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
October 29, 2012
Cons:
Breast soreness
Initial breakout
Slight mood swings during initial phase
I would recommend this for females suffering from hormonal acne. I was on depo provera for about two years and did not experience any negative side affects. About four months ago, I started to experience hormonal and stress-related breakouts (cystic acne around chin, jaw, and temples). I tried different topicals, diet changes, vitamins, etc. I believe that truly hormonal acne can be helped or reduced somewhat, but unfortunately not significantly with these methods. I decided to try Ortho Tri Cyclen after researching the the benefits of estrogen-dominant BC on reducing hormonal acne. I am on my second month of pills. I did experience a moderate breakout after starting the new BC. I don't know if this was a result of stopping Depo Provera or starting Ortho Tri Cyclen. I have seen gradual improvement since. Hopefully, improvement will continue. I have heard that it can take several months for your body to adjust to the hormones. In addition to decreased breakouts, my breast size has increased about half a cup so far. Since I was small to begin with, this is not a problem. However, I am still experiencing some soreness. Overall, the benefits definitely outweigh any minor issues during the first two months. Highly recommend for anyone experiencing hormonal breakouts.
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 8, 2012
Pros:
**Ortho tricyclen***
Long term -acne clears up, no weight gain, lighter period.
Cons:
Short term- first 4 months yield severe break out, if I take my dose even a few hours late I start spotting, my period consists of clotted blood- gross.
I'm 30. If you can bear the first 4-5 months of breakouts.. Worse than breakouts before starting, it's worth it. At the time, the first few months seemed like it was never going to end. Now, in retrospect, those 4 months of breakouts for continuous flawless skin... It's so worth it. Hang in there and if you're older, like me, take at the same time everyday. I'm happy!
Ps I replied moderate acne-- that was before I was on this. Now my acne is so mild.
October 5, 2012
Pros:
- prevent pregnancy
Cons:
- severe depression
- no libido
- SEVERE acne that lasted even when I got off the pill
I took yaz which kept my skin clear for years even after I stopped I'd get one or two but nothing serious, I decided I wanted a pill less linked to blood clot risk and tried OTC each week the hormones increase and around week 2-3 I woke up with a new cyst daily I was currently modeling and obviously can work until things cleared up but those suckers take forever. The worst part is my hormones never balanced out and my skin stayed that bad indefinitely until now I'm back on yaz. Biggest mistake of MY LIFE. This pill can work for some people but the increasing hormones just really don't work for some people. I'd go with yaz, it's more anti-androgenic and stable.
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 !
August 14, 2012
Cons:
Also it gave me intense hunger pains (no wonder weight gain is an issue on this pill) My apetite increased greatly! It also pretty much killed my sex drive because I was always so irritated with my husband I didnt want to have sex with him!!!!
HORMONAL MESS!
August 9, 2012
Pros:
-Completely cleared acne aside from occasional pimple
-Increased breast size
Cons:
-Slight weight gain (not really noticeable, maybe 3 pounds)
-Caused initial breakout that caused slight hyper pigmentation
I first started taking this in December and it is now August, and my skin has improved by so much- I now get the occasional pimple during the first week of each pack but nothing drastic. I wish I had started this sooner! The only issue I would note is that (at least with me) the first pack caused me to break out on the sides of my face (next to my ears basically) and my jawline- not terribly, but I never had pimples here before, and they did leave pigmentation when they went away. It is not terrible and has faded over time, but is still something that I cover with makeup and may eventually have removed.Overall I would say that the benefits definitely outweigh the negatives, my skin is a lot smoother and just overall so much better than it had been in the past! Just be aware of the fact that you may have an initial breakout.
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 27, 2012
Pros:
No Cramps
Larger Breasts
Decreased Apptite Initially
Cons:
Bad Breakouts during week 3
Breast Tenderness
I am finishing up my second month of the pill and so far I have not seen any changes in my break outs. It always get pretty bad around my pms week and this month was no exception. I would say contrary to what a lot of girls are say my appitite actually decreased the first month. I will notice how it affected it more when I get back to school because I tend to eat more when I am home. The most noticable side effect in my case would be how sore my breasts have become. I have very little breasts (A cup) and I can definitely tell they are swollen. I could give or take having the larger breasts because I am only 5 foot tall and don't need them to be huge. I've been on several birth controls before this and have had swollen breast but I think they have gotten larger on this one out of all the others. I am sticking with this pill for a little while longer because everyone has said it takes at least 3 months for the acne to clear up. I have hopes that next month my pms breakout won't be as severe.
July 27, 2012
Pros:
Lighter periods
Protection against pregnancy (obviously)
Cleared up forehead
Cons:
Cystic acne on chin
Small breakouts elsewhere
HORRIBLE mood swings
Period twice in one month
I was on Lutera for almost 5 years before I went off of it due to it giving me horrible cystic acne on my chin. After 6 months of being off of it my skin finally cleared up but I wanted to go back on a birth control that would not give me such bad hormonal acne. My doctor initially recommended OrthotriCyclin Lo but my pharmacy ended up giving me the generic version Tri Sprintec. I got through my first pack and stopped taking it. I took the first pill on the Sunday after my period and a week later I had a painful cyst on my chin that healed with a scar. That's not even the worst part. What really threw me off was the fact that I got my period twice in one month with the second period being the heaviest, most painful period I've ever had in my life. To go along with the full week of pain, I also turned into what my best friend later described as, "a raging hormonal psychopath." I'm going back to my doctor do discuss the side effects I experienced and hopefully can get on a pill that won't have such a negative effect on me.
Pros:
Reduced acne
Increased breast size
Prevents pregnancy