Wondering how long periods last? Learn what’s normal for your first few years, how long we menstruate in a lifetime, and why finding the right period products matters. A simple, friendly guide for teens.
Starting your period comes with lots of new questions, and one of the big ones is: “How long does my period actually last?” It can feel confusing at first, but the good news is that there’s a wide range of what’s normal, especially in the early years of puberty.
Below is your easy guide to how long periods last, how many you’ll have in your lifetime, why they sometimes change, and why it’s important to find period products that work for you.
Most periods last between 2–10 days, and all of this counts as normal. When you first start your period, your body is still figuring out your cycle, so the length might change from month to month. One period might be light, the next a bit heavier, and sometimes your cycle might arrive earlier or later than you expected.
As your hormones settle and your body matures, your periods usually become more regular and predictable. It just takes time, so don’t stress if everything feels a bit random at first!
Here is a chart of what your period may look like!
If you’re curious about the bigger picture, most people start their period somewhere between ages 10–14, but anything from 8-16 is considered okay too...and periods continue nto your late 40s or mid‑50s.
Across a whole lifetime, that adds up to around:
When you look at it like that, it really shows how big a role periods play throughout life.
Periods can change for lots of reasons, and this is completely normal throughout your whole life. When you’re a teen, your hormones are still finding their rhythm, so your cycle might be shorter one month and longer the next, or come earlier or later than you expect.
Stress, tiredness, school pressure, weight changes, or suddenly doing a lot more exercise can also affect your hormones, which can make your period shift around a bit. This usually settles as you move through your teens.
But periods also change later in life too. For adults, pregnancy stops periods completely for the duration of the pregnancy, and some hormonal contraception can make periods lighter, irregular, or sometimes disappear for a while.
Much later...many years away for you, the body enters perimenopause, when hormones begin to change again, and periods can become unpredictable before eventually stopping altogether.
So changes in your cycle are normal at different stages of life, and your body is simply responding to what it needs at that time.
When you realise how big a part of life periods are, it makes sense to choose products that help you feel comfortable and confident. Pads, tampons, menstrual cups, period pants, and other options all work differently, so it’s about finding what feels best for you and your body.
There’s no “best” product, just what works best for you. It may take a bit of experimenting to figure out what feels right, and that’s totally normal.
As you get older, your flow might also change. sometimes getting lighter, sometimes heavier and this can make you rethink which products feel most comfortable or give you the best protection.
Your period is just one part of growing up and the more you understand it, the easier it becomes to manage.
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