Aunt Vadge: I took a dry tampon out and now I’m bleeding
TL;DR
Removing a dry tampon can cause discomfort and slight bleeding, a common issue for tampon users, especially beginners. Aunt Vadge advises on how to mitigate pain and assures that minor bleeding is not usually a cause for concern. She also debunks the myth of lake water worsening the condition, offering peace of mind and practical tips for tampon usage.
Hi Aunt Vadge,
I took a tampon out immediately after putting it in, now I’m bleeding. What did I do? I was at the very end of my period when I put it in, and it did not hurt going in but it hurt taking it out.
I have never used a tampon before, I don’t know where the blood is coming from, and I’m 16. I also went kayaking in lake water and I got wet. Could that cause infection? I went out on the lake after it happened and I wanted to know if the water would make it worse. It doesn’t hurt at all. I had like a couple sharp pains afterwards but it doesn’t hurt now.Â
There isn’t much blood, and it happened about 11:30 this morning.Â
Sincerely,
Dry
_______
Dear Dry,
I think you’ll be alright – if you were bleeding a lot and in a lot of pain, I would say seek medical attention, but a bit of pain after pulling a dry tampon out is pretty normal. Your mucous membranes do not like it one bit! Bleeding may or may not occur, but the blood may also be from your period, so no need to worry unless it continued.
It’s better to either leave an unwanted tampon in for a bit to soften up with your natural vaginal fluids (after an hour or so it should be a bit easier), or if you really need to get it out, insert a water-based lubricant as far up as you can to smooth the way out.
Pulling dry tampons out shouldn’t damage you permanently (unless something has gone really wrong), but it can be really uncomfortable, as it sort of pulls the vaginal walls inwards and down because the dry cotton sticks –Â go slow. This is not where vaginal walls want to be, so it could hurt a bit afterwards for some people.
Also depending on the brand you use, some tampon manufacturers cover the tampons in a sort of fine mesh to avoid this problem (like a band-aid has), but you’ll have to hunt around for those, or just try to avoid pulling dry tampons out where possible.
The lake water will not make it worse. You’d be trying pretty hard to get a vaginal infection from a lake that it is known to be safe to swim in.
Check out our tampons section for tips on tampons.Â
Let me know if you need any more help, and enjoy the lake!
Warmest regards,
Aunt Vadge Â
