Thank you so much ladies!
I am 27 and have now had the copper iud for almost a year. I had REALLY bad acne in middle and high school, but since I was about 17 it calmed down enough to be manageable. The last couple years before the iud I would have months when I had absolutely NO acne at all.
For the last six months my acne has been getting progressively worse and is now almost like it was when I was in 6th grade. I have tried changing my make up, my face wash, and my daily routines in regards to my face....with no result. I have become so frustrated! For the past month my family and friends have even started to say that my acne has gotten bad (good intentions, but really hard to hear). I've even gone to tears because I don't know what to do.
Last night I started to think about what could I had possibly changed that would have made my school-aged acne to come back?*! I decided to look on the internet this morning to see if it may be my copper iud.......low and behold, here you ladies are discussing the cystic acne that is covering both of my cheeks. (Oh yeah, and on my upper arms and shoulders.)
I am having the IUD removed as soon as I get back from vacation. I hope that I haven't screwed up my system so much that it won't resolve the problem. I will let you know how it goes.
I'm so glad I found this forum. You all have given me a little piece of hope that I can get this under control....I had lost hope as to what to do next.
Thank You again.
Hello Ladies,
I was browsing through the internet, thinking about what contraception I was going to start taking again after my husband and I have completed our family, when I came across your posts.
Let me tell you my history;
I have had several IUDs fitted in my life, all of them copper, due to my intolerance to hormones.
I had never suffered with acne as a teen, but at the age of 22 when I had my first IUD fitted, I developed the same large, swollen extremely painful acne that you have all been describing. I had no idea that the two were linked and tried every treatment I could to get rid of them.
Drugs worked for a while, but not completely and I had been on them for so long, I was being lined up for Accutane and really quite scared because of the side effects.
THEN, I FELL PREGNANT. My husband and I thought that it would be best if we had the IUD removed to allow the pregnancy to grow unobstructed. By this time I had read a little about some people having skin problems with copper IUDs so I was interested to see what would happen.
The result was AMAZING, the spots decreased within a few months and then disappeared! My son is now 2 and a bit and I can honestly say that I can count the number of horrible, lumpy volcano spots I have had on one hand, with room to spare. I will never go back to a copper IUD again now I have seen that there are so many of you out there suffering the same distressing, painful acne that I had.
I chose IUDs because they offered a long term, hassle free, hormone free contraception option, but the acne was ruining my life.Now the IUD is gone, I no longer live in constant dread of where the next lump will arise from and how long it will last for.
I hope this helps some people decide what to do!
I have been using paraguard for almost 2 yrs and I've never bothered to check if it had any effect on acne because it was hormone free. I had been on the pill for 3 yrs and couldn't take the side effects and decided to stop. That's when my acne became really bad. I got paragard a few months later and 2 years after on skin is still bad, nothing works even though I've been going to a derm. Recently I've found out that my iud slipped and so I was looking something about that up when I came across this. I'm glad I found out about this. Since using paraguard my hair has been falling out a lot and I have cystic acne, something I've never had before.
Okay, so I started this post about 1 year ago. Now, finally, I see a real improvement in my skin. It's taken about until now to feel like my acne has "much improved". Whether or not the IUD removal helped or not, I am not sure. I feel like it is the reason I now have nearly clear skin. I still get the occasional problem near my period, but NOTHING like the cystic, angry acne I was experiencing before.
Also, about 4 months ago I decided to try yet another product. I am using Acne Free by University Medical purchased at a grocery store and Target as well. I use that wash at night for 1-2 minutes as recommended, then put Persagel on liberally. Let it dry before you lie down thoigh- like BP, it stains pillow cases.
So, is it the IUD being out, or is it the Acne Free? Hard to say, but I do believe the IUD was the culprit for so many years for me. unfortunately, I now have several enlarged pores and ice pick scarring (mostly). Now that my acne is better, I focus on the scarring, we're never satisfied... I just purchased Green Cream (the retinol is the thing that's supposed to be the key) for my lines and scarring. Many people say they have had great results from this product. I'll let you know.
