I've been dealing with bad breakouts for over half a year now. On and off birth control. I'm breaking out almost every other day, all throughout the month. I know my acne is hormonal. Before going on the pills I was breaking out maybe once a week. I went on Diane 35 and it made it worse, and also gave me bad side effects so I had to stop after taking it for a month, and started Yaz instead. Now this is my second month on Yaz and third month on birth control if you count Diane 35 and it's even worse than the previous month. Is that even normal? I know it can take several months to work instead of making the skin even worse but I'm starting to lose all hope.
Be careful. I switched BCP a lot in my early twenties, thinking I could find a magic one that would fix my acne. Switching around made it all SO much worse. It was only when I stuck with something for a while that I started seeing real results. So, my thoughts are that you should be careful about trying another thing every few months.
It takes a good three months (at least) for your body to adjust to any BCP, so the first couple months are often rough. As well, androgen blockers like the ones in Yaz and Diane usually do not fully work for 6-9 months.
BCP is not an instant solution, and you will never know if it would have worked if you don't give it a chance.
Best of luck. Diane has been a saviour for me, so I hope you find what works for you.
It seems like an initial breakout is common. I've never had an IB from any birth control, but I did have one with spiro. I'd never had that many or that size of cysts before and I couldn't handle it, so I stopped..... however, it sounds like the girls here that do tough it out are really glad they did because it works really well in the long run.
It seems like an initial breakout is common. I've never had an IB from any birth control, but I did have one with spiro. I'd never had that many or that size of cysts before and I couldn't handle it, so I stopped..... however, it sounds like the girls here that do tough it out are really glad they did because it works really well in the long run.
Ugh. The last thing I need right now is more breakouts. I can barely live through this nightmare Yaz is causing right now.
I'm sorry you're going through this.... it's so hard to know what to do. I can't remember if you mentioned anything about antibiotics in your other posts. Have you tried any? I wonder if you could go on one while your body is getting used to Yaz. I think it would be good to stick with Yaz for at least another month or two but I totally get how fed up you are. It's just that if it started working at that point, that would be awesome, and you've already put in two months of what might just be an initial breakout...
Hang in there! I am on my 3rd pack of Yasmin and almost done with my 3rd month of Spiro 50 mg. It's been a very very tough journey for me, so I know exactly what you mean. If you have a hormonal imbalance, this will work in time. Don't put pressure on yourself to be clear by 2 months, 3 months or whenever. I kept telling myself I would be perfectly clear in 3 months and it just caused more disappointment and anxiety. What I would ask yourself is do you see the breakouts or your skin changing at all? I am not clear because I had a ton of clogged pores that surfaced during my initial breakout in month 1 and it has been a slow slow clearing with exfoliation to help the process along.
What do you have going on for exfoliation right now or any topicals? I choose to stay away from Retin A and have been using AHA/BHA to help. Cerave foaming wash, DDF glycolic toner (AHA), salicylic acid 5% daily dianayvonne (BHA), spot treat BHA 8 or 9% for stubborn that need to come to a head and BP. I also have started weekly peels- Mandelic 25% from MUAC and have some Salicylic 15% to try.
Many women also have problem with skin shedding and exfoliation on top of oily skin and crazy hormones. Maybe changing your routine a bit could help the good skin along! Sending you lots of positive thoughts today, it will get better. I know it doesn't feel like it, but everyday you can find some hope is one day closer. Here whenever if you want to chat.
It seems like an initial breakout is common. I've never had an IB from any birth control, but I did have one with spiro. I'd never had that many or that size of cysts before and I couldn't handle it, so I stopped..... however, it sounds like the girls here that do tough it out are really glad they did because it works really well in the long run.
Ugh. The last thing I need right now is more breakouts. I can barely live through this nightmare Yaz is causing right now.
Hang in there! I am on my 3rd pack of Yasmin and almost done with my 3rd month of Spiro 50 mg. It's been a very very tough journey for me, so I know exactly what you mean. If you have a hormonal imbalance, this will work in time. Don't put pressure on yourself to be clear by 2 months, 3 months or whenever. I kept telling myself I would be perfectly clear in 3 months and it just caused more disappointment and anxiety. What I would ask yourself is do you see the breakouts or your skin changing at all? I am not clear because I had a ton of clogged pores that surfaced during my initial breakout in month 1 and it has been a slow slow clearing with exfoliation to help the process along.
