YAZ : Oral Contraceptive

Brand:
Reviews
3.3
358 Reviews

Active Ingredients:
Ethinyloestradiol (20mcg), Synthetic Oestrogen, and Drospirenone (3mg).

Inactive Ingredients:
Lactose, maize starch, magnesium stearate, hypromellose, purified talc, titanium dioxide, iron oxide red.

4 placebo (non-hormonal) pills per pack
Inactive Ingredients:
Lactose, maize starch, povidone, magnesium stearate, hypromellose, titanium dioxide.

The list of ingredients above is provided for informational purposes only. Always check the actual product label in your possession for the most accurate ingredient information due to product changes or upgrades that may not yet be reflected on our web site.

5
21.8%
4
29.9%
3
18.7%
2
15.9%
1
13.7%

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December 1, 2016
Something that finally worked
My daughter started having an oily complexion when she was 10 years old. Soon after pimples & redness on her forehead began. We tried every cleanser, cheap, expensive, natural, homemade & only seemed to intensify the acne. I began reading everything I could on the Internet. Cleansers dry out the skin which can actually make the skin produce more oil which in turn produces clogged pores & acne. She then just washed her face with warm water, splashed on face with clean hands about ten times & gently pat dry with clean towel, twice daily or when skin looked too oily. Also important to wash your pillow case every few days until oil is under control. Doctor prescribed different ointments which only dried & burned the skin after only a few days. I then read milk thistle can help so off to the naturopath. She prescribed milk thistle for 3 months. This product actually caused more acne to form down the sides of her face. The naturopath recommended to keep taking it as it's cleansing the liver & toxins. That was a mistake and acne got worse. Stopped taking milk thistle after 4 months. We tried no milk products, eliminating certain foods, increasing certain foods, nothing worked. Her period began when she turned twelve. I knew the acne was hormonal. Acne was on her back, forehead & a few scattered around the rest of her face. By the age of twelve she was very discouraged, self esteem lowering & didn't like what she saw in the mirror. I then took her to the doctor in May & asked for a prescription of birth control Diana 35 or Yaz as they were supposed to be the best for controlling acne & to be referred to a dermatologist. It would take 6 months to get into see a dermatologist. My niece was on a low dose birth control which did nothing for the acne. The doctor prescribed Yaz as it is not as strong as Diana 35. I was concerned about blood clots but the doctor reassured us and said you have more of a chance of getting a blood clot while pregnant then on birth control. She began Yaz at the beginning of May. Appointment for dermatologist was November 30. After a few months my husband and I noticed the oily complexion was improving. She still had break outs but no more than before & used spot treatment to dry them out after washing with warm water & concealer to cover the redness and a mineral powder called Pur with a clean brush to even out the skin tone. Important to wash the brush once a week until oil is under control then monthly or so. Always apply on clean skin. Around 4-5 months the break outs were slowly getting less & oil production. My daughter didn't notice, she just wanted all the pimples to be gone. At 5-6 months she would have the occasional pimple and a couple more around her period. By the 6-7 month her skin looks incredible & no breakouts at all!!! She has been on Yaz for 7 months and couldn't be happier. We went to the dermatologist appointment yesterday and he said to keep doing what your doing because it's working. I asked of it's safe to be on Yaz. He said all medications have risks & you can't let what you hear on the news scare you because it's usually from other underlying issues. I asked if she should be using a cleanser and he said don't waste your money. He also mentioned that sometimes the birth control down the road could stop working for acne breakouts. Next step would be Accutane which would stop the acne all together. He said you want to deal with the acne before too many scars form if you continually have breakouts. Slight scaring will heel on its own with time. You have to be on birth control already to take Accutane. I hope this post helps some girls out there that are suffering from acne. Six to seven months seems like forever but the end result is fantastic & you will see improvement at the 4-5 month, just be patient. Also we asked for Yaz not generic pill which I heard can make a difference. Also want to mention it took a 3-4 months for her mood swings to even out & her body to adjust to the hormones from birth control so again, it will get better. Good luck!
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December 24, 2011

Pros:

Lighter shorter periods
No period pain
No weight gain
No PMS or PMDD symptoms anymore

Cons:

None

This contraceptive was perfect for me, it cleared my slight skin issues and stopped me being crazy once a month. Definitely worth a try if you have PMDD or exceptionally heavy and painful periods. I hope it works for you too.
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October 1, 2010

Pros:

It's only been one month, but (and I can't believe I can say this) my acne is gone!!!! After an unsuccessful Accutane treatment, this was especially exciting.
My PMDD symptoms are all either greatly diminished, or no longer present whatsoever.
So far, I haven't gained weight, and luckily my boobs have stayed the same size.

