How do you tell if your acne is hormonal? I've always had very infrequent periods, usually three a year, so I was hoping birth control would be my magic solution. My doctor put me on yaz a week ago, in addition to minocycline and differin cream. She said it would take about three or four months for it to work, so don't give up after a month.
How do you tell if your acne is hormonal? I've always had very infrequent periods, usually three a year, so I was hoping birth control would be my magic solution. My doctor put me on yaz a week ago, in addition to minocycline and differin cream. She said it would take about three or four months for it to work, so don't give up after a month.
Do you get cyclical breakouts? Are they usually around your mouth/jawline? These can indicate a hormonal cause of acne. I think the best way to tell is to see if you get better after your body has adjusted to the bcp. It should at least help to regulate your infrequent periods (I had the same problem, though to a lesser degree). Good luck, hope you find your magic solution!
Please don't be afraid to try YAZ!! I was on Ortho-Lo for about a month and a half and it just kept making my acne worse. Then I switched to YAZ and broke out in painful cysts all around my mouth and jawline. It was like everyday I would wake up with a new cyst somewhere on my face. However, I can honestly say that one day I woke up and they were all drying up and going away. That was about the same week that I started my second pack; I'm almost on the 2nd week of my 2nd pack and my face is almost completely clear. I woke up this morning and had to put concealer on ONE spot, and that spot is healing!! I haven't woken up wtih a new pimple in almost a week. So hang in there, it can work!! You just have to put up with the initial breakout as your body adjusts to the hormones. If your acne is hormonal, YAZ is better than most other BCPS anyway because of the drospirenone in it. Just watch your potassium levels. 
Yaz has made my face awful 
I was on Loestrin March-August 2008 and that was the clearest my skin had EVER been, it was crazy! And amazing! But I switched to Yaz becuase Loestrin made me get my period every 2 weeks on the dot. In the first month on Yaz I broke out worse then I had since I was 14! (I'm 20 now) It got a little better after that first month but it is still really bad 
I am calling my ob/gyn tomorrow to switch to another BCP. So we'll see how that goes! But it is good to hear that it is working for some of you ladies! 
I've been on Yaz for a month now. I like it - I don't have any cysts anymore. The acne I do have is manageable by bp.
hey i know you put this out there a while ago but Retin-A needs to be takin with an oral medication as well, i mean it can work but if its not working with just the topical cream u should ask your dr/dermatologist for another form of medication..i am on Retin-A and an oral antibiotic called tetracyclin as well as a cream that i use in the morning called clindamycin..acne is bacteria/infection usually, and if u were given Retin-A that is the case..so if ur acne is not better i would talk to ur doc agian..goodluck with it!!
I have been on Yaz for about a year before that I was on ortho low and I like yaz better. It cleared my skin a little also before yaz I had not had a period for four months and now I get one like clockwork. I dont think it made a big difference with my PMS but my symptoms arent that bad. I don't think it is the miracle pill as it was advertised. I would say give it a chance and if it is not working for you try something else.
I am in my second month of Yaz having switched from Yasmin -- Yasmin (or rather, the generic form) did not seem to have perfect results for my acne and after a year I decided to switch to Yaz because I thought that the longer amount of the drospirenone would help my skin.
Unfortunately, it seems as if my skin has gotten much much WORSE. I have no cysts on my face, but I have a lot of small whiteheads on my forehead and around my chin. And additionally, I seem to have spots on my chest and back -- places where I NEVER had acne before.
I am worried that this is because Yaz has less estrogen than Yasmin. Is it the estrogen or the drospirenone that helps prevent acne? Is this just my skin reacting to the change in hormones? Should I stick with Yaz for a third month, or should I switch back to Yasmin at the end of this second month? How long should I wait before giving up?
I'm really discouraged that it's so much worse after a month and a half, so I'm thinking about switching back to Yasmin today since it's the same hormone anyway. I should also note that I started Epiduo gel about two and a half weeks ago, so I don't know if that would contribute to the fact that my acne has been getting worse, too.
HELP!
It's advertised as such. I took Yasmin briefly, then Yaz, and both were a nightmare for me. My acne cleared up for the first month, then came back strong as ever. The worst part about both pills is that they gave me terrible mood swings. I burst out crying when I lost a game of checkers, cried at sad commercials, and got angry very easily. Talk to your doctor first, and if you're already using a pill that's working, stick with it. I'm back on my old pill now, and since using the BP and AHA, my acne is practically gone.
May I ask what your old pill is?
Aah.. reading all the bad reviews people had with Yaz scares me.. My doctor prescribed Yaz to me, but I haven't started taking it yet since He wanted my endocrinologist to deal with my PCOS. Still waiting for a go signal from my endo, but I am being impatient. However, after reading all the replies, maybe I should just wait it out.
Also, I know you have to start taking BCP when your first period comes, but my problem is that I am irregular. For the past months, I've been missing my periods for 2 months. So if ever, can i start taking BCP even without my period yet, or should I just wait for my period to come which I don't even know when??
wow I htought Yaz was like a breakthrough or something! It was raved about in the papers and magazines recently. I was thinking of getting it to control my super oily skin, plus I think I have PMS breakouts as my skin has more breakouts when it's nearing my period. Plus my period is irregular.
i was on ortho trycyline for 4 years, and it didn't help my acne. it kept it somewhat at bay before my period and then the week before my period my face would break out horribly.
i did a lot of research and came to the conclusion that yaz may be the right birth control for me. i have been on it since the end of april, and my acne has cleared up tremendously thus far. i do notice some mood swings but to me, that's a small price to pay. when i first began in, i did break out. but now with yaz, combined with my new regimen, i see a light!
good luck, this is mostly a trial and error process so i hope you find what works best for you.
