Is your PERIOD normal?

I'ts that time of the month again: you have your period... and a million questions to go along with it. We asked experts to weigh in on your most pressing period probs: what's normal and what stuff raises a (literal) red flag–so you can go with the, uh flow.

- By Amanda Tarlton

QUESTIONABLE COLORS

Your period blood is 50 shades of red… and brown…and everything in between.

NORMAL: No need to freak out if your tampon looks more coffee-stained than firetruck: “Any variation of color can be normal,” explains Dr. Christine O’Connor, director of adolescent gynecology at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore. It all depends on your blood flow and how long the blood has been sitting inside of your uterus. Those dark brown (and yes, sometimes even black) splotches you see? Just oxidized blood that took a little longer to leave your body.

NOT NORMAL: Pink is a beautiful color... just not on your pad. Light pink blood flow that’s sustained during your period could indicate that you’re deficient in a key nutrient, most likely iron, or that your estrogen levels are low. Either way, talk to your doctor if you’re consistently seeing pink.

SUPER SOAKER

You’re going through tampons like crazy.

NORMAL: The average girl goes through three to six pads or tampons a day during her period. Recognize that everyone’s flow is different (and it can even vary from month to month for each girl), but a day or two of heavier flow, particularly at the beginning of your cycle, is perfectly OK.