Skip to main content
How to use a pad

What Is A Pad and How To Use It?

What Is A Pad?
How to Use a Pad?
How Do You Choose The Right Pad For You
Allergic To Pads And Developing Rash

You are first introduced to the concept of “periods” during puberty. This is the age when you (like almost every other girl) are likely to start menstruating, and a basic understanding about the what’s and how’s of periods can certainly come in handy at this juncture. Perhaps this is also the first time you’ll hear the words “sanitary pads” or “sanitary napkins” that you will need on a monthly basis from now on. During this time, a fairly obvious question is - what is a sanitary pad?

What is a Pad?

It’s a strange term, but a “sanitary napkin” or “sanitary pad” just means an absorbent pad that you wear on your undies during your period in order to absorb menstrual blood. Depending on your menstrual flow and preference, you need to choose a sanitary pad of appropriate thickness, length and absorbency. Don’t worry, after the first few times of trying to understand your body’s response to periods, you will eventually settle on a sanitary napkin that suits your needs best. However, another question that pops up at this point is - how to use sanitary pads?

How to Use a Pad?

Using a sanitary pad is actually pretty easy. Here are a few basic steps on how to wear a sanitary pad:

  1. Wash and dry your hands with soap and water.
  2. Remove the pad from the wrapper.
  3. Peel off the long piece of paper that covers the sticky back of the pad.
  4. Place the pad sticky side down to cover the crotch panel of your undies — the area that goes between your legs. Be sure not to put it too far to the front or back.
  5. Peel the wrapper off the wings and wrap them around the underside of your undies.
  6. Dispose of the pad after it has become saturated. Pull it off your undies and roll it up like a sleeping bag in the wrapper from your fresh pad before disposing of it in the bin. Never flush a pad down the toilet.
  7. Wash your hands.

Now that the part on how to use pad during periods is clear, here is a word of caution! For your comfort and to avoid odour, one thing you need to do is change your pad every few hours. This is very important considering that the blood, vaginal mucus and other impurities that your body is throwing out should not be in contact with your skin for too long! Hence, changing your pad every 4-5 hours is considered ideal.

As a young girl who has just started with her periods, it can certainly be a stressful time. This guide from CAREFREE® is meant to walk you through these days and help you select and use a sanitary pad without any hassle or worry. With answers to some of the most common questions such as how to use pads during periods, we hope to make this crucial part of growing up easier and stress-free for you! With CAREFREE® , take on each day as a new adventure, any time of the month!

How Do You Choose The Right Pad For You?

The first thing to know is there’s no right or wrong way to handle menstruation. Every woman is different, and so is her body’s reaction to periods. That’s why there are so many types of sanitary pads to choose from. In addition, the kind of sanitary pad you choose depends on your personal preference and on what works best for your body and your period.

Here are some tips to get you started.

  • The first time you get your period, you might want to try a regular sized pad or mini tampon.
  • If the regular size seems to be filling up too quickly, then try the super pad or tampon with more absorption.
  • If after a few hours it looks like there’s not much blood there, then you can switch to a regular pad or a lesser absorbency tampon.

Your flow is not exactly the same throughout your period. Therefore, using the same sanitary pad type for all the days might not seem like the best option. Some girls use two different types of sanitary pads with different absorbencies—one that can take care of their heavy days and a lighter absorbency pad for their lighter days. There are also special pads for the night-time. These are longer and wider at the back, so they can fully protect you while you move around in your sleep and offer you a night of worry-free sleep, even on those days. A preferred type of sanitary pads for a lot of women however, is one with wings. These wings are meant to hold the pad in place throughout the day and make sure that there are no leakages. Apart from this, today you can find sanitary pads that come with an odour control technology that masks foul odour and keeps you feeling clean and fresh!

With the level of advancement in technology, the kinds of sanitary pads available in the market provide for almost all of your period-related concerns! Understand your body and your periods first, so that you can choose a sanitary pad that is a perfect match for your menstrual cycle. With the wide range of CAREFREE® pads and tampons, be assured of finding a solution for your period worries, and live your life worry-free!

Allergic To Pads

Question: I've been using pads for a while now, but recently I have been getting a type of rash when I wear pads. I did some research and found that I shouldn't use plastic pads but cotton ones. I changed to cotton ones but I still get a rash. Any advice?

Dr. Farah Kroman: Different brands of pads are made up of a different of materials. If you find you can't wear any of them, perhaps you can try using tampons as tampons are made of different materials. Hopefully one of these will suit you. If not, I suggest talking to your doctor.