You know that feeling when you just assume your body is broken and that’s that? Like, "Oh, I guess I’m just the girl who spends three days a month curled up on the bathroom floor"? That was basically Barbara Palvin’s reality for years. Even when you're a world-famous supermodel, you can still fall into the trap of thinking debilitating pain is just... part of the deal.
Honestly, it’s kinda wild. We see her on the Victoria’s Secret runway looking like a literal angel, but behind the scenes, she was dealing with "sleepless nights" and "heavy, irregular flow" that would sideline anyone. It wasn't until August 2025 that she finally posted the news on Instagram, hospital bandages and all. She had endometriosis.
The Diagnosis That Almost Didn't Happen
Here’s the thing that most people get wrong about this condition: you can't always find it with a standard checkup. Barbara actually went to her gynecologist every single year. She did the routine exams. She asked the questions. And every year, nothing came up.
She eventually shared that she thought if she had something like endometriosis, she would’ve known by then. But standard ultrasounds and exams often miss the lesions. It wasn't until someone close to her pushed her to see a specialist—someone who actually knows how to look for the specific signs of this disease—that she got a real answer.
In June 2025, she finally had the surgery.
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Why the 2025 Victoria’s Secret Show Was Different
By the time the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show rolled around in October 2025, Barbara was a different person. She told reporters backstage at the time that the difference was "day and night."
- The Surgery: It wasn't a "cure" (because there really isn't one for endo yet), but it removed the scar tissue and lesions.
- The Support: Her husband, Dylan Sprouse, was literally handing out yellow endometriosis awareness pins on the red carpet.
- The Recovery: She took three full months off to just... heal. No shoots, no runways, just recovery.
It’s pretty brave when you think about it. Most people in her position would just keep quiet to keep the "perfect" image intact. Instead, she showed the world that even a "Vogue" cover girl can be doubled over in pain from a disease that affects roughly 10% of women globally.
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What Is Endometriosis, Really?
Basically, it’s when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus starts growing where it shouldn't—on your ovaries, your fallopian tubes, or even your bowels. During your period, that tissue acts just like the stuff inside your uterus: it breaks down and bleeds. But because it’s stuck outside, the blood has nowhere to go.
That leads to inflammation, internal scarring (adhesions), and the kind of pain that makes you want to crawl into a hole.
Doctors like those at the Mayo Clinic and specialists like Dr. Catherine Hoeppner have been shouting from the rooftops that "painful periods" shouldn't be normal. If you're missing work, school, or life because of cramps, something is wrong. Barbara’s story is basically a massive PSA for that exact message.
Lessons from Barbara’s Journey
If you’re sitting there wondering if your own "bad periods" are actually something more, Barbara’s experience offers some pretty solid takeaways.
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- Annual exams aren't enough. If you have symptoms and your regular GYN says you're "fine," find a specialist. Laparoscopic surgery is often the only way to get a definitive diagnosis.
- Listen to your "bathroom floor" moments. If you're spending nights on the tile because it's the only cold surface that feels okay, that’s a clinical symptom, not a "heavy period."
- Recovery is a job. Barbara didn't jump back onto a plane the week after surgery. She took three months. Healing from abdominal surgery while managing a chronic illness takes time.
How to Take Action Now
If this sounds like your life, don't wait for it to "get better" on its own. It rarely does.
- Start a Pain Diary: Track exactly when the pain happens. Is it only during your period? Is it during exercise or sex? Doctors love data.
- Find an "Endo" Specialist: Look for surgeons who specialize in excision surgery rather than just "ablation" (burning), as excision is generally considered the gold standard for removing the tissue.
- Speak Up: Like Barbara said, "Early diagnosis and treatment are very important to prevent long-term complications." Don't let a doctor dismiss you.
Barbara is back to work now, and she says she’s finally experiencing what a "normal" period feels like. For a lot of women, that sounds like a dream. But as her story shows, it’s a dream that starts with actually being heard.