Oral Contraceptives
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Oral contraceptives, otherwise known as birth control pills, are also approved to treat acne. They work by regulating male hormones in the female...

Oral contraceptives, otherwise known as birth control pills, are also approved to treat acne. They work by regulating male hormones in the female body. Less male hormones normally lead to less acne. 

Oral contraceptives contain an estrogen component (ethinyl estradiol) that is combined with progestin hormones, such as drospirenone (Yasmin® or Yaz®), norgestimate (Ortho Tri-Cyclen®) or norethindrone (Estrostep®). 

Oral contraceptives are taken once a day with a meal. Make sure to take the pill at the same time every day.

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4
33.2%
3
21.1%
2
14%
1
9.5%

Used Oral Contraceptives? Rate It:

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May 9, 2011

Pros:

1.CLEAR SKIN
2.BREAST ENLARGED
3.LESS EMOTIONAL

Cons:

None that I have come across

I had been taking LoEstrin24Fe off and on for two years and it didn't cause MUCH noticable problems until after taking it a year, I was overly emotional, I broke out in cyst like acne on my jaw line and left scars behind from the severe acne. I knew I needed something different because my body was not wanting it. I switched to Ortho Tri-Cyclen LO two months ago and I have never felt better. I am not as bloated as I was, my face is acne free, it is also healthier (creamy looking), and my breast grew a whole cup size. The first month my boobs were tender but after I finished my cycle it went away. Overall I give this birth control a FIVE!!!:))
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February 12, 2011

Pros:

Protection
Cleared Mild Acne
NO weight gain
NO nausea, bloating, stomach pain
NO mood swings
NO decrease in sex drive
NO spotting

Cons:

No cons

Like ALL birth controls, this pill takes at LEAST 3 months for your body to get used to it. I started this pill 9 months ago and have had NO problems. I have tried Loestrin 24 Fe which gave me horrible stomach pains, YAZ which made me have major mood swings, and Seasonique which made me spot every month. This is the first pill I have had success with. Please remember every girl's body is different with different levels of hormones released. With that said, not every pill will work for you. I WOULD recommend this pill to anyone and everyone. Try it for at least 3 months. If you have some weight gain, work out a little more & problem solved. If you have acne, watch your diet. Know your body and what you put in it. Know the active drugs and hormone levels in this and all pills before you take a BC. Take note of what seems to work and what doesn't. Bottom line.... I love this pill. Good luck :)
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June 20, 2011

Pros:

- Breasts are fuller. Amazing.
- Break-outs clearing up quickly.
- Skin feels more youthful on face.
- Eyes seem whiter, healthier
- Appetite suppressed.
- No nausea.
- I feel happier/younger. Feels good.

Cons:

- No Bad Side Effects (So Far) New User. Still on my 1st pack.
- Felt somewhat sleepy the first few days on the non-placebo pills. Perhaps just body adjusting?

I'm still only on the first pack but straight away I noticed my face clearing up very fast. My skin on my face seems more glowing and youthful. It's like a little dose of the fountain of youth, for me this is amazing! I have breakouts of adult acne on my neck, super ugly ones, that are hideous and big boil types that are red and leave really big dark scars, and now they're all going away. Every little bump is going away too. My face seems to be glowing, my eyes seem whiter. My breasts feel very full now, and have since the 2nd day on the blue pills (the first non-placebos) which is a good thing too. It's as if someone did a rewind on the clock of aging, and I am getting back skin elasticity and breast fullness which I feel like I had lost the past 10 years. I'm 41 years old, and although I look quite young and act quite youthful, I was feeling the loss of the estrogen as is natural at my age when the little gray hairs first start appearing and the androgen hormones go up and we start to notice little whiskers, and thing we never had before, and especially break outs on the neck. All of which is very annoying. This happens when our estrogen starts to drop. But, with these pills I feel great and am hoping that I continue to. My real reason for starting these pills was to remove this terrible adult acne from my neck and to keep from getting pregnant. So far, it's better than I anticipated. It's clearing up very fast, and no side effects to complain of.
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February 22, 2011

