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 Norgestimate (Ortho Tri-Cyclen®)? Rate It:
Choose from 1 to 5 stars
July 18, 2012
Cons:
acne has not improved
breakouts infrequent after switching from loestrin
ugly packaging
On pack three of OTC after switching from Loestrin 24 fe. Loestrin wrecked my skin, I have nasty cystic scars and I'm dissapointed I haven't seen any improvements on OTC yet. Will give this pill another 5 months and will cry a lot and try another BC if nothing happens for my skin by then.
July 3, 2012
Pros:
-cleared skin
-shorter lighter periods
-regulates period
-bigger boobs
Cons:
-weight gain
-lower sex drive
-bad symptoms when not taken daily
My doctor put me on this after I got an ovarian cyst because my periods were irregular. It immediately regulated my period & my skin got much better! Great for skin! On the down side, i was so hungry but I was determined not to gain weight so I watched what I ate & I tried to exercise everyday. Even that didn't help because weight was just STICKING to me. I ended up gaining about 15lbs. No matter what I did the weight wouldn't come off. The only good thing that came out of that is that I went from an A cup to a C cup! Whenever i skipped a few days on accident id have bad mood swings, increased appetite, & bad breakouts! After I went off it I had those same symptoms for a few months. It sucked! And I haven't had a period since I stopped taking it 5 months ago.
May 28, 2012
Pros:
No cramps
Cons:
More breakouts
Bloating
Increased appetite
My usual family docter prescribed Ortho Tri-cyclen to help control some of the symptoms that come along with having your period and to help with my moderate acne. Seeing as though I am a teenager, my breakouts are most likely being caused by hormonal imbalances. Although it has only been about a month since I was first prescribed this(gone through first pack), I would say my breakouts have actually gotten worse. I did rate this a 3 though because I have hope for the months to come. As for the symptoms during my period, cramps have been one less thing I have to worry about. Hopefully I'll be able to say the same for my acne in the near future.
May 24, 2012
Pros:
cleared skin decently
Cons:
mood swings
weight gain
have to remember to take it everyday
depression
irritability
Not really worth it the hassle. I turned into a different person (mood wise) and was constantly irritable and angry.
April 25, 2012
Pros:
No babies!
Predictable period
Bigger breasts (although this is more of a con for me, haha)
Cons:
Acne got worse/oily skin
Slightly more moody
Tender breasts
Achy
No help with cramps
Cramps even after period is gone
*I'm writing this after my first month so some people have a general idea of what could happen/what to expect* I would actually give this two stars, but I gave it an extra because I have hope in the month to come. Based on reviews, the first month is the hardest because your body is adjusting to it. My acne got worse, I got moody,, my breasts were more tender and it was just generally not a great experience. I haven't had my period for two days, and I still feel some *slight* cramping, and it didn't help with cramps during my period. My back has also been achy this month, and I've had more headaches than usual. I'm neutral about my breasts growing half a cup size, but I'm sure that's a pro for most. It was a bit hard at first to take it every day and I thought it would be a lot more inconvenient, but it's not. I have an alarm on my phone and my boyfriend has one on his, so between the two of us, I remember. It's not that bad anymore; it's become a part of my routine. Another thing worth mentioning is that I used to have a 5-day period that was light the first day, very heavy the next two, medium, then light. I still have a 5-day period, but this made things more... even? I'm now light/medium, heavy, heavy/medium, medium, light. I guess that's good. I'm not pregnant, which I'd say is a good thing. It's also nice to have a predictable period down to the exact day because before it was kinda a week-long window for me and I could get it any day. I might be writing another review after I take it for a few more months to see if any of my cons go away and to (hopefully) add more pros to the list. I'd still recommend it because it's worth a shot. Everyone's body reacts differently and it's just 3 months out of your life to get the full effect. If you don't end up liking it, switch. Simple as that. c:
March 20, 2012
Pros:
Not pregnant
Only slight weight gain
Appetite that bearly increased
Only occasional breakdowns
Increase in breast size
Cons:
Horrible, horrible cystic, initial breakouts
Horrible PMS when it happens
Taking it everyday at same time
Slightly nauseous at first
I am going into my second month of taking Ortho Tri Cyclen. For the first few weeks, I started getting more acne than usual, but they were only small bumps. A few weeks later, the small bumps turned into huge, painful cysts all over my mouth, chin and cheeks. Because they were hormonal, no beauty skin treatment could fix it so I just had to hope that it would clear up soon. Now that I am going into my second month of taking OTC, I am getting very few breakouts and the cysts are now drying up and dying down. I do, however, now have gigantic, dark scars in the areas that broke out. I just have to hope that they clear up soon because I feel so hideous right now. I don't want to wear makeup because I am scared it will slow down the healing process. I took Ocella before and while it cleared my skin up right away with no initial breakouts, I gained almost 20 pounds and was always emotional and stressed out. I have decided to stick with OTC for a few more months and observe the results. I am pretty sure that the worst is over. Can't give my full opinion on it yet, because I haven't taken it long enough to get full results. It has prevented pregnancy and I haven't gained any weight or had constant, extreme PMSing.
March 7, 2012
Pros:
No babies!
Breast slightly larger
Cons:
Severe acne breakouts
Light nausea
I just began taking this birth control. I have 4 pills left and then i will be done with the first month. My acne is now worse than it was before I began taking these. I'm hoping it gets better as I continue to take this birth control.
March 5, 2012
Pros:
Clearer skin for a few months
Less period pain
I took Yaz and had great results within the first month. All my active breakouts cleared up and I was left with only a few spots every now and again.
A few months into my treatment I realised that I had a build up of pimples underneath my skin which have been impossible to get rid of. I have been using this product for about 9 months now and my skin is returning to how it used to be. I pay $90.00 for a 3 month packet and I really do not think this product is worth the price. Also, people suffering from vomitting, ect may simply need to to take a different dosage of it. I experienced none of those symptoms due to Yaz
February 7, 2012
Pros:
not pregnant
Cons:
nausea
headaches
mood swings
tender breasts
I've been taking Ortho Tri-Cyclen for about two weeks now, and I've been experiencing the worst nausea of my life. Last night, I puked in Wal-Mart and I puked when I got home. My nipples have also been extremely sore, and I've been getting headaches quite frequently. I was told it would take about a month for the side effects to clear up, so, unless I puke more today, I'm going to wait it out until my pack is done, and hopefully things get better.
January 5, 2012
Pros:
Increase in breast size
Lost weight
No cramps
No crazy mood swings
Cons:
Acne still present
Shoulder acne
thick chin hair still present
I haven't used this for very long yet so I will update in another few weeks. I have developed cystic acne on my shoulders from Ortho Lo and went on regular Ortho but still no change. My face still has cysts. Facial hair I've been struggling with because of an imbalance in hormones still present.
Pros:
regulate periods
no weight gain
boobs feel bigger
no sex drive decrease