38 replies to this topic

[er!ka]

I'm going to start accutane soon, but first I have to go on a birth control pill. I think I'm going to go on Yaz. My dermo said that the birth control pill will probably start to clear up my face. About how long does it take to start working? Also, what are the common side effects of this pill?

[Catty]

I have the same question so any answers would be greatly appreciated. I started Yasmin (I'm in the UK, I think it's the same pill?) 2 months ago and so far, no improvement. How long does it take?

[cherry609]

I'm pretty sure every birth control pill takes at least 3 months to start seeing results. I was on YAZ but switched to ortho tri-cyclen because of the price. But I was on it for 5 months (I believe) and saw slight improvement. http://www.drugs.com/yaz.html ....theres a site on the side effects and stuff.

[merf]

I'm going to start accutane soon, but first I have to go on a birth control pill. I think I'm going to go on Yaz. My dermo said that the birth control pill will probably start to clear up my face. About how long does it take to start working? Also, what are the common side effects of this pill?

If I could possibly persuade you to start Yaz before starting Accutane, I could not recommend it enough. The only side effect I have ever had from the pill is big boobs! The side effects I had from Accutane are too many to mention. It was an awful experience -- yes it left me with clear skin -- but it took 6 months to work. If you gave Yaz 3 months it could possibly clear up your skin and save you the misery that is Accutane.

p.s. I started Yaz today. I've been off the pill since my son was born, which is why my acne came back.

[kcr]

I'm starting Yaz soon, but the reviews I've read are pretty good--most people saw great results with their skin. I've been on Orthotricyclen and Yasmin before, so I'm not too worried about BCP side effects (I always get vaginal dryness from them, and I hate it, but my doctor is forcing me to be on the pill at least until I finish the courses of antibiotics I have to take for chronic lyme disease).

I also did two courses of Accutane about 10 and 8 years ago respectively, and while there's no way to tell who will experience side effects and who won't, I never had a single side effect except for very dry skin and chapped lips during the first course, where I had to slather on Eucerin cream a few times a day and use chapstick all day long. But if I was vigilant about that no one even noticed I was drying up like a raisin, lol.

Accutane truly changed my life. I still break out, and my oily skin returned about two years after the second course of it, but before Accutane my face was so broken out there was not a clear spot anywhere on it, and I'd periodically have these bouts of painful cystic acne that covered huge areas of my face and took months to clear up. Since Accutane I haven't gotten a cyst, whitehead or inflamed bump ever, and my acne has gone from severe to mild, with breakouts occurring mostly around my chin, always small bumps that aren't painful or super red.

(Although, since starting spiro (for acne/facial hair) and tetracycline (for lyme disease) less than two months ago I've started breaking out considerably more and have had four big whiteheads, which is more than I've had in the last 10 years!)

[texasgirl31]

I started yaz a month ago exactly and it is the end of the month and i have had the worst breakout ive ever had in years!!! is this supposed to happen?? will it go away? please help me i dont know whether to stop it or not!

[merf]

I started yaz a month ago exactly and it is the end of the month and i have had the worst breakout ive ever had in years!!! is this supposed to happen?? will it go away? please help me i dont know whether to stop it or not!

I plan to stick with it for at least 3 months. It's worked for soooo many people, and there are countless testimonials from people who say it takes months to work. Do you use anything else? I also use Differin, NeoBenz, and will be taking antibiotics until mid-June. My face is horribly broken out too but I have faith that this will eventually work.

[sweetheart519]

My derm says it takes anywhere from 3-8 months for birth control to affect the skin. It took mine 7 months to start working fully. But you should see a slight decrease (or at least no increase) in the first 2-3 months if the pill is going to work for your acne. That's been my experience anyway.

[Jules.]

Yeah, three months is when you START to see results, and every month after that, it will improve. However, for me, personally, other factors contribute to my face: diet, digestion especially, stress. So I can be pretty much clear, eat a bunch of stuff I can't digest at all, and then my face will flare up like mad (I have PCOS among other things). But the Yaz will help if your acne is hormonal, you do have to be patient, though. Mine is still not clear and it's been 4 1/2 months, but it's improved a TON.

