9 period confessions of a London Fashion Week model

Model Victoria Cain, who's landed campaigns for Toni & Guy, Rimmel and L'Oreal, gets real about getting your period during fashion week - and let's just say it sounds a whole lot worse than lying in bed with a tub of Ben & Jerry's ice-cream.

1. You have to wear a thong on the catwalk - so pads isn't an option

" You have to wear thongs on a job because otherwise you can see your underwear through the clothes. So pads aren't an option – it's tampons only. Luckily my periods are really light and only last around three days."

2. Using the bathroom during castings is impossible

"I've leaked a few times during castings. This industry is so fast paced – you're running around and it's hard to find 5 minutes to do what you've got to do. Luckily in the past I've been wearing black jeans – you wear all black to castings – but it's horrible because you can feel it and you can't go to the toilet because you lose your spot."

Another show down ???????? #NYFW #yunayang #runway

A photo posted by ॐ Vicky ॐ (@vickycain8) on Feb 15, 2016 at 10:26am PST

3. Models can be unfriendly

"Sometimes there are hundreds of girls and you're waiting an hour and a half in castings. The girls are really petty – if you don't know them and ask them to save your spot they'd be like, 'No, go to the back of the queue, bitch.' There's a lot of that.

4. But some do share tampons

"I always keep one of those little bags from Pink Parcel in my bag. The chances are if I don't need it, there'll be another girl frantically looking for a tampon and I'll come to the rescue.

5. You sometimes have to choose between changing a tampon or doing a casting

"You think, do I lose a possible job or wait for another half an hour? So you just put up with the leakiness."

B&W ???????? thanks guys ???? #throwback @marcelasmakeup @harrypsef

A photo posted by ॐ Vicky ॐ (@vickycain8) on Oct 17, 2015 at 3:58am PDT

6. Leaking on the clothes is the worst outcome

"The first time I realised periods could be a problem was at a photo shoot where I was the only girl. I got a surprise attack in the middle of the day and didn't have anything on me. I had to fake a cigarette break and go to find a shop. All I could think was, 'I can't leak on the clothes.' It makes me stressed just thinking about it."

7. The pill is a life saver

"That's also one of the main reasons I'm on the pill. If my period will interrupt a show or a job, I'll just keep taking my pill – it makes life so much easier. Lots of my girlfriends do the same. Of course, it doesn't stop those funny half periods where you're like 'what is this?!' and you bleed out of the blue for two days."

walking for Coventry on Vogue UK @voguemagazine ????????

A photo posted by ॐ Vicky ॐ (@vickycain8) on Jun 14, 2015 at 5:05am PDT

8. Models get bloated, too

"I get seriously bad sugar cravings too. Normally I eat healthily: fruit,
veg, no dairy, no meat. But when I get my period I can eat for England. I can
get through a whole box of Crunchy Nut Cornflakes. I eat bread and chocolate
which bloats me."

9. Periods can lose models work

"The thing that stresses me out most
about getting my period during fashion week is my acne-prone skin. It's like my
period is smack bang on my face. It's got so bad I won't even go to castings
when I have my period. It's absolutely lost me jobs. You get picked for your
face."

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Interview provided by Pink Parcel, the period subscription service.