Good luck to all of you...
I've had pimples ever sinse I was a teen...but when I hit about 17-18, it went down to MAYBE 3 or 4 small ones a month. I started the BC pill when I was 21, no change in my skin at all... then when I hit 24 I decided the pill was too hard to remember to take, so I decided to switch to the Mirena IUD. The didn't sit too well either, because I was getting terrible mood swings, and the cramping never subsided. In March last year, I decided to go for the Copper IUD. At first, everything was fine...then at around Sept-Oct, my face went CRAZY. I went from having 2-3 pimples a month, to about 10 on each cheek at any given time. I have developed scars because of this, and still - almost a year later I'm getting tons of pimples. It's not just the pimples that piss me off either, it's those evil red marks they leave behind! No matter what I do, no matter how much makeup I wear, my skin still has a terribly uneven tone (not to mention tons of little bumps). I don't even know how much money I have spent on skin care products...probably almost $1000. This is so frustrating. After reading this I'm considering having this thing pulled, which is too bad because besdies the acne it's been pretty good to me. *Siggggggghhhhhhh*. 
Okay, so I started this post about 1 year ago. Now, finally, I see a real improvement in my skin. It's taken about until now to feel like my acne has "much improved". Whether or not the IUD removal helped or not, I am not sure. I feel like it is the reason I now have nearly clear skin. I still get the occasional problem near my period, but NOTHING like the cystic, angry acne I was experiencing before.
Also, about 4 months ago I decided to try yet another product. I am using Acne Free by University Medical purchased at a grocery store and Target as well. I use that wash at night for 1-2 minutes as recommended, then put Persagel on liberally. Let it dry before you lie down thoigh- like BP, it stains pillow cases.
So, is it the IUD being out, or is it the Acne Free? Hard to say, but I do believe the IUD was the culprit for so many years for me. unfortunately, I now have several enlarged pores and ice pick scarring (mostly). Now that my acne is better, I focus on the scarring, we're never satisfied... I just purchased Green Cream (the retinol is the thing that's supposed to be the key) for my lines and scarring. Many people say they have had great results from this product. I'll let you know.
Good luck to all of you...
Hello Phoebeb,
Good afternoon. I hope you are still checking this board since you are the only case I've read of that has had a successfull removal procedure. I'm currently using the Minera IUD and I have a scheduled appointment to have it removed next month. I can't wait!!!
My questions to you is, have you started using another type of BC since you've had your copper IUD removed? If so, what BC are you using now?
My story...
I am now 32 yrs old. I started to have mild acne in high school (blackheads mostly on my cheeks and forehead). At 18 yrs old I started taking BC, which was Desogen, It was fine i guess, i had the same cramping and same amount of blood flow..BUT...it did get rid of my acne along with the combination of Proactive Solution. There short after, I started getting horrible 3 to 5 days long migraines.
I've had those migraines ever since, until I got the Minera IUD fitted about a year and a half ago. No more migraines for sure!!! BUT......one month after getting fitted, my acne came back with a vengeance. I have been having a cystic acne breakout on my face, neck, back and shoulders. I have been getting chemical peels regularly just to keep it under control and to prevent scarring. Plus I have been using the Clear Cell Line by Image which is some heavy duty acne medicine. between the facial treatments and the acne products, i have spent over $2000 already.
I found this board in seach of more information regarding the copper IUD but it doesn't sound very promising either. I am contemplating on asking my Dr. for a prescription of Yasmin BC. I'm hoping it will work.
Wish me luck ladies and I will keep you posted on my progress.
Hello everyone! I have been reading these posts and I feel like I'm in simular shoes. I wanted to go a more natural route and get off the bc pills. I decided to get the Mirena. I had it in for about a year before getting it removed. I was on Yasmin for years before then (my skin was great) and once I got the Mirena in I broke out horribly. I got it out and have been back on Yasmin for the past year and my face has never returned to the way it was. I still break out constantly (seems like my body has become immune to the positive effects of BC pills).
