Hi fedupofadultacne

If I was in your situation, I would quit Bcp. It takes longer time to get pregnant, when you have been on the pills or depo. So since you`re planning to get pregnant in a year, you should definately quit. It takes a long time for hormones to stabilize.

Maybe your skin will clear up in a few months after going off. Its been 2 years since i went off and my skin is not even close to what it used to be, but i dont think everybody is that unlucky

Have you tried Dans regimen? That might clear you up meanwhile.

Hi Pilly,

I did try a course of Benzoyl peroxide some years ago but it literally burnt my face & caused great irritation. At first I thought it must be working so carried on using it, but I was itching & stratching my face in my sleep as it was so itchy & it turned out to have left burns on my face.

I have had similar problems with all the other topical lotions. The only one I can use is a low strength retin A. I found one in cream form which was great as I could wear it at night & day under my normal moisturiser. But unfortunately they stopped making the cream version & you can only get the gel now. When the gel dries on my face it goes cob webby & seems to flake straight off, so theres no way you could wear it in the day without being a cobweb face, & you cant put moisturiser over it either or it just comes straight off your face.

What annoys me is all these topical products just dry your skin out immensely & dont really do it any good. Often the spots just turn into large red flat scabby marks which take a long time to go. It would be nice to get to the cause of the acne to do something to prevent the cause - like what causes the excessively oily skin. Even then, why can you get a faceful of acne when your skin is combination, eg. quite dry, & tight if a moisturiser is not worn.

The only thing I think it could be is hormonal (as mentioned above) or possibly dairy/acid intake. I have read that an alkaline diet can help acne. But I'm not sure it would be the cure to be honest, as I am very healthy anyway but I do eat dairy which is supposed to be acidic.

Like you say about regulating hormones, I have heard it takes up to a year for fertility to return back to normal. But I also no from last time I came off it that all your missed periods catch up with you - I had a 3 week one last time! & I never found a regular cycle before I couldnt stick it anymore. Im also worried about weight gain of not being on the injection as the injection seems to stop me piling on the pounds just be eating normally. From this aspect I was considering staying on the injection until just before we want to start trying & then get back on it straight after - but then could staying on it mean acne forever?

Maybe you could try a different bcp, since the depo isnt helping with your skin..

I`m sure your acne will go away eventually, it just takes time..

Maybe you could try a different bcp, since the depo isnt helping with your skin..

I`m sure your acne will go away eventually, it just takes time..

Hi Pilly,

i have been on dianette & yasmin before but they didnt suit me at all. So now its a case of injection or nothing. I have decided to not have my injection this time after hearing it can even take 2 yrs or so to get pregnant - which seems shocking.

It is now 2 weeks since my injection was due & I have broken out really badly already, I mean I already had bad acne, but now I am even getting acne all down the centre of my neck (rather than just on the sides under the jaw like before) & even on the bit of skin between the eyelid & eyebrow! I mean they are not usual places to break out! My skin is now sooooo lumpy & bump under the surface.

It just goes to show what a massive impact hormones have. Im going to give it 6 months to see if it settles down, & try not to pile the weight back on.

I ordered some Alpha Hydrox AHA Enhanced Lotion last night which I have read good reviews about so going to give that a try. Also it is ph4 & our body needs to be alkali rather than acidic so this might be a good thing.

I am pretty revolted my my skin right now.

Hello, I am going through this right now. I'm 30 and went off Yasmin around 6 months ago. I never had many issues with acne, but it's been horrible ever since I went off. Okay, first I tried to squeeze a pimple that had been on my face last month which didn't turn out well. I got a cortisone injection for it then, and I now have an indentation from it. I got SO depressed over this. But then ever since last weekend, I felt better about it because people don't notice it (I've asked my family and friends), and even if I see it and hate it some days, what am I going to do? Hopefully it fills in and goes away. Believe me, I searched on here and read sometimes it's permanent, and that gave me anxiety, but I don't even want to think about it because it'll only make me feel bad.

But finally after I started feeling better, I developed this painful pimple on my chin that now after like the 5th day, is developing a head. But it hurts, and it's so red and inflamed, and it makes me feel hopeless not knowing when it's going to go away. I am trying my best not to pick it because since it's red and it hurts, I know it wouldn't turn out well if I picked it.

