So I'm on a long-term low-dose Accutane treatment. I take 5 mg every other day and it's been keeping my skin almost perfectly clear for a year now. My acne before Accutane was very mild; mostly oily skin and persistent blemishes in the T-zone but no cysts or scarring.
A month ago I've started my first hormonal birth control - NuvaRing. I'm 18, and I wasn't sexually active before (in Poland you don't have to be on birth control while taking Accutane when you tell your derm that you're abstinent). I haven't experienced any side effects (like mood swings, spotting, nausea etc) but I've noticed that my skin has got a bit worse. Its nothing serious but I have more small clogged pores than before and I get an inflamed spot form time to time. I know it's nothing to worry about but my skin has been almost perfect for the past year and I'm worried that it may get worse now. How do I know if NuvaRing is the reason? My derm says that acne caused by birth control would be more like hormonal acne: cystic, painful andlocated around the jawline and mouth. My acne is never around my jawline, it's not painful and I've never had any cysts. Basically, I have the same kind of spots as always, just more often.
My derm says that it can be a breakout due to the beginning of the summer. The temperatures change, I sweat more and my skin needs to adjust to new climate. I don't know. Last year Acutane managed to keep my skin clear the entire summer. Should I keep using uvaRing for three months and see if it gets better (my prescription covers three months)? Or should I switch to something else?
Hi there! NuvaRing contains etonogestrel, which has high androgenic activity. If you already had problems with acne, I wouldn't suggest you to keep using the ring. 
You can try other birth control pills, such as Yaz, Yasmin or Diane, which won't make your acne worse and will help with the excess of androgens in your body.
2 hours ago, katsc said:Hi there! NuvaRing contains etonogestrel, which has high androgenic activity. If you already had problems with acne, I wouldn't suggest you to keep using the ring.
thanks, though i'm a bit confused now. i've read that etonogestrel is basically the same as desogestrel (desogestrel turns into etonogestrel inside the body) and desogestrel is considered acne-neutral and has low androgenic activity. i've never had hormonal acne and my androgens level is normal. accutane manages my skin well, i just want a birth control that has no affect on skin and a low dose of hormones (because i don't want all the mood swings, mgraines etc). I thought Nuva Ring would be perfect but now I don't now. i'll probably switch to something else soon.
So I'm just about to put in my second ring. my derm said that I should give it three months before I switch. I'm still not sure if what I've had could be considered a hormonal breakout. The first two weeks of the ring were alright and in the third one I've got one inflamed (though not painful) pimple and a couple of closed comedones (4-5). Everything disappeared within a week and during my fourth week (the ring-free week, period time) I've been perfectly clear. It wasn't bad, just weird for someone who's been on Accutane for a year and got used to 100% clear skin. Is it possible that it was only a small initial breakout? Or something totally unrelated to the ring (the weather was hot and humid during my "bad" week, maybe that was the reason)? Basically, should I give NuvaRing a try and keep it for three months, as my derm says, or should I switch immediately? Right now, after exactly one month of using the ring, my skin is clear (it looks like it did before I've started using it). I don't know what to think about it.
