So I was on Accutane about two years ago and now I'm starting to get minor breakouts again, especially in the summer. I don't think I want to go back on Accutane, but I've heard some birth control keeps your skin so nice and clear. If this works for some of you girls, could you tell me which brand of birth control you were on and how much the pills cost with insurance? Thanks a lot!

Birth control can definitely help, especially if you have hormonal imbalances that aggravate acne. Unfortunately everybody responds differently to different pills. Like for me, I've been on pills that were supposedly unlikely to cause acne, and have broken out. And I've been on pills that supposedly make acne worse, but I had no change.

But for a lot of people, Yasmin and Ortho Tri-cyclen (regular not lo) works well for acne. The cost varies depending on your insurance. Newer pills, like Yaz and OTC lo, are often very expensive because there is no generic available yet. I was paying $40/pack for OTC lo through mail order, and it was more expensive at the pharmacy. Most BCP's cost between $20-30/month. I'm on Lo/Ovral now, and have to use the brand name (generic version sucks for me) and it's $60 at the pharmacy (for one month!!) and $25 through mail order.