I was on Yasmin for 6 years and although it was great for my skin, I was warned on many occasions that this particular brand does have a higher instance of strokes and blood clots (like most estrogen containing devices out there) I was also recently denied filling a presciption for Yasmin because of my history with migraines (because the narrowing of the blood vessels before and during a migraine episode combined with the blood clotting nature of estrogen containing bc pills, patch, ring, etcetera can cause stroke or death) I know these instances are rare, but always something to think about, especially in women over 35 years old.
Not sure what to do now. I am pretty much limited to the Paragard now that most other hormonal approaches are protentially hazardous to my health. I will probably stick with it for a while to see if my skin eventually evens out. I will continue my research. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences, it's so helpful!
Ps. I was reading one post that said that the Paragard causes inflammation to kill of the sperm, but I don't think that is so. It causes your cervix to create a thicker mucus which presents a hostile environment for the sperm. Not sure if that inflammation would go to your face as a result but I guess anything is possible! Cheers!
Hi everybody,
I have been reading your posts with great interest. I'm curiuos if any of you who had the IUD removed experienced a decrease in acne?
I've had the IUD for 1.5 year. I thought it was the best BC option but lately I've had this strange impulse telling me to get it out of my body. It makes sense that a copper device in the body causes some kind of reaction.
Hi everybody,
I have been reading your posts with great interest. I'm curiuos if any of you who had the IUD removed experienced a decrease in acne?
I've had the IUD for 1.5 year. I thought it was the best BC option but lately I've had this strange impulse telling me to get it out of my body. It makes sense that a copper device in the body causes some kind of reaction.
Ohh...and please have a look here: http://www.topix.com/forum/health/birth-co...S989ALHEM1SNC7O
One report that copper toxity gives slow wound healing which may explain my long lansting acne scars and mosqito bite scars!
Hi everybody,
I just wanted to my story to this situation. Here's my BC and acne history. I am currently 30 years old:
16-19 - No BC, I had pimples on my back and neck but not really on my face.
20-22 - Hormonal BC (generic pill), don't remember acne issues.
23-26 - No BC, very light intermittent acne. I tried different light washes, nothing worked, but I didn't care.
27-28 - Nuvaring (didn't like it since it hurt my partner and the hormones made my sex drive disappear), acne got a little worse, I started washing with 10% BP (Oxy10) which seemed to make things better.
28-29 - Yaz, hormones were much better than Nuvaring, mood swings were less, depression gone. Still doing the Oxy10 wash, acne disappeared back to very very light.
30 (March 2010) - Paragard. I wanted to get off hormones altogether and was excited. At first, I noticed my skin was very very oily. I didn't put things together, I just thought that was strange. I also got thing rash-like acne on my forehead (totally new). I started trying a Salycilic (sp?) acid scrub and stopped using moisturizer to dry out skin. The last straw was me trying a strong toner, but that didn't help either.
After reading stuff online, I also tried to take Zinc supplement, but that didn't work. So I finally wrote an email to my OB and she referred me to a dermatologist.
I saw him yesterday and he said HE HAD HEARD of acne issues with IUD's (woohoo!). I was so glad to hear that. The bad news is that he had NO IDEA why. He just knows that it happens.
Looking at my face, he said that my acne looks like it's cause by hormones. He didn't go into detail, but explained that the acne being around the face line on my forehead and on both sides of the chin is a giveaway. So he gave me a prescription for 50mg of an anti-androgen Spironolactone as well as Retin-A for my scarring and I guess as back up. I was told to wash with Cetaphil at night, use the retin-A, and then in the morning was with Oxy10 and then take the Spironolactone with a meal. A couple of important disclaimers he gave me were (and yes, I thought this was scary): at higher levels it can cause cancer, at current levels it can cause birth defects and dizziness, it's a diuretic (lots of pee breaks) so it might cause dehydration, lower potassium levels, stomach problems and kidney problems. Oh and after looking up other blogs, it might affect my sex drive - good or bad. I will let you know.