I must say that YAZ worked for me and I think it took about 4 or 5 months before I really began to see the clearing of my skin to the point of being comfortable going without makeup. I really really recommend YAZ, but only for those who tend to have their periods affect their moods in a noticable way... more than PMS. This was the reason I went on YAZ in the first place and I think this is why it helped me so much with my acne with such few side effects. Unfortunately, I cannot take any form of BC pills anymore and the acne slowly returned. YAZ was a godsend for me.
Ok, I never write on this kind of stuff but I am going to because my experience with YAZ has been amazing!
In high school I had the worst break outs EVER and my dermatologist tried everything for me! I went on birth control when I got to college (yaz) and ever since then my skin has literally been PERFECT. If I miss a couple of pills during the month I do break out a bit but otherwise it is great! I think I may have just had a hormone imbalance or something.
I will also say that it took a good 3-4 months before I really started to notice a difference which makes sense because thats when the birth control starts becoming the most effective for the other reasons people take it.
Definitely stick with it and give it a try.
PS. It's especially great if you like to drink because you lose a lot of potassium from alcohol and can get leg cramps but I never do because of the yaz! haha
Everyone's bodies react differently to birth control, so what works for some may not work for others. I think the best thing is not to get too caugh up in what other people say about it, just try it and see if it works for you. Personally I've done great with yaz so far with no side effects. It also just takes time for your body to get used to new b.c. But that's just my experience, you don't know if something works for you untill you try it. If you get bad side effects then switch to something else.
I am almost done with my first pack,so far so good. My skin isn't clear but it seems like less new breakouts, and quicker drying up of zits. A lot of people said it takes time to see results so I am hoping that my skin continues to imrpove.
Whoa if you are already seeing results, you are on your way!
does anyone know if YAZ birth control helps control hormonal acne?
Laurenbee03,
I'm glad to hear you started Yaz. I have taken Yaz for nearly a year (when I had insurance), and I have hormonal acne. I don't believe that my acne got any worse when I started it, and I do believe that it did take some time to start working. I truly believe in Yaz, though I will say for me it is no cure, and I do still get pimples every once in a while..but needless to say I'm not sure I know one single person who never gets a pimple. I recently went off of Yaz because my insurance coverage ended when I turned 22. I stopped taking Yaz for 2 months and my face was fine, but then it hit me overnight..acne that is, and it got BAD. BAD! Worst I've ever had acne in my entire life. I have heard that this is common when you stop taking BC's. And I totally know what you mean about not wanting to go out at all, because that is exactly how I felt. I decided that it didn't matter how much Yaz costed without insurance, because no amt of money was too much to pay to clear up my face, so I decided to refill my prescription and pay for it outright ($70) later and 4 days into my new pack, my skin is already subsiding! And trust me when I say my breakout was bad! We are talking tons of those small, little red bumps that are all clustered together that nearly look like a rash. Give Yaz a fair try and see how it works for you, I can tell you it works for me and I will continue to pay (70 bucks) until I get back on insurance, that's how much I can't live w/o it.
Wow am seeing a lot of negatives here. I have been on YAZ for 2 months and for the first time in a long time my face is clear. Its great. My PMS is gone as well.
In response to those who like Ortho...they may be cheaper, but they give me migraines for the entire length of my period.
So, I guess it's just depends on how a person's body handles it. My doctor did tell me to let her know if I had crying episodes with it, but so far none and its been two months.
I will stick with Yaz for now.
good luck to everyone!
Yikes! I'm a bit nervous to start Yaz (I begin in two days - and I've been on Spiro for about 2 weeks) after seeing all the negatives here. But we all know, different people respond differently to different medications. I'm making the switch after Loestrin 24 Fe caused nodular acne on my chin and jawline. Read my blog to track my results. Good luck to us all! Hormonal acne is no fun!
I went on Yaz last year and was on it until this July, It cleared me completley i went out with no make up for the first time in my life, it was great! i went off of it for a month because i ran out and it took me forever to get back to the dr., so now i've been on for month a half and my face has been breaking out like crazy do u know why?
I am on my 3rd week of my 3rd pack of yaz. When i started i was getting these little clogged pores and bumps and some larger zits all over my jawline and some on my forehead. When i started yaz my face broke out horribly! I could see all the little bumps coming up into giant zits. Now my forehead is almost clear and i have a lot less little bumps and clogged pores, but im still breaking out pretty bad around the jawline and mouth area. Less little bumps, but still some, but there are more inflamed ones. Im going crazy here trying to figure out if my face is clearing or not. My husband and mom keep saying it looks better, but i just keep seeing more zits coming and coming. Plus my face is still so oily. I think its slightly less oily, but still much too oily. im so miserable. Last week i thought it was clearing up. One side of my face was almost clear, but then this week its all broken out. Has anyone else had this sort of acne and had luck with yaz? I need some advise here. I know some people said they started seeing clearing skin 4-5 months in. Has anyone started seeing it clear and then it got worse again? Im so confused. I dont wanna stop the yaz if its gunna eventually help, but i cant just let it get worse and worse. Im so confused. My skin is very senstive so all acne washes and face products for acne are too harsh adn make my face red and irritated. I use philosophy purity made simple face wash and philosophy oxygen peel once or twice a week and sometimes i use a charcoal mask. I am 26 and started breaking out about 2 years ago right after my wedding. Before then i never had acne problems and i never wore makeup. I just dont knw how to deal with this. HELP!! Other than the confusion of my skin i have had no bad side effects from this pill yet. Not even migranes like i had on ortho lo.