[likelyserendipity]

OMG i had no idea it took so long for Yaz to start working...i've been on it *almost* two months now...so i guess about two more for me to start seeing results. boohoo. this face stuff is getting on my LAST nerve. Ahhh, remember the good ol' days when we had pretty skin and good just walk out in public with no makeup? I miss that...now i have nasty red marks all over my cheeks...barf!

[Gabby11889]

I'm just beginning my second month of YAZ and my acne has been HORRIBLE ever since I've began using it, and I'm washing my face every day and night and rarley using makeup but it doesn't work. I'm hoping YAZ will begin working in a couple of months.

[whoalisa]

The only side effect I have ever had from the pill is big boobs!

AAAH you lucky so-and-so, that was the side effect I was hoping for! Never happened for me What pill did you take that gave you this effect? Maybe I'm just taking the wrong stuff!!!

As for the Yaz, I've heard mixed reviews about the whole clearing up your acne bit. From what I've heard from some people online is that it made them break out worse than before. Who knows, though? I don't know if any of these people stayed on it long enough to see good results with their skin, and the acne that they got from it could have just been an initial breakout, purging all the gunk from their skin. Maybe clear skin comes afterwards?

~Lisa

[PinkSushi]

For me with bc I only started to see any improvement 4 months in, first 3 months I got an initial breakout. Your skin is purging all the old clogged pores out, this is normal. You need to give it 4-6 months.

On spiro, the first two months I got absolutely the worst cystic breakout of my life. Now, at 5 months, I'm getting close to clear. So yes, clear skin does often come if you give it enough time.

[kcrafton]

I'm on my third pack of pills of Yaz. The skin on my cheeks and around my mouth is really dry and splotchy red. Yesterday it was so dry it hurt to touch it. Has anyone else had this problem? Does it get better or will it stay this way? Should I give it another month or should I switch pills?

[Black Beaute]

I was on Yaz for 5 months. I saw no results in reference with my acne. I stopped using it about a month ago.

[natalie_xox]

I've been on yaz for quite some time now. depending on the person, the side effects for any type of bcp are different. I gained a little weight (noticable but not like i went up a size in jeans or anything) I can be a little emotional sometimes, but nothing crazy.

It took about three months for me to see a difference. I say go see your obgyn, voice your reason why you want to go on the pill, and she'll try and prescribe what's right for you. (be it yaz or something else)

good luck!

[dsrfgsertwe]

i had to go on yaz because i have PMDD. legit, i had it before it was even popular and was put on this as soon as it came out. the commercial talks about PMDD being moodiness/irritability/etc, that's what everyone has on their periods, i literally wanted to kill myself when i had my period (and tried!). it gave me horrible, horrible cystic acne. before that i had only had blackheads & a couple whiteheads, nothing any other teen doesn't have to deal with. about two months after i went on it, i literally woke up one day with cysts all over my cheeks. but i stayed on it because my parents convinced me that having acne was better than being a lunatic once a month. finally my PMDD is better managed and i take loestrin instead now. do a thread search, i know i'm not the only girl who got cystic acne from yaz.

[forserce]

2 1/2 months, for sure. I just went back on Alesse and the first week of the third month it slowed significantly. It's nothing like it was last month. Hang in there.

[kenli]

just hang in there. i had horrible acne. really really painful! my skin got worse for the first month or two on yaz. i was so frustrated and wanted to go off it. but about four months in i could really tell the difference. six months in my skin was almost totally cleared up. i know its awful, but it will get better..
i didnt gain any weight from the pill. just went from Cs to DOUBLE Ds! and now my skin is cleared up.

[musicmama]

BCP's have never historically helped me out on the skin side of things. While on Yaz in particular, I have gained 8 lbs in one month (I work out at least 5 days a week, yoga, pilates, running and eat quite clean) and have been super, super moody. My skin has broken out really pretty badly. I will say that my period is much lighter though it didn't really bother me before. Good luck!