Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo : Oral Contraceptive

My acne struggles started a few years ago. I had pretty severe acne mostly on my cheeks, but also small bumps all over. I tried a different brand first (Minastrin), but it seemed to be making it worse. Some of the other things I have tried are: most drugstore brands, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, liver supplements, oil cleansing, witch hazel, the list goes on. BC was my last option for the most part. I have been on OTC Lo for about 8 months now. The first 2-3 months didn't do much, but starting with the 4th month and beyond, it just got better and better. It has cleared my skin about 90%. I still break out around my period though. But my skin tone is clearer, the bumps have gone away, and the spots I do get are generally smaller and go away faster. Overall, I am a LOT happier with my skin than when I started. It truly has made a difference. My skin looks plumper, feels softer, and does not break out as much with different topicals. I currently take this pill, wash in the AM and PM with CeraVe foaming cleanser (with a konjac sponge at night), moisturize with argan oil in the AM, and use Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera Gel on spots at night. I use IT Cosmetics powder foundation (I have gone from heavy foundations and concealers to just a powder foundation!) This simple routine has helped me clear my skin up dramatically. HOWEVER, this will be my last pack. This pill has caused me bloating and persistent depression/anxiety. I realize now that this is just a cover and a blanket cure for my skin. If you think you have hormonal acne, I highly recommend looking into supplements such as DIM, Vitex, Calcium D-Glucarate, and Saw Palmetto. All can help hormonal acne by balancing hormones. I am planning on stopping this pill, and incorporating those supplements! Overall, as an acne treatment I give this a 4/4.5, and as a medication a 3/3.5. If you are struggling and need birth control for contraception as well, give it a shot, but understand the risks and realize it is synthetic hormones (this is making me feel less and less 'natural' every day). However, it can be beneficial. In general, it is not a cure, and only really masks the problem for a short time.

I've had acne since I was 10 years old and now I am 26. It made me very self conscious and embarrassed all throughout school. I've tried everything from topical creams prescribed by dermatologists, proactive (for a few years), proactive knock-offs and Murad but nothing kept the acne away. It was a constant and exhausting battle. I have oily skin and ,by genetics, large pores. So the combo of the two was just a recipe for disaster. The type of acne I had were mainly white heads and sometimes cystic acne. I decided to try Ortho Tricyclen Lo last year and the first 2-3 months was just awful. My skin dried out, my chin was flaky and my chin and jawline were covered in pimples. My skin was worse than before but I heard about the first few months of the purging stage so I decided to ride it out. By the 3rd or 4th month my skin did start to improve. At that time I had also invested in a clarisonic mia and I think the combination of the two improved my skin dramatically. My skin is back to being oily but I don't break out like crazy anymore aside from the 1 or 2 pimples I get during my period. I am now on my 7th month of the pill and I have clear skin. The last time I had clear skin was 16 years ago. Wow. I don't know how long I will be on the pill for but whenever I decide to go off of it I hope my skin doesn't freak out and resort back to massive breakouts.

This is a low estrogen pill. The benefit of that is that it generally has very few side effects. I had no side effects. However, I took this pill for two whole years and it resulted in 0 improvement in my acne. I learned after the fact that low estrogen pills do not usually help with acne. Also, it is extremely costly for a birth control, as there is no generic. Though I would recommend it as a form of birth control, I would not recommend it in the treatment of acne.

I've been on trip cyclen lo for about 2 months now going onto my third month in about 2 weeks, but i do see a difference in my acne scars they have faded a lot recently but the only problem is I've been breaking out a lot on my chin and forehead (more my chin) i just really hope by the end of the third month everything will get better and everything will clear up