Cons:

none!

My acne, after an observational period of about three months, was very clearly due to hormones. While I'm frustrated that it has taken ten years of acne treatment to come to this conclusion, I feel absolutely wonderful that this tiny pill is working such miracles in my life. Pay attention to your body, and it may turn out that Yaz is the right thing for you as well!
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January 24, 2010

Pros:

Cleared up my skin completely in the first couple months. Lighter, shorter periods with less cramping, slightly fuller breasts (a little tender first month of use), actually lost a few pounds (5-10) though I wasn't necessarily wanting to. I haven't noticed any decrease in sex drive, which was a concern, but this is an ultra low dose pill so you shouldn't notice much difference, especially if you've got the kind of acne that responds to this pill which is hormonal. This pill is an anti andr

Cons:

Nothing so far. First couple weeks I had nausea, headaches and felt very tired. Would have thought I had the flu if I wasn't expecting some of this. I was and still am somewhat concerned about the safety of this pill. There are risks to taking it and if it didn't do such wonders for my skin I wouldn't take it. I have made some changes b/c of this. I have stopped taking aleve/naproxen and advil/ibuprofen, and switched to tylenol though I don't prefer it. and I've cut out some potassium rich

ALSO, TO ANONYMOUS IN CLEVELAND, WHO WROTE THAT SHE IS TAKING SPIRONOLACTONE WITH YAZ, YOU SHOULD NOT BE DOING THAT! Just like you shouldn't be taking advil or aleve on any kind of regular basis. These drugs are potassium sparing, as is Yaz, and the use of them together can increase your potassium to a dangerous level. This is where the risk of blood clots, and heart problems and stroke come in. Don't assume your doctor knows everything, you have to do the research yourself! Bottom line...I have suffered with acne on my back for years, and Yaz seems to have cleared it up. I went through a 6 month round with Accutane and was acne free for 2 years after, but it came back. I had mild to moderate acne on my face, mostly around my mouth and chin, and cystic acne on my back. I'm in my fourth month of Yaz and so far so good. I did have a one week gap between my 3rd and 4th pack (thanks to my doctor's inability to return a phone call in a month) and one week into my 4th pack I had a breakout on my face around my mouth and chin, but my back remains clear. And my face has cleared since and seems to be back on track. I would recommend Yaz to someone suffering from constant acne like I was, but if that's not a problem for you I would consider my options with another pill.
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October 15, 2017
Give it 3 months
I agree with the last post. Give it three months. I never had skin problems as a teen. My acne journey started when I was 20 and was prescribed the contraceptive pill Levlen. When I was 21, I started taking Diane. My skin cleared up in two weeks and remained flawless for years. When I was 29, I had to go off the pill for 3 months to get some hormone testing done. My acne came back worse than ever. I started using proactive twice daily and after 6 months of taking Diane again, my skin was returned to normal. But then all of sudden after 5 years, two years ago, Diane stopped working for my acne. I started getting big blind pimples on my chin and lower part of my face. My doctor suggested I try zoely. This made my skin oily and I broke out in comedones on my cheeks and big pimples on my forehead. I stayed on Zoely but started taking minocyclin. I took it for 6 months and my skin cleared up. But as soon as I stopped taking the antibiotics, the acne returned. I tried a second course of minocyclin and using a retinoid cream. The antibiotics didn't work this time and neither did the cream. After a year of taking zoely, my skin was oily, I had comedonal acne and very oily hair. My doctor suggested Yaz and I was willing to try anything. So I stared it. I immediately began breaking out in big blind pimples on my cheeks, chin and forehead. Also small, painful bumps along my jawline. The large pimples on my cheeks were horrible. I was constantly reapplying my make up through out the day to try and conceal my blemishes. The pimples would stick around for weeks and have left dark marks on my face. But I noticed that my skin and hair were no longer oily. I've always been a person who has to wash her hair every second day. But now I could go three days without oil. This has never happened before so I stuck with Yaz thinking it was a good sign. Second month, more of the same. Third month, less occurances of pimples on my forehead, less large pimples on my cheeks- mostly small ones that would go away in a day or two, still a few painful bumps along my jawline. Now I'm halfway through the fourth month. No more big pimples, a tiny pimple once in a while on the sides of my face not far from the hairline. No big blind pimples, scarring is fading. Yesterday I went to a music festival and after being in the sun all day I thought the sweat and make up would cause a big break out. I got one little pimple close to my hairline on my left cheek which is gone today. So I would encourage you to wait three months. If you're not seeing any improvement by the fourth month then fair enough, stop taking Yaz. Other things you should know. I still wash my face with proactive products twice a day. I've been doing that for 7 years. I use an oil free moisturiser, foundation, primer and powder. I take hair, skin and nails vitamins everyday. And for the past two months , I've been using the neutrogena LED light therapy mask for ten minutes every night. I understand how acne can impact upon your everyday life. Clear skin is my thing. I look at everyone's skin and compare it to mine. As soon as I wake up every morning, I check for pimples. I get it. I have an autoimmune disease which creates a hormonal imbalance so my doctor has warned me that I may have issues with acne for the rest of my life. I never thought I would be dealing with teenage skin problems at 36!
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July 19, 2017
Give it a full 3 months
These reviews helped me a lot so I thought I'd share my experience. I had severe hormonal acne + pustules all over my face, specifically on my cheeks and jawline, when I got prescribed yaz. The first month was absolutely terrible and I broke out all over my forehead, back and chest... I was literally scared to leave the house. In the second month, it was just as bad but new pimples weren't surfacing as often. Month 3: up until the 3rd week I had small pimples on my face and everywhere else had cleared up (nothing as bad as month 1) but it wasn't till I completely finished my 3rd pack that my face cleared up. I'm now in the middle of month 4 and my face is completely clear!!!! I can go out in public without makeup and finally feel confident, which was NOT the case 3 months ago. Also, I have experienced no side effects except nausea during the first 2 weeks of starting the pill and bigger boobs :)
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February 7, 2012