It's just frustrating that while I'm trying to conceive, my self esteem is taking a toll.

Hi,

I had been on BCPs for 7.5 years, and I started taking them because of my moderate-severe, chronic acne. I came off of them back in June and it is now December and my face is doing pretty well. I am amazed because I just knew it would explode into breakouts. Here is what I did and it worked for me...

While taking the BCPs, I went and got some colonics done (I had 6 total) and because they are a bit expensive, I began taking liquid bentonite clay (1 tbs) mixed with Konsyl psyllium fiber (1 tbs) daily mixed with 8 oz water to make a "shake," and this will keep the colon clean. VERY IMPORTANT for clear skin!!!! Sorry to be graphic here but don't be freaked out by rubbery, rope-like substances that you eliminate. This is the stuff that everyone is obliviously walking around with stuck to their colon walls! Some people cannot afford colonics (and I can understand why!) so I believe that one-two shakes per day and taking enough psyllium fiber or dietary fiber to equal at least 70% daily fiber with plenty of water will do the job just as well.

Secondly, I am doing liver flushes (google Dr. Hulda Clark Liver Flush and you will get directions for this but I didn't do any of the parasite parts nor take the herb she recommended to help you sleep). I did 2 while still on BCPs (during the reminder pill week) but don't do them while on your period or just before you start your period either as it increases the chances of feeling ill. I am not sure how many it will take for me, but I just get better and better! I just did my 10th and I still need more but my face is looking better and better! Oh, and PLEASE take about 2 tbs. of bentonite clay in water 30 min before you drink your final bedtime dose and drink another 2 tbs in glass of water if you wake up. This soaks up the toxins your liver has pumped out, and helps with any nausea. Keep ground ginger handy and drink in water if you still need a little more help with nausea. If you hate the olive oil/grapefruit juice mixture, you can change it up with lemon or orange juice in a cold pressed oil (this really is the best type of oil) such as coconut oil, sesame oil...etc. Just google to make sure your choice of oil is safe in large doses because taking 1/2 cup of castor oil would be a bad choice! Also, eating a non-fat diet of just fruits and veggies the day before the flush and only juice on the day of gave me a very good flush without nausea. This allowed more bile to build up, eliminating more stones. I've read somewhere that a low-fat diet a week ahead of the flush is great, but I've never tried this. I know now how important it is to not eat anything impure the night or perhaps the day before the flush because I became very nauseated when I did this! Make sure also not to cleanse if you are ill or are still recovering from being ill. Space the liver flushes at least 2 weeks apart from each other.

I am a believer in getting nutrition from whole foods....they are just superior to any type of man-made vitamins you can find. I have started taking chlorella powder and bee pollen and not only do I notice my complexion being a little more radiant and smoother, I just plain feel better!!! These two superfoods contain EVERY single identifiable nutrient the body needs to survive and thrive and even contain substances that defy chemical analysis. It will fill all your nutritional gaps. Body chemistry is so complicated that taking one mega dose of some manufactured vitamin could throw things off balance and cause other deficiencies and your body cannot even fully utilize these either. Spirulina is another great supplement but I'm not taking that right now.

Lastly, avoid these when at all possible: hydrogenated oils, MSG, artificial sweetners....etc.

I really do avoid these "evil" foods, but I also eat foods that are not so innocent at times --no one's perfect; however, I try to make them real foods....like eating real cheese and not the processed junk. The only things I drink are water, real juices, and unsweet tea...except if adding stevia or other natural sweeteners.

I also try to limit refined sugars and am slowly trying to limit gluten foods too. It's just common sense: God DID NOT make our bodies to eat this CRAP!!!! Food today is getting worse and worse. If it doesn't show up on your face, oh, it will one day with some kind of health problem and hopefully nothing major if you are lucky but that is not likely.

