The physical aspects of menstruation are easy to deal with. Of course, there are lots of wild rumors and old wives' tales about it—like "never wash your hair during a period"—that you may have picked up from other girls. Better straighten yourself out—or you'll be the only girl in your crowd with unwashed hair!

First of all, menstruation isn't an illness—it's a perfectly normal function, and while there are variations in the length and amount of blood flow it's a rare girl who has anything more than an occasional pain called a "cramp." If your period varies wildly from month to month, or if you miss it some months altogether, or if you do have more than an occasional pain, of course you should see your doctor. But for most girls, the monthly period is only a mild-interruption, not a major catastrophe. If you refer to it as "being sick" or think of it as something wrong, you'll find yourself developing all kinds of imaginary symptoms and ailments and God didn't create woman to be that delicate!

Your body does tend to perspire more freely than usual, for all those glands and hormones are working overtime. So, regardless of unfounded rumors about the evils of bathing—stick to your regular daily shower or tub bath. Don't scald yourself or freeze yourself, because it doesn't make sense to get a chill—menstrual period or no menstrual period. And don't go swimming for long, chilling workouts. But do bathe. Use a deodorant, as you always do; for this time of month you may want to switch to an anti-perspirant, which stops perspiration as well as removing odors. And if you can bathe—you certainly can shampoo your hair.

About this time of month a little monster called constipation may rear its ugly head. Eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, drink lots of water and if necessary, take a mild laxative at bedtime shortly. before your period, to make sure you won't be troubled. Regular exercise is good for you—but postpone the really strenuous kind. Don't go in for three sets of tennis or swim your town's equivalent of the English Channel, just to show off on the first day of your period.

So much for the physical side—but there's another side to this business of being a woman. There's a phrase called pre-menstrual tension you may have heard of. It's a fairly recent admission by doctors that the "nerves" and touchiness some women complain of are not all imaginary. They are caused by glandular changes. During ovulation glandular secretions called hormones are released that make you feel good; when they are cut down, as menstruation starts, you may feel "let down." You're a victim of pre-menstrual tension if you find that before you're due for a period, you have sudden moods of great depression, when the whole world looks black, and you're ready to snap and bite at your loving family.