What do you have going on for exfoliation right now or any topicals? I choose to stay away from Retin A and have been using AHA/BHA to help. Cerave foaming wash, DDF glycolic toner (AHA), salicylic acid 5% daily dianayvonne (BHA), spot treat BHA 8 or 9% for stubborn that need to come to a head and BP. I also have started weekly peels- Mandelic 25% from MUAC and have some Salicylic 15% to try.
Many women also have problem with skin shedding and exfoliation on top of oily skin and crazy hormones. Maybe changing your routine a bit could help the good skin along! Sending you lots of positive thoughts today, it will get better. I know it doesn't feel like it, but everyday you can find some hope is one day closer. Here whenever if you want to chat.
It seems like an initial breakout is common. I've never had an IB from any birth control, but I did have one with spiro. I'd never had that many or that size of cysts before and I couldn't handle it, so I stopped..... however, it sounds like the girls here that do tough it out are really glad they did because it works really well in the long run.
Ugh. The last thing I need right now is more breakouts. I can barely live through this nightmare Yaz is causing right now.
Hey. Thanks for your reply. I don't think I noticed anything different about my breakouts. Most of them appear totally out of nowhere, and those that did come from hard bumps under skin... well i didn't even have those bumps until I went on yaz. 
I just use St Ives Apricot Scrub, Cetaphil cleanser, clay masks, and a Garnier 3 in 1 cleanser/exfoliator/mask. I'm also using Derma e scar gel for moisturizer. I tried salicylic acid, benzol peroxide, you name it, they all make my marks much worse if I apply as topical. When used in most cleansers they aggravate my spider veins which is also a big problem for me so I just cant use any of the harsh stuff.
My daughter went on birth control for her acne and it took a full 6 months before she started to see results. It can be different for everyone. Don't give up hope!
My only thoughts on your cleansing routine is that the St Ives apricot scrub is actually quite harsh for your skin, (although it can make your skin feel smooth right after you use it). My daughter was told not to use any scrubs like that (Ie. with hard granules or pieces of stuff) because they can actually cause microscopic tears in your skin which make your complexion more prone to irritation and breakouts. Try and be gentle on your skin.
Glycolic acid cream has really helped fade her scars. She uses the one that is recommended in the 'Regimen'.
Good luck.
My daughter went on birth control for her acne and it took a full 6 months before she started to see results. It can be different for everyone. Don't give up hope!
My only thoughts on your cleansing routine is that the St Ives apricot scrub is actually quite harsh for your skin, (although it can make your skin feel smooth right after you use it). My daughter was told not to use any scrubs like that (Ie. with hard granules or pieces of stuff) because they can actually cause microscopic tears in your skin which make your complexion more prone to irritation and breakouts. Try and be gentle on your skin.
Glycolic acid cream has really helped fade her scars. She uses the one that is recommended in the 'Regimen'.
Good luck.
Thanks for the reply. I try to avoid acids (unless in very low concentration) since they don't only make my marks more red and prominent, but also hurt my spider veins. I don't think St Ives is a bad choice for me personally, from my experience physical exfoliation works better for me, so I'm going to stick with it. My skin seems to always suffer from chemicals, even in relatively low concentration like 2% salicylic acid.
You say it took 6 months to see results. Was it much worse than before she ever went on the pill all throughout the six months?
It's hard not to lose hope at this point. I never used to break out this badly, never in my life. And I always had issues with acne. Never used to get initial breakout on birth control, let alone such a bad one. Third month on BC coming to an end and nothing to show for it except it's only getting worse. Breaking out in nodules every other day, I seem to be pretty far from getting better, in fact, I don't have much faith in anything at this point. Try spiro? Will probably just make it worse. Like everything else does. I'm starting to think this is just how my life is going to be, and there's nothing I can do except wear tons of makeup everyday and make it even worse.