If you have acne scars, both marks and actual impressions, the Skin Culture Peel is supposed to be comparable to dermabrasion. I bought the 4000 and it has done very well although I've had to do it several times (5). Since it is pricey, I scraped it off and put it back into the jar and used it again...and it worked! LOL It burns too but you can get a fan to blow on your face and that helps with the discomfort and the other con is that it's inconvenient but not for too too long. Also, when I reused it, I found out I could wear it for only 3 nights and increase the time to 5 hours a night and my face peeled just as good and faster. You are not supposed to peel the flaking skin, but I always slathered my face with the cream they give you on the last night before bed and then steamed my face in the morning over a pot of simmering water for about 30 min, with the cream still on face, then gently peeled it off in front of a mirror. Sometimes there were some stubborn tidbits and I just let them loosen up more. It sounds tedious but it's so worth it! I was sick of the scars and some were impressions and this has really helped. Much safter, cheaper, and faster than dermabrasion for sure.

I seldomly exercise or do meditation like I should, but my face is getting better all the time but these are excellent for your entire being and reducing stress. Aerobic exercise is great; Rebounding (jumping on a mini trampoline) is good and I really recommend this. Only 10 min a day...google "rebounding" and read up on it. I NEED to do these more myself but I get lazy, lol. God Bless.

And if anyone is needing birth control, there are two gadgets I came across called Lady-Comp and the Pearly. It is non-hormonal and gauges fertility/infertility by taking your temp every morning. They are expensive but they sell refurbished ones for less. It sounds really cool though and is supposed to have the same reliability as the pill, but I haven't ever used it. Imho women who get on the pill to help with acne end up with worse acne after stopping because while the pill is suppressing the culprit acne hormones, the build up of hormones in the liver from months or years of taking the pill is added to it. So when the pill is taken away and suppression is gone, all these hormones (naturally + from the pill or just from the pill) circulating in the blood causes the explosion of problems. Please cleanse your colon and liver! I am changing my setting so people can email me if they need help or have other questions about the cleanses. Since I've already done 10 myself, I can perhaps offer a little advice and answer some questions. : ) I'm also still learning! I am still working on external facial care and will update about it later. Thanks for reading.

Hello hopetohelp,

I have just come across this board after googling acne after bcp.

Anyway, for sometime I have had skin conditions on and off including breaking out in rashes and I get cysts on my inner thighs at times.

Now this cystic acne has started on my neck, jawline and whiteheads on my face.

I have long believed I needed to cleanse my liver since whenever I research about this stuff that is what comes up in herbal or chinese medicine.

I have tried burdock root when I was breaking out with a rash on my body and it did clear it up.

It is suppose to help in cleansing your blood.

I have never heard of the chlorella powder and bee pollen until I read your post.

I read up on them and they do seem to be very powerful antioxidants, antibiotics and just in strengthening your immune system and digestion.

I know a poor digestion and immune system can cause skin disorders also.

But, herbalist have told me my liver has just become too congested after stopping birth control pills then I have had 3 babies.

After each baby seems I have had more problems.

I also do Breastfeed and am still breastfeeding my youngest who is on solids now.

Do you have any knowledge on taking these supplements and breastfeeding?

I know almost all supplements tell you not to use while breastfeeding and alot of that is to protect the manufacturer.

Others are legitimate.

I do know somebody who has an herb book and will tell you what is ok to take while breastfeeding so will consult her also.

The herbalist that told me I need to detox my liver also said she puts her clients on vitamin K while they are detoxing and it clears their skin up completely but there was other things to do along with this as vitamin k can be hard for our bodies to absorb.

anyway, I just wanted to thank you for your input and think it is more along the lines most with these hormonal problems are needing.

There is alot of herbs out there to regulate your hormones but I think that is the problem there is so many and it is hard for all of us to know how to use them or what ones are best to use.

so, also guess I am looking for any input on what I can do until I get my daughter weened as all these skin conditions are driving me crazy.

Although I know the acne is related to the bcp as the first time I ever had acne was after I stopped bcp and before I have any children.

Thanks for anyones input.

Hi I'm new here. I've never had very clear skin, my skin is also quite pale so any redness shows easily.

I went off my birthcontroll pill mid august. The first two weeks I had no problems, just the regular occasional pimple. But two weeks ago my face "exploded". I have whiteheads all over my forehead, and I do mean all over. The past few days it has spread to my cheeks and chin. I'm finding it so hard not to pick at or pop these and it's just eating away my confidence.

I have no idea what cleansers and moisturisers I have to use now. I used to have a combination skin, but now my skin just feels very very greasy and so does my hair. I'm going to a dermatologist on Wednesday, so I hope she will be able to give me some tips as to what to use.

