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
May 22, 2013
Cons:
made me gain so much weight
carcinogen
made sex painful
it did clear up my skin completelry i would only get the occasional pimple befor my cycle. but it made me gain weight like crazy and i never had and problems with my weight prior. it also took away all my sexual desire and made sex painful for me.. it was giving me nygothian cysts on my cervix.. i know it was the pill cuz one i got off it all went away. i was on the pill for about a year.
January 3, 2013
Pros:
Cleared smaller bits of acne.
Safe sex.
Regulated and lightened my period.
Cons:
Still got the big cystic pimples.
Must be really, really regulated.
Just because you're taking birth control doesn't mean you need to start having sex too, I started taking it specifically for my acne. I would reccommend birth control to even girls at a young age, because it helps regulate your body and helps you out a lot! Cleared my small pimples, so I actually had some clear skin, but I still had my cystic pimples. Also lightened my period a lot, which reduced my stress which also helped reduce my acne.
January 3, 2013
Pros:
Cleared my skin about 75%
Increased my breast size
No mood swings
Cons:
Slightly longer periods
Breast tenderness for 1 week right before my period
Slightly decreased libido
This birth control really cleared up my skin a lot. I still get about 2 cysts and some small whiteheads around my period but no where near as bad as before. I went from moderate/moderately severe acne to light. I have been on 4 different birth control pills before and OTC cleared my skin the best out of all of them. There are definitely some cons but I think it is still worth taking to keep my skin clear.
October 29, 2012
Product used: Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
Not a total cure, but definitely helps to clear hormonal acne and control oil.
Cons:
Horrible breakouts, hair loss when stopped.
I feel stuck on this pill. I've taken accutane, which worked temporarily but my acne gradually creeped back. Desogen did nothing to help my skin, so I switched to Ortho Lo. This pill helped to clear my skin - I still got the occasional zit, but I was virtually clear about 5 months in. I decided to go off the Pill to give my body a break. BIG mistake... acne came back horribly, hair was falling out in clumps. Went back on the pill, and now 3.5 months in my skin is better but not nearly as good as it was before I went off.
October 28, 2012
Pros:
Helps acne
Cons:
Acne was HORRIBLE when I attempted to get off the pill
I took accutane, and within a year my skin was broken out again. Ortho lo cleared it up where my prior BC (desogen) appeared to do nothing. I was clear for about a year and a half, when I decided I no longer wanted to take the pill and cleanse my body. Wow, big mistake. Acne came back worse than ever within a month of being off. I've been back on the pill for about 3.5 months and things are better, but still not as good as they were when I was on it. I think being on this pill may cause more harm than good... I feel like I'm stuck on it now. But it does seem to help with acne.
October 3, 2012
Pros:
~ breasts grew
~ acne went away
~ mood swings aren't as bad
~ little to no cramps
~ shorter lighter periods
Cons:
~ weight gain, I was 120 when I started the pill and now I'm 124 so not that much weight gain
~ makes me wanna eat food more
I'm 15 and I started taking OTC in February because I would get extremely bad cramps and very bad mood swings. I have been taking OTC for 8 months now and I love it :) I haven't tried any other form or type of BC but I would have to say this one works great. I got scared at first because some people said it makes you sick the first few months but I have not experienced any bad side effects except for some weight gain and breast tenderness and occasional headaches. I would reccomend trying this !
July 28, 2012
Pros:
-Boobs grew
-Lighter and shorter period
-Appetite changed (barely hungry)
-No weight gain
-Cleared skin
-Increased sex drive
Cons:
-None so far
Its working greatly for me although some of my pros may be considered cons. Everyone is different I have a friend on the same pill and she is feeling complete opposite.
July 7, 2012
Pros:
Breast Cup size increased
Very little to no Acne
Did not lower libido
Protects against pregnancy
Cons:
Very tender/sensitive breasts
Slight weight gain (no more than three lbs)
Based on some of the negative reviews, I was very skeptic of Ortho Tri-Cyclen at first. Just because you read a few bad reviews that doesn't necessarily mean those pros and cons will apply to you. Everyone's body is different, and if you decide to go on this pill then wait at least four months until you make the decision to change it. I've been on Ortho Tri-Cyclen for about four months now (going on five), and at first I wanted to call it quits because of how terrible my acne got! Then little by little it began to disappear. Now the only time I break out (which is barely) is around the time I menstruate. Your breast cup does increase by half a cup to a cup size gradually, however, I noticed that my breasts became very tender. Hopefully that will go away within a few more months? Not entirely sure, but if so I'd still stick with it. It helps protect you against pregnancy in the long run, so why not? In fact, it feels as if my libido has increased, Haha. You gain very little to no weight, really. It goes away with diet and exercise, and that's all to it. I got Ortho Tri-Cyclen at Planned Parenthood for free through my health insurance.
June 26, 2012
Pros:
+ Acne chilled out
+ Not much weight gained
+ Periods are lighter
+ Not very severe cramps (which is why I was put on it)
Cons:
- RETAIN A LOT of water if I screw up a pack (Missing a pill or taking one kind of late)
- The water weight makes me puffy :
- Missing a pill or taking one late = Constant breakout until a week before my next period
Well, I was put on this pill after being on LoSeasonique (TERRIBLE PILL that made me breakout all over my legs and face). I had horrible cramps so I was put on it. Then I was put on OTCL for cramps AND acne. It had the side effects in the first two months, but I knew it would take some time. Soon, my acne chilled out and my cramps were very little. My "flow" was very light as well and it is really nice knowing when your period is coming. Mine usually last for like 4 or 5ish days. A downside I learned the hard was whenever I would take a pill late or miss one the next month (or pack) would cause me to breakout and retain water.
My breakout would last until the week before the placebo pills and I would start retaining water.
June 20, 2012
Pros:
+helps with acne
+weight stayed the same
+no cramps
+period is like clockwork every month
Cons:
-initial breakout for first few months
-mood swings first few months
-period is still 5 days
I am on month 7 and I am just now starting to see the results. Some bodies take longer than others to adjust. The initial breakout wasn't too bad but there were some months that were wore than others. My weight has remained the same. I read how some people try to work it off and can't, in my case I have lost weight while working out and eating right. My mood swings have subsided for the most part but they were never unbearable. I only experienced nausea the first month so that went away as well. I recommend it but give it 6-7 months before you switch. I was on LoEstrin 21 for 4 months and it was consistently bad then OTC just came in and had to clean the mess so that may have attributed to it taking so long to show results. Give it a try for sure if you think/know you have hormonal acne.
Pros:
clears skin dramatically
regulates cycle