--- ---  # 5 Weird Ways Ovulation Can Affect Your Body by [Amanda MacMillan / Health.com](https://time.com/author/health-com/) ## Amanda MacMillan / Health.com Jul 18, 2015 12:00 PM UTC  Woman Balancing on Fence Woman Balancing on FenceGetty Images by [Amanda MacMillan / Health.com](https://time.com/author/health-com/) ## Amanda MacMillan / Health.com Jul 18, 2015 12:00 PM UTC Once a month, women of reproductive age go through ovulation—the process in which an egg is released from an ovary into the fallopian tubes, which can then be fertilized by sperm. At the same time, our hormones begin to fluctuate and our brain chemistry shifts, which may be an attempt to help the baby-making along. These changes are thought to increase chances of conception, with research in recent years revealing that ovulation may affect your brain, body, and behavior in surprising ways. “Hormones affect the entire body, not just the reproductive organs, so it makes sense that our thinking, our behavior, even our appearance can change throughout our cycles,” says Carol Gnatuk, MD, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Here are some of the more surprising, even mysterious, symptoms you may notice during your most [fertile](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20918587,00.html) time of the month. **Your face may get (ever so slightly) redder** First, a new study published in the journal _PLoS One_ found that women’s faces become [slightly more flushed](http://news.health.com/2015/06/30/womens-faces-are-redder-during-ovulation-study-says/) in the days leading up to and during ovulation. This makes sense, Dr. Gnatuk says, since hormones affect blood flow throughout the body. “Higher estrogen levels during ovulation can cause blood vessels to dilate, and when vessels dilate close to the skin you get more of a glow,” she says. The study authors had assumed this affect might be noticeable to men, and might begin to solve the mystery of how and why men seem to find [women who are ovulating](http://news.health.com/2012/02/08/fertility-mens-speech/) more sexually attractive. But the slight increase in redness was only detectable via very sensitive cameras—not to the naked eye, which means the jury’s still out. **You might feel more frisky (and express it in interesting ways)** Evolutionarily, it makes sense that a woman’s libido goes up during the time of the month she’s most fertile. But ovulating women don’t just _consciously_ think more about sex; it’s on their mind in sneakier ways as well. According to a 2010 study in the _Journal of Consumer Research_, [during ovulation](http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/656575?seq=1#page%5Fscan%5Ftab%5Fcontents) women may be more likely to unconsciously buy and wear [sexier clothing](http://www.eurekalert.org/pub%5Freleases/2010-08/uom-uom080410.php). Research has also suggested that women [dream more about sex](http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1076/brhm.34.3.295.18808#.VaPkDMZViko) in the first half of the menstrual cycle, when the body is gearing up for ovulation, compared to the second half, when your body prepares for your period. One small study found women may even have more [erotic interpretations](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21465268) of abstract artwork (think Georgia O’Keeffe flower paintings) when they’re ovulating versus later in their menstrual cycles. “Libido isn’t totally driven by hormones—if it were, sex would only be about when and not where or with who,” Dr. Gnatuk says. “But certainly, estrogen and testosterone, both of which are higher during ovulation, can increase a woman’s desire.” **You may be more attracted to a certain type of guy** Not only might you feel more “in the mood” during ovulation, but you may also be more interested in some guys over others. Studies have shown that women tend to prefer men with [sterotypically masculine traits](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22947833) and pay more attention to traditionally [attractive guys](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3161129/) during fertile times of the month, especially if their current partners lack [manly facial features](http://www.ehbonline.org/article/S1090-5138%2810%2900068-1/abstract), like a square jaw. “When we’re in reproductive mode, we look for traits that we associate with good health,” Dr. Gnatuk explains—and that includes healthy testosterone levels, she says, which suggest that a man is well able to produce and protect offspring. Another 2011 study from the journal _Psychological Science_ suggests women are [better at judging](http://news.health.com/2011/06/27/ovulation-seems-to-aid-womens-gaydar/) men’s sexual orientation when they are ovulating, perhaps since, from an evolutionary perspective, there’s no sense in going after a guy who isn’t interested. **Your senses might seem heightened** Ovulating women seem to be better able to [detect musky odors](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23321429) and