Hey. This is my first post. Since I've been struggling with acne for 11 years, I figured I might as well join this community! I started taking Tri-Lo Marzia, a generic version of Ortho-Tri-Cyclen Lo. Has anyone taken this for their skin? I'm on the 2nd month, and I haven't noticed any difference. I've been told to wait at least 3 months before stopping or switching to another birth control pill, but I'm feeling a little discouraged.I wouldn't say I have severe acne, but it's definitely enough to where I don't feel comfortable being out in public without concealer and foundation. No matter what skin products I use, my face always looks kinda irritated. When I was younger, I mostly had clusters of small pimples all over my T-zone. Now, my forehead still has these little skin colored, (sometimes red) bumps..just not as many as I used to. My breakouts are mostly on my outer cheek area, and before my periods I always get a couple cysts on my jawline. I mostly get pustules and cysts these days. I ALWAYS get PMS acne, but once I start my period, my skin does not break out. It feels cleaner and less congested.That being said, my breakouts were worse last year, when I used to eat more junk food. Since making changes to my diet, such as cutting back heavily on ice cream, and fried/processed food, I've noticed my breakouts are not as severe. Even though I'm on birth control, I'm still making an effort to eat better. I guess, my question is, have any of you guys tried this birth control? How do you feel about taking birth control for acne? Any suggestions for me?
Jo Ann
You probably have fungal acne, NOT ordinary acne.
Fungal acne is caused by taking antibiotics and some other meds, including birth control pills. Fungal acne can be caused by hormonal issues just as ordinary acne can be.
People often start off with ordinary acne, then as they take antibiotics and/or birth control pills and/or accutane, the ordinary acne turns into fungal acne.
You can control the fungal acne by doing the following -
1. Buy clotrimazole topical antifungal cream and apply it to the areas with "acne" 2-3 times a day. Topical antifungal creams are TOTALLY safe and some/most (depending on country) are available without a prescription.
2. Wash your hair in an antidandruff shampoo.
3. Do NOT apply any moisturisers or organic oils to the areas with acne.
If you get back to me with answers to the questions below, I can provide targeted information to control your "acne" ..
Have you taken antibiotics or other meds. If you have taken antibiotics, which ones ?
Do you have one or more of the following (as well as the acne) - white coating on your tongue, dandruff, flaking skin, toenail fungus, itchy and/or painful skin, red rash/es, unexplained tiredness, headaches, "brain fog", stomach or gut problems, sinus problems.
You may need a more targeted antifungal cream to control the "acne". I can provide information about this after I forward to hearing back from you.
People
The response of acne to birth control pills - making acne worse or better -TOTALLY depends on whether you have ordinary acne OR whether you have fungal acne, and if so, which type of fungal acne.
Birth control pills can help control ordinary acne, and in the short term they can sometimes help control malasezzia fungal acne, but they ALWAYS make candida fungal acne worse.
One person's experience on birth control pills is totally irrelevant to anorther person's experience UNLESS they have the same type of acne.