I also want to look into things that will help regulate my hormones, because even apart from the overload of pimples I know they're wreaking havoc. I haven't had a period since I stopped taking BCP and I am having moodswings like never before. Do any of you have any tips on what vitamins to take or diet changes that help regulate your hormones?

How much time passed after you stopped the pill and noticed a breakout? I'm on week 6 of being off the pill (so far so good), and I'm wondering how much time I have left before I can relax and stop worrying about a huge breakout!

I would try 3000 mg of Evening Primrose Oil; it's an herb that is supposed to help regulate hormone function, and it's also reported to breakdown excess sebum production, the oil that causes breakouts in your skin.

Other posters have said that zinc and Vitamin D3 have helped their skin.

Hope that helps!

Rosealley - i think if you were going to break out you would have done so by week 6.

Just a quick through/question to all you girlies....

I have recently come off contraception altogether as I want to detox my body and i eat very healthily already so it was a case of artificial hormones being the next thing.

What concerns me is my boyfriend of 4 years isnt keen on using a condom. Ive been on the injection to until August and never had a period or monthly PMT its been great, but doc said my skin would be unlikely to clear whilst using it. I have tried afew pills before but they didnt suit me at all. So what should one do? Its abit unfair that the women has to fill he body with these artificial hormones that wreck havoc with your body either when you go on them or come off them. But i dont particularly want an unplanned pregnany either.

I thought to post my story to ease everyones worry.

Let me start with IT GETS BETTER!!!

I was on bc pills from the age of 16, until 28. I stopped in January of 2010(12 months ago) first two months my skin was flawless and then it went crazy, ive had acne the past 10 months. I never had a pimple as a kid but then again i went on the pill at such a young age who knows but until i got off i never had acne and when i say acne its my WHOLE face that is constantly breaking out and oily.

It was bad when it first started but is now becoming a lot more manageable. I went from not having ONE day w out a pimple to having a week at a time with a flat surface and no new pimples and its getting better and better with every month.

Hang in there it will get better!!!!

I have also been going to an esthetician every other week to every week for cleaning, she is not just a regular facialist she is one that specializes in problem skin and she is a g-d send so id suggest you find one in your area that can do for you what mine has done for me. They wont make the acne go away but they can help you look better and feel better while you wait for your body to adjust.

Good Luck, take it easy, DONT STRESS, it gets better i promise!!!

I am 29, went off BCP 7 months ago and now trying to conceive. My acne has been terrible for the past 3 months or so along jawline. I need remedies. I will not take accutane, I want a natural treatment. I understand that the acne is due to hormonal imbalance b/c of stopping BCP! Please help

Hi everyone

I started with birthcontrol when i was 15 and quit when i was 18. All this time i had clear skin. Even after i quit my skin stayed the same. When i was 20 i made a HUGE MISTAKE, and started again.. Right away when i went on BCP my skin and hair became super oily and i developed moderate acne. I stayed on them for 2-3 months and then quit hoping my skin would become normal again. Well it did not. It`s been 2 years now, my skin is still a little oily, but not bad, but i still suffer with moderate acne and now scars

I dont wont to go on accutane, and my skin is too sensitive for those creams the doctors prescribe. I`ve been doing alot of research the last years about bcp, hormones and acne.

I strongly advice everyone to stay away from birthcontrol. The hormones are synthetic hormones that does not balance with our natural hormones, and can cause alot of problems for women. The hormones become unbalanced and can stay that way even when you quit them (that is what i am dealing with).

Many girls who is in their puberty get acne (thats normal) they go to the doctors and get bcp wich is supposed to "help" with the acne. When they get older and quit they develop acne, because of umbalance caused by the syntetich homrones in bcp. If the girls had never started on bcp, they would most likely grow out of acne. But now because of bcp we experience acne which we were not supposed to have.

It makes me so mad that doctors take bcp so lightly. Our bodies are not meant to have synthetic hormones.

I began reading about natural progesterone therapy. Progesterone is a hormone that can balance the hormones without "disturbing". It is very important to use natural and not synthetic wich only causes more unbalance. It is best to use it in cream form. And do NOT use wild yams there is not enough natural progesterone in them. There is a lot of articles on hormones and acne and how progesterone can help with acne and how to use it, and what to expect on this site www.progesteronetherapy.com. Its definately worth looking into, and the articles are very interesting. I havent tried this. I may be a little naiv, but im hoping it will go away in a year. And im only 22 so theres a chance that my hormones will become normal again.

