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 Norethindrone (Estrostep®)? Rate It:
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April 3, 2018
Product used: LoEstrin (Oral Contraceptive)
From little acne to a whole lot of acne
Oh my goodness. I'm currently on my 3rd pack of Lo lo and I'm planning on stopping it asap. Pros:
No pms symptoms! No bloating, no cramps, no feeling fatigue. 2 days of bleeding or none at all. Didn't feel any mood swings. All of that is awesome. Cons:
This is probably the worst I've ever broken out. I got these as samples from my obgyn and I wanted to get the pills for birth control but mostly to help w my acne that I assumed was hormonal (mostly 2 to 3 pimples on my cheeks and a lot of little tiny bumps on my chin. It had to be hormonal because my usual acne products just wasn't working anymore and Ive switched products many times already). Like most people here, my acne wasn't terrible to begin with. There was a week or two between the first and second month I was on Lo lo that my skin looked pretty nice. I still had some blemishes but i thought the pill might be working because i was glowing. But not for long!!!! 2 weeks after that I started getting a whole bunch of little and average sized pimples on my cheeks and more bumps on my chin. Way more than Ive ever gotten! They were almost like in clusters or constellations on my face. I didn't know how to get rid of them and I switched between many cleansers and moisturizers already (i switch them pretty quickly because most of the time i can tell right away if something works for my skin or not) but nothing seemed to be working. And i of course resort to picking and squeezing because sometimes thats the only way to get them out! it looks like i have a rash on my cheek or like how teens break out, and ive never had my face look like this before. It's not super bad and i can just hide it with makeup a little bit but it's very annoying because I had close to clear skin before!!!! Definitely steer clear of this if you already have some acne issues..as others have said.
May 22, 2013
Product used: LoEstrin (Oral Contraceptive)
Cons:
Acne
Mood swings
I've been taking LoEstrin for a little over a year now. Since high school I've always had mild breakouts here and there, but nothing severe at all. I'm going into my third year of college now and I would say my breakouts are the worst they've ever been. They're not horrible, but I've had pretty clear skin most of my life and to have acne now at age 20 is a bit out of the ordinary. The pill does its job for a birth control pill and I have very regular, light periods on it. However, if you're prone to acne, I wouldn't recommend taking this. I am planning to switch to Ortho Tri-cyclen asap.
August 4, 2012
Product used: LoEstrin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
-no weight gain
-no cramps
-no mood swings
-no nausea (and I have a really weak stomach!)
-no headaches
-very short periods
-sex drive hasn't decreased
Cons:
-spotting for the first few weeks
-the worst acne outbreak of my life :(
I had a really weak stomach from taking antibiotics a while back due to the breakouts I got from Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo, so my gyn prescribed me a lower dose pill, Loestrin 24 fe. I was really surprised at how it felt like I wasn't on a pill at all, as I experienced NONE of the usual side effects for birth control. Suddenly, I started breaking out in horrible cystic acne on my chin and cheeks that was worse than anything I've ever experienced! It's been almost 3 months on this pill and after the first week, I haven't had ONE day of even partially clear skin! I really want to love this pill because I really do feel great (other than my skin), but this is just something I can't handle. I'm going to try to wait it out a little while longer, but I don't have high hopes. I need to be taking birth control and I've been lucky enough to find one that doesn't aggravate my sensitive stomach or make me depressed, so if I don't clear up in the next month, I'm going to start Spironolactone in conjunction with the Loestrin and hope for the best! I'd say that overall the pill is worth a shot because I've had great luck other than the acne, but solely based on my acne experience, I wouldn't recommend it.
October 13, 2011
Product used: LoEstrin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
Breasts grew
2 day maximum period
Stopped cramps
No mood swings
Cons:
WORSENED my acne - started with one or two pimples. Now I have the worst acne since I had my first breakout at 16 (20 now).
Price - $60.00
I really do love this bc. I was on Ortho-tri which exacerbated my cramps and mood swings. Loestrin is a great regulator, but I can't handle the acne flair up anymore. Goodbye Loestrin! You're the one I love, but it will never work!
November 29, 2010
Product used: LoEstrin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
Low dose
Super light periods
Cleared some acne
Cons:
Not strong enough
Break through bleeding
I tried Loestrin for a year after Ortho, Yasmin, and Depo. It wasn't strong enough for me and I'm only about 5' 90 lbs. I had break through bleeding and more acne than on the stronger pills. I have found that mid-strength like Yasmin is the best, rather than super strong (Ortho) or too weak (Loestrin).
July 7, 2010
Product used: LoEstrin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
lighter periods, boobs grew a little, no headaches or pain
Cons:
extreme extreme weight gain, tired all the time, sex drive as low as it can get loss of ANY sexual desire.
this has made my small frame gain 30 pounds! and yes it does help lighten ur periods but thats alllllllllll it does, i broke out like crazy, and then i stopped taking it and it made it 10x worse!, ive stood on this pill for over 5 months to try and see if i see improvement on skin, wow! i got acne in places i never got, and this def made me a lil crazy, dented my relationship and put my sex drive as low as it can get!!!!! and i took this pill correctly same time everyday and now im suffering skin thats hard to look at! and my face looks like freggin cake batter from trying to hide it!, im going to try a higher estrogen
Pros:
Bigger boobs
Effective contraceptive
Light periods