Pros:

--lighter, shorter periods
--cramps less painful
--has almost completely cleared acne in three months use

Cons:

--never full, always hungry
--more emotional
--very expensive

i was somewhat worried to start this birth control after reading reviews online, but everyone's body is different and it has completely worked for me. i would recommend yaz to any woman who has been struggling with mid-20s acne to give it a try. i use yaz in combination with aczone and my face is almost perfect now.
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November 12, 2011

Pros:

*Acne improved quickly, 3 months in, NO breakouts.
*Cleared back acne also
*Shorter, lighter periods
*No weight gain

Cons:

*Pricey

I now only have to use regular face wash and have zero breakouts, also my oil production went way down and my pores are much smaller. It is expensive, but I was spending so much on creams and treaments before, and having no results.
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March 31, 2010

Pros:

completely cleared acne
lighter period
protected from pregnancy
no mood swings
no cramps

Cons:

major weight gain
horrible cravings
decreased libido

i am a 17 year old female who has been on yaz for 6 months since this review was written. within those 6 months i have been steadily gaining weight (15 lbs in total), which is pretty drastic considering i was a very small, petite girl prior to starting this pill. the weight gain is not physically noticeable, but definitely noticeable once you step foot onto a scale. my appetite has sky rocketed and the cravings are nearly unbearable. the good news is i have signed up for a gym membership and have decided to start watching what i eat, which will hopefully put me back down to my 100lb self. as for the acne (which is what the main concern is), it's completely gone. i used to get horrible cystic hormonal acne, mostly on my cheeks. they stood out like red stop signs all over my face and were impossible to get rid of. now, i will get a small zit once in a blue moon but i'm almost positive it isn't hormone-related, so it looks like the yaz is doing what ive asked it to do; clear my face up. the completely reduced acne definitely outweighs the weight gain. whereas acne was not something i could control, my weight is - and i can get it back down to normal with a healthier lifestyle.
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March 13, 2012

Pros:

Cleared most acne within 3 weeks
Bigger boobs

Cons:

Vomiting
Constant anxiety and nausea
Horrible panic attacks

I can't explain how TERRIBLE this medicine made me feel. I'm on Welbutrin and Prozac, which have been successful in helping with my anxiety disorder and depression. I was prescribed Yaz after being diagnosed with PCOS to help with acne and excess hair. After staying up ALL NIGHT vomiting during the third week of taking the pill, however, I had to stop taking it. For a month after stopping, I had the worst panic attacks I've ever had in my life. I was suicidal and felt like I was never going to feel normal again. After a month I started feeling better, but if you have a history of anxiety or depression, be prepared just in case! From what I can tell, these are fairly common side effects.
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