Unfortunately, that’s true with any tampon, zweisamkeit. The best solution (and you’re s’posta do this anyway) is to use the least absorbent one that will meet your needs at the time.
For everybody saying, “It’s easy – try it!”, I have. For whatever reason I just can’t get the angle right to stick them up there. It’s not a matter of “Ewwwww!” it’s a matter of geometry.
I never took geometry, which is probably my problem. 
I only use tampons overnight or if I’m swimming or something anyway, so it’s not like I’m going through a million applicators. I avoid the problem with taking them out when they’re not full up by not using them when they’re not going to get that way.
never used applicators.
It helps if you have real long fingernails!
I prefer the other brand, not Tampax, not OB, the Playtex I think.
You probably already know this, whiterabbit, but it’s easiest for most women to sort of aim (for lack of a better word) at the small of your back.
Well, for whatever reason, I just can’t get my fingers up there right. And yes, I know about aiming for the small of the back…
I hate Playtex. The way they expand, taking them out is highly uncomfortable. I don’t need to feel like I’m giving birth or something every time I take out a tampon.
Now I’m admittedly fantastic at extending my middle finger, but I can’t get OB tampons to work as well as my good old dependable Tampax applicator tubes. I’m willing to try again, however, so next month I may have to invest in a box. At Walgreens, 40-count boxes of Super Tampax were 2 for $8 or $9. I couldn’t pass that up.
Hmmmmm ponders to herself perhaps I shall try them again after all these years.
I tried OB in high school and wasn’t a big fan. Silk ease, you say? Hmmm…
Pretty much no tampons over here have applicators. What the hell is an applicator for? the mind boggles
It’s so you don’t have to put a finger in your vagina. (Like that’s ever a bad thing!) That, and having something longer to handle seems to make it easier for some women to aim.
Heh, back in my prespay days, I’ve been heard to mutter the same thing!
If that happens to you a lot, you really need to switch to a lighter flow tampon. Unless you’re already using the least absorbant jr. slim ones, in which case you’re screwed.
Ok, I have to know. What’s this “wicking” thing people are talking about?
Max.
If you really want to know… The blood, for god only knows what reason, decides it’d like to be absorbed by the string, rather than the rest of the tampon. So your tampon might be half “clean” but the blood traveled down the string anyway to stain your clothes. Bet you’re sorry you asked.
I’ve never found any below regular. I only get about a day and a half to two days of real flow, and about another day and a half of much much lighter stuff that’s not enough for a tampon but too much for a pantiliner, so I use pads then. I also use pads during the day no matter what. The ultra thin ones are great. I generally only need one super and one or two regular tampons a month.
So yes, I’m sort of screwed. It’s not like a faucet for me, unfortunately, on then off. What’s really annoying is the anywhere from a few hours to two days of spotting before it really gets going…
This thread has me wondering. A few years ago I tried tampons (I think they were regulars) and I never did it again because taking them out was VERY painful. I figured it was because I’m a virgin and very tight (myself and umm…others, have trouble sticking more than one finger in my vagina). I think that when I took the tampon out it was fully saturated. Could it be that I’m just to tight to use them. I have a heavy period and I would wait 4-6 hours before taking one out. I also tried spreading the lips to get it out easier, but there was a lot of resistance. When it would finally come out it was almost like it “poped out”, the tampon refused to come out slowly.
i am another convert to OB thanks to SDMB. yeah, OB!! i had given up on tampons and switched to pads after my second kid was born, as they didn’t seem to go in as far, which made them too long. now i am happy not to have a small pillow between my legs for a week each month!
Okay, this might DEFINITELY be TMI, but it’s often easier to insert a tampon if you put one foot up on the sink (or toilet or bathtub). Back when I was first learning how to use them, I used this method to “learn the angle” so to speak. Now that I’m more familiar with the process, I can change them anywhere without any extra gymnastics.
I had a hard time getting used to tampons myself but since I made the switch I’m deliriously happy to be done with pads (which I found hugely disgusting).
I haven’t tried OB without the applicator, but I’d definitely recommend Playtex with plastic applicators, very easy to use.
It took me a long time to get over the ick factor and use tampons. I’m still not over it enough to use any without applicators! I have issues.
It also took me until fairly recently to be able to use anything larger than “light,” which rendered tampons fairly useless anyway. I just couldn’t get them to go in comfortably. I still can’t use the ones that are made for “heavy flow days.”
I use Tampax brand (although I’m not brand-loyal - that just happens to be the kind I bought last time I went shopping for such things) and haven’t experienced “wicking.”
Thankyou one and all for the explanation on wicking. Haven’t experienced that myself - I guess I’m lucky. I’ve never used an applicator either - in fact, I’ve never even seen applicator tampons sold here! Is this just an american thing?
Max.
I’ve not yet been lucky enough to be a world traveler, Maxxxie, so I couldn’t say for sure if it’s just an American thing, but applicator tampons are definitely the standard here. The only non-applicator one I know of is O.B.