location is shallow, it may be pushed out by abdominal pressure.
Troubles When Using Tampons Q&A
How far should I put it in?
When using a tampon with a plastic applicator, only insert the white cylinder. Check the instructions for how to hold and insert it correctly and use it with comfort!
See How to Use Tampons
See How a Tampon Works
It feels uncomfortable!
If you feel uncomfortable like it’s lumpy or it feels like it might come out, the tampon may not be inserted into the correct position. When inserting a tampon, it only feels uncomfortable if it is near the vaginal opening. A little further back in the vagina is the comfort zone, so try again with a new tampon and try to get it to that spot!
See How the Body Works
See How to Use Tampons
I put it in, but I forgot to take it out! / I can’t find the string!
First, take a breath and calm down. Next, clean your hands and check whether the string is stuck somewhere around your vaginal opening. If you still can’t find it, try using a mirror to check, and insert your forefinger or middle finger into your vagina to try and find it. If there is a tampon in there, your finger will touch the string or the tampon itself. If you still can’t find it and you’re concerned, go and ask a gynecologist or other specialized doctor for help.
When I have light flow, it hurts!
This is because the tampon is held closely by the inner walls of the vagina. If it hurts on days with light flow, stop using tampons and use menstrual pads instead.
No matter how many times I try, I can’t get it.
If you’re not used to using tampons, try first on a day with heavy flow and it’ll be easier to put in. The menstrual blood will help it slide in. To make it easy to insert, squat a little and try to relax your body. If you’re nervous, the muscles in the area will stiffen and it may be difficult to insert the tampon.
(*) It is also possible that you could be doing it wrong. If you keep trying and can’t get it in, or it feels uncomfortable when it is in, take a look at “Common mistakes and tricks for getting it right.”
See Common mistakes and tricks for getting it right
I leaked even though I was using a tampon!
Tampons are not a plug for stopping the flow of menstrual blood, so once they exceed their absorption capacity, menstrual blood can leak out. Change it more frequently, or try using a tampon with a higher absorbency level. Additionally, if the tampon is not inserted into the correct position, it can leak. Check that it is in the correct position deep in the vagina.