Im sorry if there is a lot of spelling mistakes, im from Norway. But i hope this was a little helpful, and i hope you tell friends and relatives to avoid bcp. I wish you all the best, and want you to know that you are not alone. We will have clear skin again

I can't tell you why, but my face is clear all month, except for the week of sugar pills...every month during that week I get a "volcano" on my face and my face is so greasy you could cook an egg on it lol. It is really upsetting that I have to go through this every month. I have been on BCP "Apri" (0.03 mg ethinyl estradiol & 0.15 mg desogestrel) for over 10 years since I was 14, (will be 25 in june) and one time 3 years ago I tried to stop it.....and my face broke out like nobodys business...I also got bouts of nausea and ate like a monster...8 weeks and 22lbs later I said "I can't do this anymore" and back on the pill I went and I haven't gone off since. Now I am petrified to go off but I know I will have to at some point in my life, plus I am afraid for my liver as long term use of BCP is not good for that either.

I thought I was the only one! I am 20 yrs old w/1 child and a year ago I got off bcp because my husband and I decided to try for another lil munchkin... well a month after stopping I developed severe cystic acne only on my chin and jawline.. And I'm tlkn huge marble size things.. This lasted for 8 horrible months I got extremely depressed and I wouldnt leave the house and I was pushing on them like crazy... which I now know was a mistake cause I'm scarred and it just spread them.... So i went to the dermatologist when i first strtd getting these cysts n she prescribed me clindamycin and klaron which did absolutely NOTHING! So i spent tons on face washs n now a year later I've FINALLY CLEARED IT UP~ This is what I'm doing...I am drinking plenty of water and strtd excercising I use Aubreys Organics face wash (the 3 step skin set wash, tone, and moisturize) for combination dry skin at night and once a week I use Aubreys Organics Natural AHA Fruit Acids with Apricot Exfoliating Mask to help fade my scars... I also quit pushing which is a MUST! N the last thing which is the main contributing factor is... this sulfur ointment (De La Cruz Sulfur Ointment 10%) I bought at rite-aid its all natural sulfur and water and nothing else its completely safe to use during pregnancy and it cleared me up and its cheap less than 5 bucks!! I love this stuff it kinda smells the first time but u get use to it... I use it twice a day and I leave it on up to 30 min it says 10 but for me it works great at 30 or less... And also I quit washing my face in the morning all I do is warm water and gentle circle motions with my fingertips I read about this in a magazine! Its helped soo much! And I also strtd to buy as much organic food as possible its a bit pricey but really worth it! I hope my this will help some of u ladies i know how awful it is and dont give up! Sorry its so long lol

I am 29, went off BCP 7 months ago and now trying to conceive. My acne has been terrible for the past 3 months or so along jawline. I need remedies. I will not take accutane, I want a natural treatment. I understand that the acne is due to hormonal imbalance b/c of stopping BCP! Please help

yogurt masks daily!!! and vitex!!! it helps!!

Ladies! I created an account just to respond to this post. Because, well, I never really had a need for an acne website before now. Like many people on here, I had been on Ortho Tri Cyclen since I was 13 and am now 20 and just got off about 1.5 months ago.

All my life I have had pretty perfect skin with only 1 or 2 or maybe 3 pimples at a time at the most. I didn't even care for my skin super well, washing it was irregular and and would even sleep in my makeup often

Now, you know how the story goes...I stopped taking birth control and broke out WORSE THAN I EVER HAVE IN MY LIFE. I probably have 30 pimple right now, only a few a big and bad, but I got some backne and acne on my neck which I NEVER have before. I hate it so much. I have been absolutely VIGILANT since this first started in washing my face twice a day (I switch between using derma E very clear cleanser and neutrogena oil-free acne wash with SA) tone afterward (with either witch hazel or neutrogena toner) and moisture with my special mixture of jojoba oil with a few drops of lavender, vit E, and rosehip seed oil. I also have been trying acv, tea tree oil, epsom salts, sandalwood soap, egg white masks, clay masks, honey, and beyond.