So, I just started that after taking a mandatory blood test to check my kidney function. I read that with Retin-A you have to start off slow because it causes peeling and flaking, so I'm only doing that every 2-3 days for now. Thank for reading and I will let you know how it goes
Hi,
I have had Paragard IUD for 7 months now and am starting to think it was not worth it.
First I have had awful fatigue/weakness symptoms which lasted almost 3 months. I also gained about 10 pounds and had now had bad acne that leave scars on my skin. My nails are very brittle and have been splitting for over 4 months (something I have NEVER had before). I contribute this to the IUD since it's the only lifestyle change in my life, even though my OB/GYN doesn't think so. I just find it strange that so many women have the same symptoms, but the Doctors seem to be blind to this. I would really like to hear from someone who had the Paragard removed and has noticed improvement in symptoms.
I've also tried taking Zinc, but I don't notice a significant difference.
Thank you.
I spent most of last weekend reading articles, forums etc. about acne and the Paragard IUD, so this morning I called my gynecologist's office and they had a cancellation for today and I had the IUD removed after 14 years!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have every symptom of copper toxicity and have had for a couple of years. Many of the symptoms are also symptoms of menopause...so I did not even think that the IUD might be causing mood swings, acne, spaciness, etc.
I have been back and forth to the dermatologist with acne that never seemed to go away no matter how many antibiotics I was on!!!!! And all of this started with the IUD!!!!
Right now I feel so happy to have it out and I will report back on whether the acne clears up. I"ve been on Keflex for a month, which really should have done the trick, but nada until now. So there's the IUD removal and Keflex and also NO SOY MILK---pure poison if you have a copper IUD!
I spent most of last weekend reading articles, forums etc. about acne and the Paragard IUD, so this morning I called my gynecologist's office and they had a cancellation for today and I had the IUD removed after 14 years!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have every symptom of copper toxicity and have had for a couple of years. Many of the symptoms are also symptoms of menopause...so I did not even think that the IUD might be causing mood swings, acne, spaciness, etc.I have been back and forth to the dermatologist with acne that never seemed to go away no matter how many antibiotics I was on!!!!! And all of this started with the IUD!!!!
Right now I feel so happy to have it out and I will report back on whether the acne clears up. I"ve been on Keflex for a month, which really should have done the trick, but nada until now. So there's the IUD removal and Keflex and also NO SOY MILK---pure poison if you have a copper IUD!
I spent most of last weekend reading articles, forums etc. about acne and the Paragard IUD, so this morning I called my gynecologist's office and they had a cancellation for today and I had the IUD removed after 14 years!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have every symptom of copper toxicity and have had for a couple of years. Many of the symptoms are also symptoms of menopause...so I did not even think that the IUD might be causing mood swings, acne, spaciness, etc.I have been back and forth to the dermatologist with acne that never seemed to go away no matter how many antibiotics I was on!!!!! And all of this started with the IUD!!!!
Right now I feel so happy to have it out and I will report back on whether the acne clears up. I"ve been on Keflex for a month, which really should have done the trick, but nada until now. So there's the IUD removal and Keflex and also NO SOY MILK---pure poison if you have a copper IUD!
Thank God for all of you women for helping me be sure. My doctor swore there can't be a relationship. He even said the copper does not get to breastmilk. If it was not enough to affect me how could it get to breast milk. Lo and behold, my 1 year old boy also has the acne break.
