I've never had great skin, went on a few pills on and off from the age of 15. When I turned 19 my acne got suddenly really bad all over my cheeks and chin, and I was desperate to fix it. I went on Diane 35/Estelle in combination with Epiduo and my acne cleared up well within 2-3 months. It never got to the point of a person who doesn't suffer from acne and it never made an impact on my blackheads. I've never liked being on the pill though, makes me fairly bloated and dulls my emotions. I started to read reviews of people who went off Diane so that I would know what to expect, and I was shocked. The overwhelming (and I mean probably 90-95%) portion of people seem to be saying they wish they never went on it due to the effects of going off it. I wish I had read reviews before I went on it in the first place.
I've been off it for around 2 months now. Acne broke out after about a month and a half but didn't get unbearable and has almost cleared now... still worried that its going to get worse as a lot of people say it happens around 3-6 months after. Haven't got my period yet either. And by far the worst side effect of going off, I am loosing my hair! Handfulls each day. I have never experienced this before.
I would recommend trying every topical or natural remedy you can find before pumping hormones like Diane into your body. At the moment I'm taking Evening Primrose Oil, zinc and drinking lots of tea, maybe this is what is keeping the acne at bay for now? For now I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I don't experience what everyone else is seeming to....