i'm currently on my period and managing it alright with pain medication. i think the worst part of the experience besides the cramps is the constant feeling that i need to clean myself on my period. i don't just mean cleaning out the flow, but a general feeling of dirtiness on my body—like there's a thin film of sweat or grease on me at all times, but my skin is completely dry, if that makes sense. showering frequently doesn't alleviate this for me even if i'm in my room with the air conditioning on, because again, i'm not sure this is caused by sweat. i don't think it's a psychological thing motivated by shame around my period, as some articles i've seen suggest. i experience hot flashes occasionally, but i experience this feeling of dirtiness even without hot flashes.
i know there are other people who experience this feeling and i'm not sure if it's a genuine constant presence of invisible sweat, or a hormonal thing or something. i'd like to know how to alleviate it because it's uncomfortable, though it's not really the end of the world if i can't do anything about it, and i'm at least curious about why it happens. might this be psychological? biological? what menstrual process could this be a side effect of? thank you for reading!