I had my IUD inserted 3 weeks ago. Exactly two days later I noticed this vengeful rash on my forehead. Believe me when I say my face used to be near baby smooth. I have a 1 year old who is breastfeeding. I noticed the same rash on his forehead. I immediately thought there could be a relationship between the acne and the copper IUD but decided to observe for a while longer. It got worse, I had near wounds on my face in less that 2 weeks of having the IUD. I went back to the doctor. He swore that there was no relationship between the IUD and acne. He is a Professor, so I half heartedly believed him. I am writting this 3 days later after the doctor's visit. My acne is worse. I AM HAVING THE DAMN THING REMOVED!! That doctor better be ready to remove it!
Other than the acne, I must admit I loved the IUD but I need my self image at its maximum.
Hi everyone. I registered on this site, just so I could share my story.
I have always had perfect skin. I distinctly remember my grandmother's compliments when I was growing up. My skin was always flawless, my pores were small, I could use just about any soap and washing method... Worst that would happen would be shiny skin. No blemishes.
I tried most forms of birth control, the last being paraguard in 2007. I was amazed that one could go 10 years without worry, just put it in and forget about it! Of course the special $100 insertion fee incentive that Planned Parenthood gave was just extra icing on the cake!
It hurt being put in. My first few periods had what I describe as a mechanical feeling pain to them. Awkward, uncomfortable. I immediately was having an incredible increase in discharge. It was disgusting, to say the least. I don't want to go too deeply into details, but I used to be incredibly dry and tight during sex, which led to sensual lovemaking that I and my partner immensely enjoyed. The paraguard made me entirely too wet and I even felt "loose" most of the time. Most of my enjoyment of lovemaking dissipated as the months drug by. Mind you, I have never had a child.
To give you an idea about the increase in discharge I'm talking about, I wear tampons and even the act of sitting on the toilet, they would literally FALL OUT. I was also tested and treated for chlamydia, which a nurse who examined me was convinced that I had the STD, which it turns out that I didn't.
And the acne. Absolutely the worst breakouts I've EVER had on my face, neck, back. They are unsightly and incredibly painful, some went away nearly entirely whilst others left scars. My pores would always clog, blackheads, whiteheads, etc. I feel embarrassed going out in public during an "eruption", which would be totally unpredictable, but especially bad during my period. I no longer get the compliments about my skin that I used to.
I have absolutely no doubts that the IUD is responsible for these problems. They may sound insignificant to you if you're considering the paraguard but I assure you that the doctor or nurse who does the insertion will not tell you about the skin problems it causes, nor be able to communicate exactly how badly the discharge can ruin all that you used to enjoy about sex. As for the skin, I hope that research is eventually done so knowledge can be passed around to the consumer, who, like me- was greatly ignorant prior to the insertion.
I have finally had my IUD removed after over 3 years of hell. My tampons finally stay in me again, and my skin has immediately began to calm down.
So, after 9 months and a few more changes, I've finally found the combination of medications that work for me. 
First of all, Spiro got me clear within 2-3 months. It was heavenly. The oily film on my face disappeared. So did the rash on my forehead and the pimples along with jaw line were going away. AND the cyst-like pimples (the ones that develop under the skin and take weeks to calm down) were gone. Totally clear.
Then it happened. I started getting my period every 2-3 weeks. And they quick either. I basically had my period all month long except for maybe 5 days.
So, I stopped taking the Spiro which causes the period irregularity. Then the cysts and terrible acne started coming back (About 2 weeks later).
So I went in and had the IUD removed. The day before the procedure I had a cyst developing on my chin. The day after, the cyst was gone. The cystic acne was literally a reaction to the IUD.
Since then, I've been taking Yasmin and 50mg of Spiro together and my face has never looked this good. The Yasmin keeps my period regular and the Spiro keeps my face looking amazing.
I also still do a benzoyl peroxide wash at night, coupled with Retin-A 0.5%.
It has been such a roller coaster, but I couldn't be happier now. No low sex drive, no crazy pimples and right before my period my acne flairs just a little bit (I start getting a small rash on my chest). I just take 1 extra pill of Spiro and it's back to normal.
