What Is the Luteal Phase? An Ob-Gyn Breaks It Down

Have you ever felt personally victimized by your TikTok feed and its content around the luteal phase? Well, you're not alone. Videos describing the horrors of this point in the menstrual cycle have been particularly popular on FYPs lately. "I woke up this morning and looked in the mirror and saw an 85-year-old woman that grew up in trenches," said TikTok user sam_d0ll — a person who objectively does not look like an octogenarian. She posited that the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle — the back half before your period starts — makes us virtually unrecognizable. "All of a sudden, we're irritable and bloated and our faces [change] shapes and we're mean as hell," she says in her video. Even if you haven't heard of the luteal phase before, rest assured, this isn't an isolated experience.

Based on the comments section alone, many other people with uteruses are also going through it during this part of their menstrual cycle . . . and most have no idea why. "I lose my mind until my period starts," one person wrote. "We only get 6 good days a month," another commiserated. So what is it about the luteal phase that makes us look and feel like absolute garbage? To uncover the truth, we dug into the science with an ob-gyn. Read on to learn what the luteal phase is, how it affects you, and what you can do to feel better when it comes around.

Michael Krychman, MDCM, is a board-certified ob-gyn, a clinical sexual counselor, and a member of the medical advisory board for HerMD.

In case high school health class didn't cover this (because ours certainly didn't): the luteal phase is the name of the second half of your menstrual cycle, says Michael Krychman, MDCM. In the average 28-day cycle, the luteal phase happens around day 14 and goes until day 28. Immediately prior to the luteal phase is ovulation, when your ovaries expel a mature egg in order to be fertilized. That timing is important because, in the first part of the luteal phase, your body acts as if that egg was fertilized by sperm, and starts to prepare for pregnancy.

"You'll see a rise in the hormone called progesterone, which basically is the hormone that prepares the uterine lining for pregnancy," says Dr. Krychman. Progesterone thickens the uterine lining for an embryo to potentially latch onto and grow. However, if you do not get pregnant, the area where your egg came from (called the corpus luteum) shrinks up and stops making progesterone. Your progesterone and estrogen levels plummet, causing your uterine lining to thin and shed. This is what results in a period, Dr. Krychman explains.

As a note, if you're on hormonal birth control such as the Pill, you're less likely to experience as much hormonal variation during your luteal phase. "Oral contraceptives are basically taking over the control of the hormonal cycle," Dr. Krychman says. Whether your birth control has both estrogen and progesterone, or just progesterone, your hormonal shifts are being evened out, he says. That's not a bad thing; that's how the Pill prevents pregnancy.

The drastic changes in your hormone levels during the luteal phase can have different effects on people, Dr. Krychman says. He adds that, on a physical level, the luteal phase might cause:

These varying symptoms, triggered by hormonal shifts, might explain why some people feel so poorly during their luteal phase. The good news is that others might not notice a huge difference at all, Dr. Krychman says. In fact, some might even feel better than usual. (We're only a little jealous.)

There's not a ton of research as to why the luteal phase is associated with such a wide variety of symptoms, but there are a few theories. Take acne, for example. Estrogen helps inhibit testosterone and other hormones that trigger oil production in the skin. When your estrogen levels are low (as they are at the end of the luteal phase), your body may produce more oil, potentially causing breakouts. Progesterone and estrogen are also thought to make your breasts swell, which may cause tenderness when those hormones are at their peak earlier in the luteal phase. Moreover, estrogen can make you retain more water, which could explain why your face looks a little puffier in your luteal phase.

Fear not — the luteal phase can also affect your mental health. According to Dr. Krychman, some of the mental effects may include:

For some people, significant mood changes during the luteal phase may be due to premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). People with PMDD have serious, sometimes debilitating mental health symptoms like anxiety, depression, or irritability in the week or two leading up to their periods — changes that are completely gone at other times in their cycle. The leading theory is that people with PMDD are especially sensitive to the hormonal shifts of the luteal phase, which impacts their brain chemistry and thus their mood. If you have any serious concerns, or suspect you may be dealing with PMDD yourself, make sure to contact a healthcare provider for the best personalized medical advice.

All this in mind, Dr. Krychman notes that both mental and physical health are pretty complex; how you're feeling on any given day can't be attributed to just one hormone, and the luteal phase isn't the only factor. "There are other things that influence hormones," Dr. Krychman says (and thus, how you're feeling physically and mentally). If you're stressed out at work, for example, your cortisol levels might be sky high, which can make it hard to sleep, and contribute to bad mood, dull skin, and even faster aging.

There's also a lot of individual variation when it comes to how people experience their luteal phase (and other parts of their menstrual cycle). Some people are ultra-sensitive to hormonal changes, and others "sail through the fluctuations," Dr. Krychman says. It's unclear why some people are so vulnerable to these changes while others don't feel much at all, but Dr. Krychman attributes it to "individual physiology and genetic predisposition."

Even if you aren't severely affected by the luteal phase, doesn't mean you can't make some improvements. "[People] need to be empowered, and they don't need to suffer in silence," Dr. Krychman says. If you notice any frustrating or uncomfortable symptoms at a consistent time each month, Dr. Krychman suggests speaking with a healthcare provider first. (It might help to keep track of your cycle and symptoms in a journal or secure period-tracking app so you have plenty of reliable data.) Your doctor may recommend hormonal birth control to help even out some of the hormonal fluctuations you experience throughout the luteal phase. If you're dealing with PMDD, you might also be referred to a psychiatrist for better support.

Dr. Krychman says you can also alleviate symptoms by engaging in calming activities to lower cortisol. These might include meditation, yoga, or other mindfulness practices. He also recommends regular exercise to manage stress and support your mood. While these won't work as a quick fix for more serious conditions like PMDD, they may make the luteal phase a bit more bearable over time.

Jessie Van Amburg is a PS contributor and health writer with over 10 years of experience creating quality journalism for brands like Women's Health Magazine, Well+Good, Wondermind, and more.

Chandler Plante is an assistant editor for PS Health and Fitness. She has over four years of professional journalism experience, previously working as an editorial assistant for People magazine and contributing to Ladygunn, Millie, and Bustle Digital Group. In her free time, she enjoys finding new ways to rock her 18(!) different eye patches, and making videos about chronic illness, beauty, and disability.