Oral Contraceptive
Efficacy
63%
Based on All Available Studies
Strength of Evidence
Note: Improvement significantly increases after 24 weeks.
Oral Contraceptive
Acne.org’s Real World Take
All oral contraceptives appear to clear the skin about the same amount. Some people report cessation of acne symptoms and others see partial relief. However, messing with hormones is messing with hormones and it’s best to proceed with caution. But if you’re looking to take the birth control pill anyway, one of the benefits is clearer skin.
Oral Contraceptive
How to Get It
Have a dermatologist? Make an appointment to get this medication. Don't have a dermatologist? See The American Academy of Dermatology Physician Database to find one.
Used Drospirenone (Yasmin®, Yaz®)? Rate It:
Choose from 1 to 5 stars
November 15, 2014
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
scary
Physical side effects were manageable but still unpleasant. I had diarrhea often, strong headaches that made my eyes hurt and I couldn't bear to listen to any sound, my forehead would throb in pain. Often I would feel numbness in my left arm and left leg. Both legs would hurt and shake while trying to sleep, kinda like restless legs. Couple of times I felt a chest tightness, like losing my breath. I'm a skinny woman and all of sudden I had bloated belly and was retaining water even though my diet stayed the same (I suffer from celiac sprue so I follow a gluten-free diet). I felt nausea everyday. My skin seemed to get a better texture though but I had a breakout of cystic acne that seemed to get worse. Anyway I feel defeated that I was forced to quit this pill, unfortunately I became severely depressed and tried to commit suicide after 3weeks on Yasmin. I was crying and feeling miserable without any explanation, I just wanted to die. I know a lot of people will say that I should have kept taking it for 3months to see results but I'm sure that in my case I would end up dead if I kept on. As soon as I quit taking it I became my normal self, sure I still have acne but at least I'm not an emotional physical rollercoaster. It didn't work for me but maybe it will work for you.
October 27, 2016
Good for you, I think this pill has many side effects that aren't well known to people. It would have been really bad for you to continue for 3 months probably.
October 9, 2014
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Don't do it..
I started using yasmin when I WAS 18 and used it for 3 years , with short breaks.. 2 years ago I stopped it forever and at first I experienced the worst side effects ever, but even so, stopping WAS THE BEST DECISION OF MY LIFE. SIDE EFFECT that i experienced: -while ON yasmin: BLOATING
BAD CELLULITE ( every time I stopped them, a week after the cellulite disapear, so don't tell me there's no connection)
LOW LIBIDO
SPOTING -The period after STOPPING them: BAD ACNE
INGROWN HAIR ON MY LEGS (I had marks on my legs for 1 year, it was horrible)
IRREGULAR MENSTRUATION FOR MONTHS
THINNING HAIR
HORMONAL IMBALANCE Now, after 2 years of stopping, my body finally recovered from this POISON , I still have mild to moderate acne, but, otherwise I FEEL GREAT :)
August 6, 2014
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Caused Horrible Effects Coming Off
Took this (in generic Ocella form) from ages 19-23. It worked great on my acne, but when I was 22 I developed migraines and high blood pressure, a risk factor for having a stroke on Yasmin. When I went off it, it caused horrible cystic acne, worse than anything I had before, that has been dominating my life for the past two years, as well as the loss of 1/3 of my hair and horrible mental effects (crying, extreme anxiety and sadness) as well as weight gain. PLEASE look around on the post-pill breakout forums, or just google "acne after stopping Yasmin" before taking this. It is a horrible drug and there is no way to avoid the bad effects when you stop, which you'll have to do eventually. DO NOT use hormonal birth control for acne, it just makes it worse in the end. Should come with a warning label: you'll look great while you take it, but be bald and cystic when you come off...
January 24, 2014
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
super cure from acne that will mess you up forever as soon as you get off
Cons:
chest lump
shredding hair
irregular period
With this pill, you have to make sacrifices - whether you have clear skin and artificial hormones in your body, or stay healthy with acne. I took it for 2 years and it was amazing for acne! At the time I've had moderate acne which took 5 months or so to clear up. My skin has not been this clear in forever! Plus my hair became less greasy, I've lost weight, got regular period (literally, I knew every month that it will be coming on Thursday at 2 30 p.m.)...All good until I realized I'll have to take it forever, and I want to have a baby in a year or two so I figured better stop now, hoping I grew out of acne. Three months after stopping Yaz everything was still the same and I was so happy... But in September my acne started getting progressively worse, could be related to back to university. In addition, my hair is now greasy by the end of the day I wash it on and it shredded really bad until these days. My nails got so much worse (they have always been long and hard before the pill), I started getting cysts which I NEVER got before... Lastly, I found a lump in my chest that turned out to be a harmless fibroadenoma and I believe the cause was the pill. I've had panic attacks as well; my period is messed up now, sometimes it won't stop and sometimes it won't come.
DO NOT take this if you don't want to take it forever. I am still hoping that I hasn't affected my reproductive ability, but I can only hope....
January 24, 2014
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Just, No.
Pros:
not getting Pregant
Cons:
Mood swings
Acne
headaches
I'm 23 years old and I tried Yaz for only 3 months because it made my mood swings with my S.O. really bad!