I guess its kind of under control, I'm only getting one or two new pimples a day. But my acne from my initial breakout are still there. Granted, they are small (and numerous), but so stubborn! Normally, with this kind of attack a pimple would be gone in a few day, but it has been weeks! I have done lots of reading about skin care and think I know it pretty well, this is just so frustrating! A random girl on the bus yesterday overhead me talking to a friend about it and said that she went through the same thing and detoxing her whole system was the only thing thing that helped her heal faster and improvements happened around 3 months. Starting today, I am being even more strict about my diet and am currently just drinking water, detox tea, and my favorite thing GREEN SMOOTHIES. I personally just throw in various fruits and veggies (but ALWAYS kale), coconut oil, ground flax seeds and almond milk, yum!

I am especially concerned about making this go away ASAP because I'm going to be in Central America backpacking and camping through the rainforest for two months for a college program in April and May so I really won't be able to manage this there (we'll be out for 2-3 weeks between being in towns) so when I leave will be around the 3 months mark and if I don't see the light at the end of the tunnel by then I think I'll have to get back on the pill, only to have to stop after and detox from it this summer. I do NOT want to be on the pill, I feel like it has messed me up so much already and I just want to feel my own hormones. I'm really into being into all natural, so another huge bummer is that I'm now using chemically washes (on the less chemical end of the spectrum though, those others, ick!). I hope I can go back to being ALL natural soon.

I think the best way is just to go at it with everything you've got, cleanse every part of yourself. I'll keep you ladies updated and any suggestions from you all would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks a million and stay strong and keep your chins up, I'm trying to.

I was on and off with yasmin for some time and I decided to stop it last august since it wasn't doing me any good and I went through a series of blood test, hormone test and ultra sound in order to determine if I had PCOS, a condition that messes up the menstrual cycle resulting in breakouts and difficult pregnancy etc. It turned out that I didn't have that problem, thank God! But it also meant that it wasn't the culprit for my acne. I'm 26 and I've been battling acne since 13 and I've tried well..not everything but most of the stuff like retin-a, bp, birthcontrol, antibiotics, chinese herbal medicine, proactive. some of them worked temporarily but didn't have lasting effect. I thought about Accutane but both my doctor and I think it isn't for me since I don't have severe acne and my acne isn't spreading all over my face. But it will definitely be my last resort since the older I get the more self-conscious I've become about skin problem. I've been taking CLEAR 5, a vitamin that claims to clear acne from inside out. Today is my 5th day taking it and so far I haven't experienced any side effects but my acne hasn't gotten any better either.

I'm glad to have joined this community. Knowing that I'm not alone in this fight against acne makes me feel more or less hopeful. thanks.

I am trying to figure out if there is any correlation between how long it takes for your periods to return after stopping the pill and how long it takes you to start breaking out, how severe it is, and how long it takes to clear.

Some women get their periods back straightaway and for some it takes several months to get a period. Some women start breaking out within the first few months and some stay clear for 6 months or more before breaking out. Some break out overnight and some gradually.

There are many other factors too, such as your age and which brand of pill you were taking.

So it would really help if some of you posting here could address these points, especially how long it took to get periods back in relation to how long it took to break out, so we can see if there is a pattern - which might help us with the puzzle a bit

In reply to the post above:

Age - 36

Pill - Marvelon 21

Went on Pill: Age 15 (with break to have my baby at 32)

Stopped Pill- April 2010

Periods - returned straightaway, but very irregular - sometimes 32 day cycle, sometimes 60+ days. Not ovulating regularly either according to test strips

Acne onset - December 2010 (after 8 months)

Kristabel, I think this is a really great idea for everyone to post similar information so we can correlate it and see if there's a pattern. I've never had acne before (probably due to being on the Pill for so long - last time I came off the Pill I got pregnant within 3 months, and went back on straight after my baby). Now I'm off the Pill, trying to conceive again, and the stress of TTC (and not being able to do so) is being made worse by these giant spots on my jawline and hairline and feeling low about my appearance.

