Diane-35 : Oral Contraceptive

I've been struggling with acne for almost 8 years and there has definitely been ups and downs. I was looking back at photos from two years ago and my skin looked much better. I'm now 20 but my acne came back probably because I have been stressing from uni. I went to the GP and was recommended Estelle 35 for the sake of contraception and acne treatment. I just finished my first pack but I have been getting more cystic acne around my jawline and there are about 8 of them at the moment. I know, terrifying! I also have a lot of whiteheads around my mouth, and my skin around my eyes, nose, and mouth are very dry, and I have flakes all around them. I just read the review saying it will take time( 4-6 months) so I'll definitely have to see what Diane 35 will do to my skin!

Hey girls, I've been on Estelle 35 (generic brand of Diane- 35) due to skin problems. I have never had bad skin as such, but the hormonal pimples I do have on my forehead and on my cheeks in particular have made me really self conscious and this is the reason why I've decided to try this Pill. In the past, due to myself not being confident in my skin, have tried so many different options. Creams, exfoliators, Bezac, Doxycycline Oral Antibiotic (which was amazing, but you can't be on it for more than 8 months), Epiduo, different skin routines... so many different things, and nothing has really worked out for me long term. So far (2 and a half months in), I haven't seen much change in my skin. I've read various reviews and have come to the conclusion that I should see effective results between the 3 - 6 month range... I just want it to show results as soon as possible. I am usually such a patient person, though with this pill and not seeing any positive changes to my skin as of yet, I'm slowly getting impatient. I just have to stick it out, but I need it to show results soon, just so I can start feeling confident in myself again. As far as side affects go, I haven't had any... maybe only increased appetite, but that's not too much of a major issue for me, so I guess I've been quite fortunate. In saying all this, I do want to keep you posted on my progress as this review page has honestly shown me so much and giving my input will hopefully help some of you who are going though the same thing. Please do go to my blog, there will be updated reviews every couple of weeks to keep you updated if interested. We are all in this together xo

Rarely had a pimple during my teens...had combination skin and suffered from mild eczema. Fast forward to early adulthood. Suddenly (and I mean suddenly) saw whiteheads all cross my face mainly in the cheek and chin area. I would classify it as mild/moderate acne. It really distressed me at the time and affected my self confidence. Spoke to my GP and after failing to see any noticeable results using prescription creams (Differin, Duac) she prescribed Diane-35. I used the generic brand (Brenda-35 and Estelle-35) ever since. Changes I noticed: acne got worse for the first few weeks. Boobs got bigger. Gained a teensy bit of weight. In a few months my acne cleared up completely. No matter what I ate or how little or much I exercised my skin was acne free. I would get maybe one pimple every now and then but it was definitely bearable. Late last year (August) I decided that I wanted to stop using the pill. My skin was clear but a) I did not wish to be so reliant on the pill and b) I experienced vaginal thrush which did not go away despite using prescription and over the counter meds. I had not experienced this during my first 4 years on the pill but I think my body was telling me it had enough. My decision was a hard one because A LOT of people on the site have claimed that going off the pill ruined their skin. I was initially torn because on one hand I know how hard it was for me to live with acne but I also know my body wasn't coping with having the pill in my system. So what I decided to do was go off the pill, but ease my body into the hormonal changes that will happen as soon as I go off it. In August I began to eat healthier by cutting down my consumption of diary and sugar. In September I cut it down even further and introduced my body to daily doses of zinc and evening primrose oil. In October I got off the pill and continued my diet/supplement regime. I didn't get any pimples until November. A lot of people say they break out like crazy but in my experience I have only ever experienced three whiteheads in my chin area on any given day. Most days it is clear or I have one small whitehead. My chin area is a bit sensitive and bumpy but by no means would I classify it as breaking out. After going off the pill I also noticed that my hair got oilier and my thrush problem disappeared. I've been pill free for a few months now and so far I'm happy with the results. I am eating dairy and sugar occasionally but I consume it in small portions. I still take my supplements religiously as I believe my acne is hormonal and the supplements help balance my hormones. I think if I did not put in these measures my post-pill breakout would be much worse. Diane-35 is a crutch. That is the honest truth. If you wish to use it make sure you know what you are getting yourself into.

