What Your Period Color Says About Your Health
What does your period color say about your health? Your period color can tell you vital information about your hormones and your overall health. Have you been paying attention to the color of your period? Here I will share with you what a normal period color is, what other period colors may mean, and times when a period color can indicate it’s time to take a trip to your doctor.
Here are what 6 period colors say about your health:
1. Red Period color
Your period color: red
What a red period color says about your health: red is a normal, healthy period color. The red should be dark or vibrant like a cranberry red or fruit punch color. The consistency should be similar to maple syrup.
2. Brown period color
Your period color: brown
What a brown period color says about your health: if your period color is brown, this can usually be normal if it is at the beginning or end of your menstrual cycle (source). Remember, blood first comes out red and overtime it darkens to a brown color when exposed to oxygen. If your entire bleed is brown, you experience mid-cycle brown spotting, or you notice a significant amount of your period blood is brown, then this can signify low progesterone levels.
3. Dark Purple Period Color
Your period color: dark purple
What a dark purple period color says about your health: a dark purple period color can be an indication of elevated estrogen levels. Sometimes you may see a dark purple period color with clotting, like the consistency of crushed blueberries. Some small clots may be normal. Check that the clots are not large and are smaller than the size of a quarter. If you have very long periods and a frequent amount of clots then you should make an appointment with your doctor (source).
4. Orange period color
Your period color: orange
What an orange period color says about your health: This color can happen with conception right after implantation (source). The orange color can be a mixture of blood with cervical fluid making it appear orange. Take a pregnancy test if you see this and suspect you may be pregnant. Orange may also be a sign of infection or STD, so it’s important to get this checked with your doctor.
5. Pink period color
Your period color: pink
What a pink period color says about your health: You can see pink or light pink spotting right before or right after your period. It’s even possible to experience some mid-cycle spotting around ovulation. If your period is light pink it can be a sign of low estrogen levels (source).
6. Gray period color
Your period color: gray
What a gray period color says about your health: This can be a sign of an infection, like bacterial vaginosis, or possibly a miscarriage (source). If your period color is gray it’s time to make an appointment with your doctor to identify the root cause.
Take away message:
Your period is an important indicator of your body’s hormone health. The color should a shade of deep red and consistency like maple syrup. Other period colors may tell you important information about your health like your hormone levels or a possible infection.
Be sure to check out my FREE hormone guide below for more hormone balancing tips. And my online course Heal Your Period: Everything you need to know to achieve a regular, pain-free period.