I'm sorry to all of you who are still suffering along and wish you the very best. It's not in your head. The IUD does cause a reaction. It might not be the only reason I had acne problems, but it certainly helped.
I have the Paraguard Copper IUD and it has had no effect, good or bad, on my acne. I have had cystic acne since I was 12. I have never used any other form of birth control so my body isn't already upset by previous hormones. Women on both sides of my family haven't had great success with hormonal BC, so I chose the Paraguard because it was non-hormonal, convenient, and long-lasting.
My insertion was painful but quick. My first period on the IUD was extremely painful, my body adjusted and my second period was not painful at all. My period is heavier in general than it used to be, but only my first IUD period was excessive.
I had mine inserted by an IUD specialist who literally does IUDs all day, so that probably made a difference. My cousin had an IUD done by a normal OB-GYN (in the same medical building!) and it was painful from day 1 until she had it removed 8 months later. I think the quality of your insertion has a HUGE effect on your results.
I have always taken a multi-vitamin but no other supplement at the time of insertion or immediately after.
I'd just like to put a good vote in for copper IUDs. If it isn't causing other problems (abnormal pain and bleeding), I wouldn't be too quick to blame it for acne.
Like Wintersrain, I had flawless skin in my teens and early twenties...everyone would complement me and I had to do very little to take care of it. I started hormonal bc (ortho tri cyclen) at age 21 and it had no effect on my skin at all. Throughout my twenties I switched pills a few times and each new pill was the same as the others...no effect on skin, mood, periods, etc. Then for no reason what-so-ever at age 28 I started having terrible acne! Deep, painful, and all over my cheeks, jawline, and neck. For 1 1/2 years I fought with my skin and couldn't do anything to win the battle. The whole time I was on Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo...as I had been for 2 years prior. Definitely hormonal, but I kept wondering why?!? I'm finally free and clear and it has a lot to do with the VI Peel and the VI Derm skincare line recommended by my aesthitician and adding fish and poultry back into my diet (was a vegetarian for 7 years) seemed to help a little.
Now, at age 30, I wanted to get off the pill (risk of blood clots and other stuff increase as you get older)...so I chose the copper IUD. I was soooo worried that I would break out coming off the pill. But (knock on wood) it's been 2 weeks and my skin is better than ever on the IUD!! Of couse, I need to give it more time to truly see the effects, but I'm hopeful. I think sometimes our hormones just go haywire. For me, there was no "trigger" at all...just getting older. This just shows that everyone is different. I like the IUD so far, but it hurt like hell having it inserted and I am having some of the mucus-like discharge that Wintersrain had...though not nearly to the extent she did. It's just like my vagina has a mild head cold But it's already starting to go away. I hope that this helps other women to decide whether or not the IUD is right for them.
I used a Copper 7 IUD from age 19 until 33, 14 years. Never noticed weight issues (other than monthly fluid retention and some breast tenderness). Then I had my tubes tied. I'm now 55 and am DONE WITH the HORRID periods that I hated so much. I feel that I got half my life back.
I did not ever notice any pattern in my acne during or after the use. But, I did have heavy bleeding and cramps during the IUD usage. I took vitamins, iron supplements, and cooked with iron cookware. I donated blood at work on a regular basis and found that my blood hemoglobin levels did drop during my periods, so I did not donate during that time. I put up with the heavy bleeding each month, rather than get pregnant. I had only wished that the newer hormone IUD's were available at that time Whe I heard of these new hormone IUD's. A woman who is a nurse I spoke with loved hers. She liked that her periods were MUCH lighter than normal. Sorry that those of you who are using these effective contraceptives are having skin issues, as well as the cramping that I also suffered with. I feel that many of us simply are not eating the right foods or eating things that affect our skin. I have tested several foods that greatly affect me. One, chocolate, allergic all my life, shellfish, (the only food I really miss), milk products and now I've cut out wheat products. I've seen an improvement, but I wish I could find out my food issues, without a trial and error basis. Its ben 43 years and I still have acne. But, I've started on the Saw Palmetto, seems so far to be helping. Also, my right side of my face is the issue, not nearly as broken out on my left side. So, I'm also puzzled at that.
