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Acne Caused By Birth Control

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(@em3189)

Posted : 08/19/2013 6:50 pm

I am 20 years old and I recently started taking birth control to regulate my menstrual cycles. I was on Lutera and in two months it caused my skin to break out horribly. Both my cheeks and lower jaw are covered in acne. I know that a lot of people say going off the pill caused them to break out pretty bad. Is there anyone who had acne caused by the pill and knows what happens to it when you stop taking it? I am now taking Low Ogestrel instead but I am hesitant to continue it if it will just perpetuate the condition of my skin. I have only been on it a week but I read some reviews that say it also caused cystic acne.

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(@cheyenne95)

Posted : 08/19/2013 7:13 pm

I was taking ortho tri cyclen for 3 months and it caused me to break out so bad along my jaw and sides of my face and forehead...which is weird cause my cheeks are clear..but the rest of my face is covered..I stopped taking that birth control and now I am taking zarah, today is my 2nd day taking it actually..so I guess I will see how this helps.

 

I also went to my dermatologist and got on cephlexin and I have been on it for 1 week almost...but the doc said it will start working in 3 months which sucks cause it's a long time to wait...but since my birth control caused me to break out so bad I can't get it back to normal and I had to see a dermatologist...

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(@michi31)

Posted : 08/19/2013 8:11 pm

Lutera ruined my life...I was on it for years not realizing it was the culprit of the bad acne I had all around my chin. Now I have scarring. This was 10-14 years ago and the internet wasn't big and I didn't figure it out. Get off that horrible pill!

 

Also to the second poster... your antibiotic should not take that long to work..I took the same one and it worked right away.

 

Oh sorry just saw you are off it. Just check the type of progesterone and estrogen level in your new pill..make sure its not the same thing.

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(@cinnamon_stix)

Posted : 08/21/2013 9:17 pm

Low ogestrel is not good for acne at all. Neither is lutera. The progestins in both are very androgenic. Not a good choice if your worried about acne.

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(@em3189)

Posted : 08/22/2013 12:38 am

Yeah I read reviews on the low ogestrel and some said it caused acne, which I suppose can happen with any birth control but i still don't know why my gynecologist chose that to switch my prescription to. My skin has been getting progressively worse for about three months now. I am so badly broken out that it looks like the acne on my cheeks are trying to form two solid masses. It's been really frustrating. People are telling me to give this new birth control a chance but I'm thinking I'd rather stop the birth control all together for awhile and try to address the damage it has dealt me thus far before it permanently scars my face or something, although it may have already.

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(@sorbet)

Posted : 08/22/2013 2:09 am

I got massive breakouts from Estelle-35 and Yaz, and have completely stopped taking BC now. I'm almost a week without taking it and my skin is actually better, though I have massively cleaned up my diet (no dairy, no sugar, gluten free when possible etc.) and am taking lots of supplements too. The spots I got from BC also scarred my skin and I've found that my skin takes way longer to heal when I'm on it, and the pimples stay around much longer.

I came off it because I was tired of hurting my body with all the synthetic hormones. To be honest I wish I'd never starting taking it as my skin was never as bad as it is now before I started taking it.

You may want to stick with it and see if it clears you, but if you still break out I would either switch again (to a brand that is well-known for helping acne) or just come off it completely.

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(@em3189)

Posted : 08/22/2013 8:53 am

I got massive breakouts from Estelle-35 and Yaz, and have completely stopped taking BC now. I'm almost a week without taking it and my skin is actually better, though I have massively cleaned up my diet (no dairy, no sugar, gluten free when possible etc.) and am taking lots of supplements too. The spots I got from BC also scarred my skin and I've found that my skin takes way longer to heal when I'm on it, and the pimples stay around much longer.

I came off it because I was tired of hurting my body with all the synthetic hormones. To be honest I wish I'd never starting taking it as my skin was never as bad as it is now before I started taking it.

You may want to stick with it and see if it clears you, but if you still break out I would either switch again (to a brand that is well-known for helping acne) or just come off it completely.