I'm just starting my 3rd month taking this pill, I can tell there are some improvement by now but nothing extraordinary. my skin is definitely a lot softer than how it used to be, but I'm still not totally acne-free. I'm very positive about Diane, so I'm still gonna take it for now, will update later!

I'm on the 2nd month taking this pill and i'm going for the third, I sincerely don't see much difference. My skin of the face was clear before but then i had stress and my period was causing me acne and I am a hairy girl so i decided to take this pill. My hair and skin are less greasy but i still get hormonal acnee, i even have a cyst and nodules and bumps over my face and even behind my ears and on my shoulders and back and sometimes lower back that i never had before and believe me it is all so painful. I will give it a chance and i will keep taking this pill until the 6th month and if i don't see improvement i will have to stop taking this pill. Althought i noticed the hair of my legs grow slower after waxing than before but my skin has been causing me pain because of hormonal acne, it puts me down everytime i feel a bit of pain on my shoulder or back and notice it's a new cyst and the scars they leave is just horrible :(

I'm almost 6 months into it and my acne is not better, I keep getting breakouts every day. It was clear for a while but it never lasts. I'm feeling completely hopeless unfortunately.

I was prescribed Estelle, a generic version of Diane due to embarrassing acne I have suffered from since age 14. I take tremendous care of my skin, have cut out dairy, most meats and drink 3L of water a day, yet I still have acne! I've almost finished my first pack - which means it's almost been three months. Before Estelle, my forehead was my major problem area, as it was covered in tiny, rash like pimples. I occasionally had pimples on one side of my cheek, but nothing major. However, acne caused me great humiliation and I'd cringe at the thought of a sleepover or social events where people would see me without makeup. (They were still able to be seen with makeup.). Fast forward three months and my acne is worse than its been in my entire life. My forehead is a tiny bit improved, but I now have big cystic pimples on both sides of my forehead. I also have big cystic like pimples on both sides of my cheeks, at least 10 big pimples on each cheek that I swear follow a pattern. I've also started breaking out on my chin which has never happened before. I'm super disappointed as I've heard from a lot of people that three months is typically the magic number for women's acne to improve, however mines the worst I've ever been. I wanted to give my skin a break from harsh topicals which have dried my skin out and slightly bleached it. I've had no adverse side effects to this pill, but I'm really disappointed with how my skin looks, I may go to the doctors for advice or stick with it a few more months. Any advice would be gratefully appreciated :)

was on Diane actually generic brand estelle 2 years ago and worked beautifully bar a couple spots that where manageable didn't really bother me but decided to come off after being on it for 8 months big mistake!! now trying estelle again on month 5 and still waiting for improvements, does it get better really losing all faith :(

I have just finished my second month on Diane 35. I get painful cystic breakouts on my chin before/during my periods. I also find I get severe mood swings during my periods now. When I am not on my period I feel fatigued no matter how much sleep I get. I will endure this medication until the 4th or 5th month. I am taking this pill in combination with Aczone gel. Aczone gel is great for treating breakouts and reducing all scarring. My face does get dry around my nose, which could be due to either medication. When I am past the 6th day of my menstrual cycle I do notice my acne is a lot better. Although, my period during my second month of Diane 35 was a week late and I noticed my monthly breakout was more severe.

Help me!!! I've suffered severe acne since I was 12, I'm now 36. This last few months its gone absolutely crazy. My Dr finally let me go on Estelle35. I'm only just finishing up my 1st strip(month) but it's gotten even worse!!. My acne was usually localised on my chin/mouth area. Now it's attacking around my nose, huge awful multipling cysts! I'm struggling to stay positive. Please how long until I see any results? Does it get worse before it gets better??