I had the same experience with paragard. I didn't just come off of a hormonal birth control & had no acne problems for 5-6 years. I'm 27. My dermatologist said the paragard creates inflammation in the uterus & that may be affecting everything else. She put me on Spiro & retin-a & said to take probiotics & omega 3 to take down inflammation. It seems to be helping & I'm only on day 2. Luckily my fiance is getting a vasectomy in the next month so I can get this iud out. It was my last resort for birth control so I'm very thankful this will be over in the next couple of months. Will try to update!
**update**
Im 36 now. Ended up marrying a different man lol. Thank god! Kept the iud and just had it switched out several months ago for another paragard. Very traumatic experience that almost sent me to the ER later that evening. My old one had one of the arms stuck down on the inside of my cervix.Ive still had acne and now it has flared up worse than ever since the switch out. Ive been on spiro since the first insertion but at the end was barely taking it every other day. Now a few months into the new one I take spiro 2x a day like originally recommended and it barely keeps up with the acne.. mainly around my period.Im going to die with this thing in me lol.
I HAD the copper IUD (paraguard). I had been on the ortho cyclen pill for 10 years and was fine on it, but decided I wanted to get off hormones, so I decided to get the IUD. Insertion was EXTREMELY painful perhaps because I have not had children. The pain lasted for a a few days but with advil and a hot water bottle, it was manageable. I experienced that same pain for the first few days of every period, which was longer (7 full days) and much heavier, than when I was on the pill.
But this I could manage. until about two months after the insertion, extreme and painful acne developed EVERYWHERE (back, neck, chest, face, head). It got progressively worse for about 3 months before it started to get better. But only slightly. It balanced out to a frequent, continual, never waivering uprising of deep-rooted acne, where I had never experienced any type of blemish. And not only that but my skin changed completely it was extremely dry (always been moist before) and my color was gone leaving my skin looking a bit grey.
My doctors told me that my IUD could not be causing this acne or the skin tone change and that either I had developed adult acne (because I didnt have much in my teenage years before getting on birth control) or that the pill was keeping my skin clear.
So I believed them. But I finally had enough after 11 months and thought i would rather get back on birth control pills than live like this. I had the IUD removed and within a DAY my skin had improved the small bumps were disappearing, my skin tone was better, and some of the moistness returned. Within TWO WEEKS it was almost perfect again. And NO, I did not get back on birth control... nor do I plan to now. And no, nothing else changed in my life in fact there was more stress and less sleep during this time.
This was a cause and effect scenario not a coincidence. While the IUD is great for many people, it was not for me.
Hello!
I had my Paraguard IUD installed April 2019 at 30 years old. I had my first and only child in Jan 2018 and breastfed for a while before deciding to get this device. I specifically chose this copper IUD to avoid all the side effects of the hormonal ones.
It took a couple months, but slowly, hormonal acne around my jawline and neck started to appear, up until now, March 2021, almost two years later, my skin looks absolutely terrible. I have crazy amounts of texture around these areas, as well as frequent forehead breakouts. I chalked it up to just changing hormones as I get older, as this is a thing that sometimes happens to women as they age. Meanwhile, I continue to eat well (no carbs), the same diet routine I have had before getting the IUD, and try to combat the acne by being healthy internally, as well was washing my face as I should and applying quality organic products to my face, and almost never wearing makeup, which I was also doing before the IUD.
My skin before the Paraguard was never like this (only when I was a teenager, but not even this bad!!), only sometimes small breakouts around my cycle.
By now, I'm truly convinced that this copper IUD is the reason for my increasingly awful hormonal acne.