male pheromones than those taking oral contraceptives (which prevent ovulation), according to a small 2013 study in the journal _Hormones and Behavior;_ another study that same year found that women may have a [heightened sense of smell](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23071141) in general during ovulation than during other times of the month. You may even be better at detecting potential threats to yourself and your future offspring: A preliminary 2012 study by Kyoto University researchers found that women in the luteal phase of their cycles (which begins with ovulation) were better at [finding snakes](http://www.nature.com/srep/2012/120308/srep00307/full/srep00307.html) hidden in photographs of flowers. **You could avoid male relatives** And finally, here’s perhaps one of the most bizarre side effects of ovulation found in the research: According to a 2010 UCLA study, women avoid talking to their fathers on the phone during their most fertile times of the month. (Those who were ovulating or about to ovulate were half as likely to [chat with Dad](http://pss.sagepub.com/content/early/2010/11/24/0956797610390385.abstract), on average.) The researchers speculated that historically, it was in a woman’s (and her offspring’s) best interest to avoid male relatives—and potentially incestuous couplings—while they were fertile. Dr. Gnatuk has an alternate interpretation: “You might also argue that you don’t want to talk to Dad right now because he always told you you couldn’t go out with guys, and now’s the time you want to do that.” [_This article originally appeared on Health.com_](http://news.health.com/2015/07/13/5-weird-ways-ovulation-can-affect-your-body/) _More from Health.com:_ * [What’s a Normal Period? 8 Questions, Answered](http://www.health.com/health/article/0,,20793263,00.html?xid=time) * [4 Ways to Pamper Your Sensitive Skin](http://www.health.com/health/article/0,,20803449,00.html?xid=time) * [25 Surprising Ways Stress Affects Your Health](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20642595,00.html?xid=time) ### You Asked: Your Top 10 Health Questions Answered  You Asked: Are Cleanses Healthy? Potions that claim to clear your body of toxins might sound alluring, but do they deliver? Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Is Eating Dessert Really That Bad For Me? Bad news for sweet-eaters—except if you end your meals with this kind of treat. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: What’s the Best Way to Whiten My Teeth? Yes, teeth whitening actually works—but here's why you have to dish out major bucks to see results. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Is Meditation Really Worth It? From easing stress to lowering heart disease risk, focusing your mind can do some amazing things for your body. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: What’s the Healthiest Sweetener? Take a taste of the unsettled science of sweeteners. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Should I Go Paleo? The pros and cons of eating like a caveman. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Is Cracking Your Knuckles Bad? Here's what really happens to your joints when you snap, crackle and pop. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Is Running on a Treadmill as Good as Running Outside? You'll fool your body into thinking it's outside with this one small treadmill tweak. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Does Laughing Have Real Health Benefits? Here's proof that everybody could use a belly laugh. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: What Is My Poo Telling Me? If you listen hard enough, you'll hear all kinds of health stories from #2. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME Women's Health: 5 Ways Ovulation Can Affect Your Body ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3960844/ovulation-effects/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3960844/ovulation-effects/"},"headline":"5 Weird Ways Ovulation Can Affect Your Body","datePublished":"2015-07-18T12:00:06.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:02:27.354Z","description":"Your senses might seem heightened","url":"https://time.com/3960844/ovulation-effects/","keywords":["Research","women","Pregnancy","Women's Health","Healthcare","Sex/Relationships","menstruation"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5066537eb6af81d3/69885b2b2dce0115529e4a74/woman-balance-walk-fence.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Amanda MacMillan / Health.com"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5066537eb6af81d3/69885b2b2dce0115529e4a74/woman-balance-walk-fence.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"woman-balance-walk-fence","caption":"woman-balance-walk-fence","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/research/","name":"Research"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3960844/ovulation-effects/","name":"5 Weird Ways Ovulation Can Affect Your Body"}}]}] ```