Struggles Every Girl Deals with in the Summer

By: Anika In'T Hout

It’s finally summer! Time for warm weather, no school and ice cream. Despite all of the wonderful things about this season, from the flip flop grime to sticking to the seat, it’s no secret that summer isn’t always pretty for us girls. During and after puberty though, there are unfortunately a few more awkward struggles you will no doubt experience on hot summer days like shaving and pit stains. So here are just some summer struggles and our tips for dealing with them. 

Sunburns and bras

Nothing is worse than having a fun day in the sun and then getting a sunburn, making your skin look like a lobster. We’ve all been there. Once you get your first bra though, it only makes it harder. If you think putting on a loose t-shirt or tank top is hard after getting sunburned, try putting on a bra with those straps that can sometimes dig in your skin. Ouch. 

How to deal with it? For the sunburn, you can try cold showers, aloe vera and/or coconut oil. For the bra though, look into getting a strapless bra or a sports bra with wider straps. Next time, apply sunscreen underneath the straps to avoid tan lines. 

Constant shaving 

Shaving may seem fun when you first get body hair and learn to shave, but when you're constantly wearing swimsuits, shorts, rompers, skirts, dresses and any other clothing that shows off your legs, shaving in the summer starts to feel like a chore. Who wants to spend every few days shaving their underarms, legs, and bikini area? 

How to deal with it? While there’s not much advice we can really give you about the constant shaving, we can give you some tips on how to make shaving a little less painful. When you shave, we recommend using shaving cream, having a warm shower or bath beforehand, gliding the razor gently over your skin without pressing down too hard, and shaving in the same direction as your hair grows. For more shaving advice, check out our Older Sister Advice: Shaving blog post.

Sweat, pit stains and body odour

Although summer means nice hot days, it also means lots of sweat. As you go through puberty though, you will find that you sweat more, so say hello to your new friends: pit stains and body odour. It’s so not nice when you’re wearing a cute top and notice visible stains on your clothes in your underboob and underarm area. 

How to deal with it? There are a few things you can do. You can wear deodorant, shave your armpit hair, wear looser fitting shirts, wear a breathable bra (like ours) and carry alcohol-based wipes on you to wipe the sweat away.   

Swimming and periods

Summer often means it’s time to hit the pool or beach. But when you get your period, swimming doesn’t feel as fun when you have to worry about stuff like your tampon string hanging out or your swimsuit bottoms getting stained with blood. Many girls choose to not go swimming at all because of this. 

How to deal with it? There are lots of tricks you can try for swimming on your period like wearing a menstrual cup to avoid the possible tampon string mishap or wearing a dark-coloured swimsuit to avoid possible staining. For more swimming advice, check out our swimming on your period blog post.

While all these struggles can be annoying, with these tips, you can get back to focusing on having fun in the sun. Got more questions for us? Let us know in our contact form or DM us on Instagram!