I've read up about balancing out the more frequent amounts of copper that could be causing the acne by taking zinc, but I'm honestly at my witts end. I'm tired if waiting and trying everything under the sun to get rid of this hormonal acne at 32 years old. I thought acne was terrible to experience as a teenager, but it's so much more frustrating and embarrassing as an adult!! I also have scaring everywhere from this terrible hormonal, cystic like acne that I don't know if I can repair back to normal at this point. This has been a truly awful experience.
Going to book my appointment to have this thing removed immediately.
I truly hope this post finds someone that has experienced such frustration and helps them.
**Update**
I have had this paragard out for a week and two days and the texture on my jawline and neck is COMPLETELY GONE and my face is healing up the acne scars nicely. There are no more cystic like bumps, I cannot believe this! Then again, I can, because I knew this stupid IUD had something to do with all this terrible acne!!!
My husband and multiple people have noticed and commented on how good my skin is looking!!
I also have more energy and just feel better all around.
If you have any doubt, take it out!! Don't let the doctors tell you that you're wrong about this affecting your hormones. It absolutely does, and you know your body!!
Also, it wasn't a big deal to remove it yourself, as I did (especially if you've given vaginal birth). Some people, like myself, have no problems with the diy stuff like that, it was honestly really easy, and I've had the strings on mine trimmed and still was able to do it. Just Youtube, take your time, and possibly save trip to the gyn.
Again, I've had it in for two years, when I took it out, it was all tarnished and dark metal, not the bright orange copper that it is supposed to be. Gross!!!
The copper IUD is causing my hormonal acne
I wish I was told what I know now about how the copper IUD affects us...
I got the copper coil (IUD) about 15 months ago, since then I started getting clogged pores on my chin, just on my chin. A few months went by I started to notice my cycle was becoming more intense, more blood, more pain (I expected this) and I was ok with these things I knew it was the IUD. But I was also becoming more moody... more angry.. more fluctuating emotions. After about 5 months I started to get more inflammatory acne on my chin, quite painful and definitely worse after ovulation. It was sad at first, you really blame yourself... now it's been 15 months and the acne on my chin has never been worse. It's consistent, cystic, painful, inflamed and itchy.. wearing the mask is hard it makes it worse.
Im getting it removed tomorrow, finally! Its the only option Ihave left
I went to doctors, I did blood tests, I took supplements (Zinc, Iron,Probiotics, Turmeric, Vit Bs, D, Omega 3s, Vit E)THE LOT...(Iron = take at diff. time to zinc & Bs to absorb, also take with Vit C)
The supplements are helping, and a good skin care routine helps. But it is not enough.
How does it cause hormonal acne? I believe it to be (for me): copper throws your minerals off balance (zincs relationship with copper) this then messes with your iron levels (plus more blood lost at period=increased iron loss) copper has an oestrogenic effect, causing low progesterone after ovulation. The Copper IUD causesthe foreign object effect (immune system starts fighting it). The Copper IUD causes inflammation in the uterus, which then causes my chin to show me there is something wrong.... I can link below some sources for this info.
It's very disheartening that there is not enoughresearch done about this, and it makes me sad that most doctors won't accept the correlation between the copper IUD and hormonal acne. I know it doesn't happen with everyone but there is clearly enough women here telling their stories to justify doing extensive scientific studies, and make doctors aware.
My intuition told me many times that what is in your uterus is causing the acne on your chin, but I didn't listen toit, I believed what I thought to be true and accepted what other people around me told me. A common thing you all are probably used to hearing is 'but the copper IUD is non hormonal so it cannot cause acne...' Trust your intuition and listen to your body.
Links to info:
https://www.healthline.com/health/copper-toxicity#iud
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12264123/
https://stevenjudge.com.au/are-you-copper-toxic-sydney-naturopath/
http://mjiri.iums.ac.ir/files/site1/user_files_e9487e/admin-A-10-1-246-1d495d0.pdf
lots of info on instagram search :copperiudacne