Ovulation explained

Ovulation explained

Ovulation is the moment when a mature egg is released from the ovary. This usually happens around the middle of the cycle, but the exact timing differs per person and per cycle.

What happens during ovulation

During the follicular phase several follicles develop in the ovaries. One follicle becomes dominant and contains the mature egg. A strong rise in luteinizing hormone, LH, causes this follicle to rupture. The egg is released from the ovary, this is ovulation. The egg is then captured by the fallopian tube.

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The role of LH in ovulation

The sudden rise in LH, known as the LH surge, is the direct signal that causes the egg to be released. Without this LH surge, ovulation does not occur.

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What happens after ovulation

After ovulation, the empty follicle transforms into the corpus luteum. This structure starts producing progesterone. This marks the beginning of the luteal phase of the cycle.

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Why this moment is important in the cycle

Ovulation marks the transition between the follicular phase and the luteal phase. It is an essential part of the menstrual cycle.

Changes in facial skin around ovulation

Scientific research shows that facial skin color changes during the menstrual cycle. In a study women were photographed daily during at least one full cycle. The results showed that facial redness varies across the cycle, increasing before ovulation and staying relatively higher during the luteal phase.

The researchers concluded that these changes are measurable but not visible to the human eye, showing that hormonal shifts can influence the skin.

Sources and references

Cleveland Clinic, Ovulation https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/23439-ovulation

Cleveland Clinic, Luteinizing hormone https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/22255-luteinizing-hormone

Burriss RP, Troscianko J, Lovell PG, Fulford AJC, Stevens M, Quigley R, et al. Changes in Women’s Facial Skin Color over the Ovulatory Cycle are Not Detectable by the Human Visual System, PLOS ONE https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0130093