What supplements are you taking? I want to speed up my healing process as much as possible. As of now I am only taking a gummy multivitamin (which may not be that potent) but I am looking to take other supplements that would help my skin. The diet thing is something I've been thinking about as well.

edit: nevermind, I followed the link in your signature and I see that it's all there. Thanks

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(@cinnamon_stix)

Posted : 08/23/2013 2:09 pm

I would recommend either ortho cyclen desogen or femcon for acne issues. Those are widely used for acne. I would definitely discontinue the one your taking it probably won't get better. Not if your skin is getting as bad as it is. Try desogen! I've heard so many countless reviews on how its great for skin! Don't give up on the pill because the pill saved my skin.

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(@krissy990)

Posted : 04/07/2014 5:21 pm

I am 20 years old and I recently started taking birth control to regulate my menstrual cycles. I was on Lutera and in two months it caused my skin to break out horribly. Both my cheeks and lower jaw are covered in acne. I know that a lot of people say going off the pill caused them to break out pretty bad. Is there anyone who had acne caused by the pill and knows what happens to it when you stop taking it? I am now taking Low Ogestrel instead but I am hesitant to continue it if it will just perpetuate the condition of my skin. I have only been on it a week but I read some reviews that say it also caused cystic acne.

I experienced the same thing. I took this pill for maybe two months not even really and immedatly got off. I never had acne prior to this stupid pill and I have been off all pills in general for almost 2 months and I still have acne. I am becoming so desperate about this whole situation whether it will go away at all. I dont want to become chained to pills and depend on them for acne purposes. Has anyone gone off the pill and had their skin return to normal as in pre pill?

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(@em3189)

Posted : 04/07/2014 6:30 pm

I quit taking the birth control 5 or 6 months ago and my skin is pretty much back to normal. I had mild acne before the pill and now I might break out a little more often than before, but all the acne from the pill is gone. It did take some time and I still have a lot of scarring/hyperpigmentation from it.

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(@krissy990)

Posted : 04/10/2014 12:42 pm

I am noticing the same thing actually. This coming week will be two months off of Lutera and I am noticing my skin is getting progressively less oily which says a lot since its actually getting hotter outside lol. When I was on the pill I was at the peak of my oiliness even my Revlon Colorstay foundation couldn't keep my oil at bay..which was strange because that foundation always left me dry previous to the pill and it was winter here. Also even oil free moisturizer left me super oil slick now it doesn't which is nice. Now don't get me wrong Im not 100% back to where I was pre pill since I still have a lot of closed comedones/clogged pores around my jawline and cheeks but I am trying to be positive. A lot of them are coming to surface which is ok by me :). I also have read that a lot of women do in fact get their skin to go back to normality after about 4-7 months of being off BC. This is dependent of course on the level of acne prior to the pill and the amount of time they actually took the pill.

My suggestion is make a decision and stick by it as much as you can. If you decide to go back to another pill stick with it for a few months and be mindful that your body will do its best to adjust to the new hormones. If you don't stick it out then also be mindful that your body will go through this "withdrawal" like period sans pill and you'll likey experience hormonal upset/acne flare ups. Now if you decide to kick the pill cold turkey know that you will go through a weird acne/oily skin period (like I am) but things will get better. There are a lot of supplements that can be taken to help regulate hormones but I suggest doing research and hormone tests prior to starting any of these since they might exacerbate a problem. From what I gather hormonal treatment takes time and getting them to balance out will likely never yield immediate results. Sucks I know lol. Anyhow I hope everything works out for you and all who are experiencing hormonal acne :)!

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(@mckyver)

Posted : 09/09/2014 11:08 am

I've been on both mentioned birth controls and lutera is the worst.. It made me breakout all over my cheeks, jawline and chin. I looked like I had a full on beard of acne. I stopped the pill all together, just wasn't helping with ovarian cyst and made my face miserable. Since then my acne has gotten significantly better, only been off of it for a week and bumps have gone down. It's flat red areas now. Honey, lemon, oatmeal, cinnamon, baking soda and vinegar combined in a bowl to make a face mask is the absolute best for acne scars. Keeping a clean face and using a witch hazel astringent before putting on the mask is key in your skins health. Leave the mask on overnight about 2-3 times a week and you should see a huge difference.

Hope this helps!

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(@like-moonlight)

Posted : 09/10/2014 9:27 am

Here is a good link from a member here explaining which birth controls are good and bad for acne.

