My skin breaks out all the dang time. The only thing I've found to clear my skin is taking the birth control pill Lo Loestrin FE, which is considered an ultra-low dose pill. I know this is the case as I've gone on it for long periods of time and off of it for long periods of times several times with the same result each time I start/stop (significantly clearer skin). However, I experience side effects from this (and from a couple of other BC pills I've tried - the main concern being horrendously decreased libido) and am ready to stop taking it. My question is - how/why does an ULTRA-LOW dose birth control pill help clear my acne? Does the "ultra-low" dose have a bigger effect on my acne than I am thinking it would? Why do extremely small doses of hormones help clear my acne?
You could be just slightly deficient in either estrogen or progesterone which the pill supplemented, or slightly too high in androgen's which the pill suppressed? Some women are really sensitive to even slight hormonal issues, causing acne. You could try supplementing estrogenic herbs (red clover, hops), see if it improves, if it doesn't try supplementing progesterone promoting herbs (vitex) and see if it improves and its a good idea overall to take something that lowers bad estrogen like DIM, which also decreases the testosterone related acne-causing DHT. Saw palmetto is also good for too high androgens.