I would get angry about everything, snap and yell about stupid little things. So I had to stopped the pill, it didn't help my acne at all. I also was very paranoid with Yaz from all the bad reviews but I tried it with a positive out look. but left with Negative results. only reason I tried it was because it was cheaper then Diane 35.
December 2, 2013
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Awful!
I went on this birth control after I had a bad reaction to a generic brand of loestrin fe 24. My Gyno recommended it since the generic would be free under my insurance. Worst mistake ever! I never had skin issues. The occasional breakout during my period or from stress. Well the fillers in the generic brand did not work well with me body at all. So I made my first appt to the dermatologist (I'm 25) to see what the heck I could do to get my skin back to normal & she suggested yaz, being it's FDA approved to help with acne. Once I started yaz the first month I broke out even worse! Cystic pimples on my jawline and by my mouth! It was horrible. My dr told me I needed to give it time & it was normal so I stuck with it. The 2nd month my skin cleared and looked decent. Well now I'm on the 2nd week of my 3rd pack & I wanna flip sh*t on my dr for telling to stick it out! My face has never looked this bad. I feel so self conscious & cry to my fiancé. I also have had some stomach issues & problems wearing contacts since starting yaz. Stressing from it does not make it any better! I decided to stop taking the pill TODAY. I don't know if I wanna go back on any bc. I want my hormones to balance out back to normal! Hopefully this clears up soon before the holidays. It's hard to deal with painful cysts on your face when you never had acne before! So my suggestion to anyone going on this; do not do it! If anything get your hormone levels tested before choosing any birth control to find the perfect one for you.
October 25, 2013
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Made my acne 100000 million times worse
Before I started this pill I didn't suffer with skin as badly as I do now. I had mild acne, however this caused severe cystic acne especially around my jaw it was horrendous. My derm told me to stop it was causing so much harm.
August 2, 2013
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Could have killed me and makes acne worse afterwards
Pros:
Beautiful skin while on it
Cons:
Caused acne 10x worse when I got off
Developed severe migraines, risk of stroke
Causes almost everyone to lose huge amount of hair when you come off
I took Ocella (generic Yasmin) from the ages of 19-23. Before that I took Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo from the ages of 16-19. I only was put on the Yasmin because when I tried to quit Ortho I broke out terribly (only ever had mild acne). What they don't tell you is that when you go OFF birth control pills, your acne often gets MUCH worse than it ever was, because it does such unnatural things to your hormones. Google around and look at the acne after the pill thread on here, you will find a million horror stories of women who took the pill, went off, then developed severe cystic acne. After about 4 years on Yasmin I noticed that I couldn't think straight, always had debilitating headaches, and my muscles were weak even though I worked out a lot. My doctor said that the Yasmin was causing my migraines, and that developing migraines while on the Pill meant I was at an increased risk of having a stroke. Stopping it was hell. I had no idea what I was getting into. I lost at least 1/3 of my hair and had a receding hairline. My hair started growing in gray in places. I had uncontrollable acne that did not respond to BP or extreme elimination diets and supplements. It took about 6 months before my body started feeling normal-ish again and a year before I tamed the acne with Atralin (a brand of tretonin). Don't mess with this stuff, or any pill. Try the copper IUD or some other non hormonal method if you need BC. It is just not worth the risk to your body and skin.
July 17, 2013
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Maybe not...
Pros:
nothing
Cons:
Really didnt do anything positive for me
headaches/stomach pains
mood swings/depression/anxiety/chest pains/racing heart rate
Took this Birthcontrol for probably close to 2 years. I would say it reduced my acne to some degree, but nothing that I was ever super impressed with. I stopped taking this birth control though. It actually made me quite sick. Severe mood sings, horrible chest pains, continuous head aches etc.... All of which went away after stopping this medication. I also gained weight on this.
June 16, 2013
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Please be ware
Cons:
Messes with your homones
Will destroy your skin coming off
I was put on Yaz after I first got my period because it was completely irregular. I don't know why I was put on Yaz and not a standard BCP, but anyway. My skin never had any problems before I started Yaz, and I didn't have any issues when I was on it (for about 4 years). Then I decided, after reading about dangerous side-effects of Yaz, and having experienced some scary symptoms of blood clots in my legs, I wanted to get off Yaz and onto a normal BCP, that didn't mess with my hormones. After I switched off Yaz, I had a SEVERE hormonal breakout. I had clear skin before and during Yaz, with one or two regular pimples, but not real acne. After going off Yaz I started growing hair along my jawline, and I had serious cystic acne on my chin, jawline and neck. SEVERE. It was the most painful and horrible experience of my life. Being 19 and breaking out with intense cystic acne. Horrible. I got tested for PCOS and I don't have it - YAZ had artificially controlled my hormones when I was on it, and going off, I was left with hormonal acne. I didn't want to go near Yaz again, and have been trying to deal with my acne ever since. 9 months since going off Yaz and I am just clearing up, however I now have intense hyperpigmentation all over my chin/jawline/neck. Please, if you are considering going on BCP that helps acne, please don't. They have some seriously dangerous side-effects, and when you want to go off them it will destroy your hormones and skin. Please, PLEASE, PLEASE, if you are considering taking BCP for acne PLEASE DON'T. I hope I can save someone from the same experience I had.
Pros:
Regular period
Healthy nails, skin and hair
Weight loss