I've been off BC for about 6 weeks as I thought it was contributing to my skin problems. So far my skin much better (no active acne) - fingers crossed! I dreaded this kind of post BC breakout though, and what I've tried to do to balance my hormones as quickly as possible is:

- Cook from scratch - plenty of fresh fruit and veg

- Only wholegrain carbs

- Plenty of water

- No caffeine

- Reduce sugar intake (except from fruit)

- 1000mg evening primrose oil

- Agnus castus supplement

- Exercise 3x weekly

- Spearmint tea twice daily (good for promoting estrogen and lowering testosterone levels)

I hope this helps!

Thanks Seren for your information. This thread has countless tales of severe acne after stopping the pill but it seems there are a lot of variables so it would be very helpful if more of you could give the details Seren did.

I believe this is not just a case of stopping bcp then getting acne. If we examine all the other factors it will likely help to find a way to solve/prevent the problem.

There has to be a reason why some women experience acne within a couple of months, some after 3 months, some after 6 months and some after 1 year.

Some women resume normal periods immediately and some have no period for several months or more.

Onset of acne can be sudden or gradual.

Another theory is that the type of pill you were taking can be a factor as to how severe the acne can be. For example some types of pill contain an anti androgen and some do not.

Can we have some more input on this, in the way Seren listed her information. I tried to run a poll in the hormonal acne board but it only had 1 vote

Age - 20

Pill - Ortho TriCyclen Lo

Went on Pill - Age 13

Stopped Pill - November 2010

Periods - My first happened twice when I didn't take birth control after it was over. My second was normal and now I haven't had one for two months

Acne onset - January 2010 (two months later)

Acne improved/ cleared - No, not yet

Anything that helped - I think my mixture of jojoba, neem, aloe, and drops of tea tree as a moisturizer has helped. Also, just being as healthy as I can be in general.

[Edited link out]

I'm still nervous about going backpacking in a month in Central America for two months with a group of strangers and trying to deal with this in the depths of the rain forest. It could be really bad, my acne that it. But the experience will be amazing, life changing! So I'm going to do my best to just let go and not let this get to me.

Thank you for your responses. I really believe the more information we can get the more likely we can solve this problem, it is very common after all to get acne after stopping the pill, whether you had it before or not.

I think i have thought up the most important questions for you all, so i will list them here with my own answers. If your reading this and going through the same, it would be great if you could copy and paste the whole thing and then delete my answers and add your own.

Age: 29

Pill: Cilest (Uk brand, exactly the same as Ortho Cyclen i think)

Started pill: age 19 with 1 year break about 5 years ago (i got acne during the break)

Stopped taking: Dec 2010

Periods: First period 39 days after the last pill withdrawal bleed. Lasted only 2 days. 2nd period 41 days after the first one. Lasted about 3 days

Skin: 1 cyst which has taken a month to disappear. Face clear at the moment but has started getting really oily. A few spots on my back which started after 1 month. Been off the pill exactly 3 months so waiting to see what will happen and when (if your already experiencing acne it would help if you add whether it came on suddenly or gradually and give details on severity)

Now using: Topicals. BP in the morning and Isotrexin at night

Anything else: Please add any additional information, did you start to break out only on your face or on your back/chest as well? Did it start on your back/chest first or on your face first? Are you experiencing any other changes since coming off the pill? Is there anything that has helped your skin? etc

Hi everyone

I've been reading the posts on this site now for over a year and always promised myself that I would post when I felt a bit better about myself and be in a better place to help others who suffer the same as I have for the last year.

Up until December 2009 I've been on bcp for nearly 10 years since the age of 16. The pills have varied over the years due to moods and some minor health complaints but never acne. The most recent pill i've been on was Yasmin and I was using that for nearly five years without problems. At Xmas 2009 I decided to give my body a break and take 1 month off pills. I got a few spots but noticed my moods were generally much better and I felt healthier and happier off the pill. My boyfriend agreed that it made a difference to our relationship and (despite disliking having to use condoms) supported me in my decision. I went back on the pill 1 month later (half to test whether my moods had changed or whether it was all in my head and also because using condoms was far from ideal). Big mistake......I suddenly ended up with more spots than I could count, increasing in number and severity every day. For the first time in my life, my face was painful to touch and I was extremely self conscious of my skin. My skincare routine and applying makeup took up a large part of my day and felt totally disgusted with myself and the way I looked. I knew I was being self indulgent and other people have much worse problems to deal with but I just couldn't dredge up any confidence to hold my head up high. I used my hair to try and hide the spots on my forehead and looked at the floor most of the time. My boyfriend never saw me without makeup on and I'd get up earlier than him to plaster it on. At night, I deliberately let him use the bathroom first so I could turn the light off in the bedroom and then wash my face while he got into bed so he'd never see me with my horrible skin bare.

