I started taking Lucette (I believe it is exactly the same as Yasmin, but with a different name) about a week ago, and since then my skin has been breaking out like crazy.

 

The only reason I even started taking Lucette was because I read that it could reduce acne, so I've been pretty upset that it seems to have made it a lot worse.

 

Just to show you the difference: my cheek before & after Lucette:

 

I've read quite a lot of posts on this forum and others, and there seems be a really split opinion on breakouts after starting the pill. One group of people say that it is imperative you keep taking the pill, because Yasmin makes your skin worse before it gets better, and it's only around the 3 month mark that you'll start to see things clearing up. But then I've seen other posts, where people say that the pill should never make your skin worse, and so if that happens you should stop taking it immediately, because you're only going to continue to ruin and scar your skin.

 

I'm pretty confused, so what should I do?

Yeap - I am in the "It really shouldn't make your skin worse" camp - at least, not remarkably worse within a week. Is that level of breakout within your cycle normal for you? If it is, it could simply be that the birth control hasn't begun working and your going through your normal skin cycle. If not, I would definitely stop it if your only reason for starting in the first place was for acne and you have only been taking it for a week. If you have been taking it longer (or you are sexually active) talk to your doctor before stopping - it could make things worse by throwing your hormones off.

Also, have you changed anything else in the past week besides your birth control - maybe started a new topical? The level of inflammation in your "after" picture looks a lot like the initial flare-ups you get when starting a retinoid.

Also, I edited this just to say: Good on you for taking your photos before starting a new medicine! This really makes all the difference in deciding when to stop or start a new treatment. So many people don't do this because it's painful to see the pictures - but it makes such a difference when you can look at a picture and know for sure that something has or hasn't helped you. Good luck!

No not really normal, it has never looked this bad before. My cheeks/chin have always been problem areas, and I've always gotten that "sort" of acne, but it's only ever been 4-5 whiteheads at once, never that many. So it's like the acne I've always been getting, but turned up a notch - with places like my forehead that have been always been perfectly clear, still being perfectly clear now. But for example, my left cheek, which always had a few whiteheads, now has about 3x more.

And nope, nothing else has changed in my routine - I write down everything - sleep patterns, diet, skincare routine, and after I looked over it, there is nothing I've done any differently to before these past few weeks.

Thankyou for your answer, even though it's really not what I wanted to hear! I guess I'll go see my doctor and see what she recommends, not sure what she can do though, as BC was one of the last resorts after we've tried nearly every treatment she can think of.