I have been taking birth control (regular dose, not low) with .18mg norgestimate and .035mg of ethinyl estradiol. It cleared my face about 90% in four months. It also made my face WAY less oily (I used to have to blot 4 - 5 times a day, now I never do) but in turn, my lips were cracked and peeling 24/7. So, my doctor switched me to a low dose birth control pill, Lo Lestrin Fe. I've only been taking it about two weeks, but my skin is definitely breaking out more.
Obviously my acne is linked to my hormone balance since birth control has cleared it up so significantly. I am absolutely terrified of going off of it and trying to balance my hormones in a more natural way as I had severe acne before birth control and have become a new person since my face isn't constantly severely broken out and don't want to feel like I did ever again when I had such bad acne. The idea of birth control just seems off/unnatural to me, I have zero libido on birth control which is not fun, my lips are constantly cracked, but my face is significantly more clear.
I exercise regularly and my diet is good.
Any advice would be so very much appreciated.
Hi Cali,
I have also taken birth control in my teens and twenties, as I have PCOS. It didn't do much good for me, so I haven't taken any birth control pills in almost 7 years. I balanced my hormones using teas and other supplements. Women are lucky in this respect, as there are so many herbs that can balance our hormones. I think that birth control pills only make things worse inside our bodies, and I really regret ever taking synthetic hormones. There are so many side-effects that can go on unnoticed, like circulatory issues, fertility issues etc. I do understand that since you have severe acne, you would want to get rid of it by any means. I have moderate acne since my early twenties, and as of now I am using only natural methods to treat it (with pretty good success so far).
So for the natural treatments. You should take a test (if you haven't already) and see which hormones are lower, progesterone or estrogen. If you just have high testosterone and low estrogen like I used to have, you can take a mixture of these plants: liquorice root, lady's mantle, yarrow, and horsetail. The first three plants will promote your natural estrogen production, thus lowering testosterone. There are no side-effects of taking any of these, but you can't take them while pregnant. Horsetail is very good for the skin, nails, and hair as it contains silica and calcium. So use one tbsp of each in one liter of water. You need to drink one liter per day for one month. Then take a break for a week, and continue like this for at least three months.
Now, if your progesterone levels are low, you can take Vitex fruit. You will find it as a supplement in health stores. It is actually very recommended for those with acne issues. I took it for 2 months and it eliminated my chin and jawline acne. You can take that for 3-6 months.
Another supplement that you should definitely try is Evening primrose oil. It balances all the hormones, and it has an alkalizing effect inside your body. Also, buy a good omega 3 supplement (I recommend Blue Ice cod liver oil). This will also help you balance hormones, and can be taken with any of the other supplements or plants.
Another options is to do is the following: drink the tea in the first part of your period (15 days starting with the first day of your period), and in the second part take only the Vitex (3 capsules per day). Also take the omega 3 and evening primrose every day (3 capsules of omega 3 in the evening, and 1 capsule of evening primrose after each meal). Do this for three months. Remember that you might also need to do some form of exercise in order to properly balance your hormones. I find tai chi, yoga, or pilates to do the trick.
Hope this helps.