 

 

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(@eminem-isback)

Posted : 09/10/2014 1:34 pm

I take tri-spritec and the first month i had a breakout secound month it began reducing and by fourth month 99% clear so you may just have to give it time

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(@nikkirar)

Posted : 08/22/2015 10:02 am

I'm 18 and I have been on Lutera for 5 months. I actually had no problems with my acne. At first I did but that is a side affect with the new hormones. But after about 2 months, my skin was completely clear. I have also started a new regimen and only get acne when I'm stressed. So I'm just letting people know if they are looking into BC they shouldn't totally throw Lutera off the list. I wouldn't suggest switching to different pills, that will really cause the acne to flare up. Wait it out.

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(@sydneymthomas1)

Posted : 12/31/2015 10:51 pm

I have been on several different BC pills in the last 8 years, I've always struggled with persistent acne and I only realized in the last few months that the birth control has been aggravatingit. I've literally done everything except acutane to treat my acne- antibiotics, retin a, every over the counter/prescription cream and soap known to man. For the last two years I have taken Spironolactone (dermatologist prescribed) and it's has been the ONLY thing that has 100% cleared my skin of terrible acne. However, I believe Spironolactone is still a bit questionable for acne treatment, it's prescribed by many dermatologist for women who have acne. It's technically a blood pressure medication, so my derm had my go get a quick liver/kidney check before prescribing a low dose. The other thing she told me was that I can take it until I want to have a family - can't take it when you're preggers. So. All of that to say, I'm very pro vitamin and natural solutions. I have been SO fed up with trying to "manage" my acne for so long, spiro was a huge relief, I never thought about acne, BUT I wanted to try and get off of it and birth control to really see where I stand now that I'm in my mid20's. Along with fixing my diet, carbs and sugar are terrible for my skin, using organic shampoo, conditioner, and body soap (all from trader joes- not pricey), taking biosil, omega 3's, multi vitamins and drinking lotsof water.... I've beenoff birth control for 3 months for the first time in nearly a decade and my skin finally cleared up, no Spironolactone, no special face masks or facials or microdermabrasion. I also lost 8 pounds. I certainly don't condone unprotected sex, and I have tons of girlfriends who swear BC made their skin clear right up... Another gal mentioned sticking with your particular BC for a while and letting your body adjust, definitely do that. But if all else fails, talk to your OBGYN/dermatologist about other options, no one needs to feel self conscious about their skin.

added bonus - I woke up almost every morning for 8 years feeling extremelynauseous, I always thought it was stress related (one doc told me I over produce stomach acid) and I haven't woken up miserable and sick to my stomacha single day since I got BC out of my system. 🙂

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(@4everhormoneregret)

Posted : 08/15/2018 12:53 pm

I have tried many things for moderate hormonal acne that started in my early 20's, before going on birth control because I was deathly afraid of bc. Two years plus of Minocycline, then 2 plus years of Septra, along with benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, retin a topicals. Nothing helped until I took bc. I was prescribed Alesse with 100 mg spirolactone and I could see a difference in oil in the second week. By the end of the month, and by the second month it was working. To shorten my 20 year journey, the bc along with spirolactone made my skin flawless. Some years along, no pharmacy could find Alesse and I switched to generic version Lutera, (which I liked the the best, if I couldn't get Alesse), some generics didn't work at all like one was I vaguely remember as Orinthia was horrible). I went on into my 30's with Lutera and perfect skin, ok there was a few times I had a pimple but it was probably stress and/or diet or both, nothing big. I was now in my forties, regretting that I never had children but I didn't want to be a single mother and my husband was not in health for it and he died when I was 38. I did remarry and I didn't want my new husband to see me withbad acne skin, and feeling too old for motherhood, I stayed on it until 46. I thought surely I'd had outgrown this oily skin, btw, I had down the dose of spiro along the decades to 50mg to 25 in winter, even if skipping days. My husband and I decided it was time to stop. All I can say is, everyone must be different. Birth control Lutera (Alesse) saved my skin and therefore my life. It could have been the combo of spiro that counter acted the levonorgestrel. This was prescribed before there was yaz. I'd say sadly you can't tell how birth control is going to effect you. In my opinion, I'd give it 3 months, and I wouldn't expect any changes with one pack. If experiencing worsening acnethe first month, that could still be your own body's hormones, maybe into second month. Sadly everyone is different but Lutera worked wonders for me.

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