My skin seemed to explode with painful little whiteheads particularly around my nose, chin and cheeks, plus closed comedones between my eyebrows and on my forehead. The cysts that developed around my chin were both large and painful and I also developed several clusters of whiteheads around my hairline that lasted for weeks. My skin felt both sensitive and greasy and developed new spots every day. My morning routine always started with a prayer that the overnight damage wasn't too severe. I began using lots of expensive products in a bid to try and rid myself of my acne. I became a slave to alpha-h thinking the alpha hydroxy might strip my skin of it's oil. I used Marion barrack topicals and cleansers to no avail. I avoided sunlight and flourescent light like a vampire......not easy when you work as a receptionist in a busy showroom. After 6 months I was absolutely furious with the anxiety that my skin caused me... It was a chance conversation with one of my friends which turned it all around. She has suffered similar experiences but never talked about it...it seems that us girls who suffer hormonal acne due to bcp feel ashamed that it's happening to us as adults.....the common misconception is that acne is a dirty, teenage problem..... How wrong that is. She mentioned her dermatologist had recommended zinc for acne and she was currently using a topical containing zinc which she thought was helping. After a bit more research (and beginning to follow some of Dan's cleansing advice) I began to realise that my skincare routine was probably doing more harm than good and began treating it much more carefully. I switched my cleanser to a very mild olay cleansing milk (olay complete cleansing milk) which I applied very gently letting my fingers glide over my skin and allowing the water to rinse off ( no touching). I used the same olay sensitive moisturiser Dan recommends and left my skin alone.....this is the hardest thing to do when you just can't stop touching and picking like me but you must stick to this, the benefits of no scarring will outweigh any temporary relief from picking. The second revelation for me was adding zinc, vitamin e and evening primrose oil to my daily diet. I read a lot about these for weeks beforehand as I'd always been a big believer in getting all the nutrients you need from natural sources. However I decided that I was so desperate that I couldn't not try at this point. I began taking 25mg a day of chelated zinc (zinc gluconate) and an evening primrose oil capsule with added vitamin e. I did this for seven weeks and saw some small improvements in my skin (mostly that the oiliness was reduced) but was still suffering some pretty bad t zone acne. I tamped my zinc dosage up to 50 mg a day and pretty soon after seeing a vast improvement took the dosage up to 75mg a day. I also increased my evening primrose and vitamin e capsules up to 2 a day. Within 1 month my skin was very much more comfortable and I was getting less and less acne to deal with every day. I also began using manuka honey as a face mask once or twice every week to get some extra moisture into my skin and kill any bacteria lingering there (get the best manuka honey you can-the higher the activity rating, the more effective the honey at killing bacteria) I have been doing the above for three months now and get fewer and fewer spots every month. My periods are starting to become more regular as a result of the bcp coming out of my system and the primrose oil helped to stabilise my hormones. Before it was a case of periods some months and nothing for eight or nine weeks. Now I'm much more regular albeit a much longer cycle than before bcp (about 35 days). I've also switched my makeup from benefit (some kind of gorgeous foundation) to bare minerals. I know a lot of girls have experienced problems with this makeup and I was very reluctant to throw another variable into the mix but the benefit foundation was keeping my skin too oily and I wanted to try and fix this by going with a more natural mineral foundation. I can honestly say I never experienced any problems with this makeup and my skin seems to actually benefit from it as if it's able to breath better so I'm still very happy with it.

Over the last year I lost count of the amount of times I wanted to get back on the pill to try and get rid of the acne I suffered but I'm so glad stayed strong and persevered.....one day I knew I would want to have children so I knew I'd have to tackle this problem again at some point if I didn't......my decision is beginning to pay off for me......I just hope that the other ladies suffering out there like I did get some relief from this awful, little-talked about problem like I have.

Sorry guys, I should have added in there that as soon as my skin reacted to going back on Yasmin, I came back off immediately. I have been pill free now for a year.