Pros:

*Skin Clearing*
*Bigger Boobs*
*Feel Happier*
*No Cramps*
*Lighter Periods*
*Regular Periods*

Cons:

*Possibly bigger appetite, but not affecting my weight*

I love Ortho Tri Cyclen! I've only been on it for two months, but my skin looks about 10 times better and it's improved since day one. I started it for acne and because I had super irregular periods. I love knowing exactly when to expect my period and I love that I have no cramps, and my periods are lighter and shorter. My boobs have also gotten bigger (maybe a con for some, but for me that's a pro). Also I just feel happier in general, although that could just be a self esteem boost from my skin clearing up, who knows. I completely recommend trying Orthotricyclen, but it's easy to tell from reading these reviews that it affects everyone differently. I would recommend sticking with it for at least a few months though, so your body has time to get used to the hormones. Good Luck! Hope The Pill helps you like it has been helping me!
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February 4, 2011

Pros:

Not pregnant
Face cleared up
Lightened my period

Cons:

Moodiness
Bloating
Appetite change
Remembering to take it everyday

I only took this for 2weeks works alright. At first my chin had broken out soooo much the first week omg! But I was ok with it because I was on my period so it was normal for me to get like a few pimples. So I didn't stress out about it. However because I get very hormonal and my mood swings are high on my periods, the pills like doubled it! My bf suffered so much one minute I'm yelling at him then crying, then like very sex crazed. Then after my period I was back to normal. My face cleared up nicely feeling soft too. Although my appetite changed. I started to like pig out and bloat like crazy! I'm underweight but still it is not normal for me to eat this much. I wonder what other surprises will this bring. These contain too much hormones for me to handle.
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February 3, 2010

Pros:

really didnt get any side effects at all. i was scared because of everyones bad reviews but i realized how rare they really are, i have a clear face as it is, this didnt make me break out, i didnt change my diet and i didnt gain weight (i eat a ton!) i didnt have mood swings really, yelled at my brother one time but im pretty sure that was all me. =)

Cons:

i did get nauseous. the first 7 white pills went by smoothly, once i hit the blue pill in the second week i started waking up feeling gross. it was a bad nausia... it was just like "well this kinda sucks" and usually it went away after a few minutes. it lasted a few weeks but went away. the first month is the worst but that wasnt even that bad.

do the five count. if you're reading reviews, most of them are complaints. remember those are rare, i was worried but turns out its more of a placebo effect (you expect bad to happen so it does). the five count is where you do you research, and if theres a complaint that bothers you... see if it occurs five time in other reviews, if so move on. the only complaint i got on this was breast enlargment.... to be frank, woman carry their boobs for mens attention... and im nearly positive no man will say "DAMMIT your boobs are bigger.... ugh" so overall this pill is good. also nausia, that will happen with any pill because your body is getting used to the change in estrogen. although, some pills dont deserve the 5 count, if you see a complaint that says "i got pregnant on this pill" either they messed up real bad or that really sucks. that would stop me in my tracks and move on to the next contender. bottom line is, this is an incredible pill aside from an occassional rare complaint, for the most part the reviews are in favor. i was scared at first but i wouldnt change now that i know my symptoms are extremely mild. i recomend it.
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January 17, 2011

Pros:

Worked first time around, but not 2nd.

Cons:

Can only use for a few months before you grow immune

Used this before my wedding and it worked beautifully to clear up my skin. Took 2-3 months to see results. Went off it at 6 months on Derm's recommendation so that I wouldn't build up immunity. Tried it again 8 years later and it didn't work at all.
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May 1, 2011

Pros:

breast enlargement
lost weight
cleared acne
lighter periods
less cramping

Cons:

felt a little sick first couple days but didn't last very long

doctor recomended the pill to me and I'm very glad she did. face is more clear, hair looks shinier, regular periods, very light/no cramping, lost some weight and my breasts grew. I feel more confident and healther. my doctor gave me the pill for free which was nice because I hear tri-cyclen is pretty pricey.
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July 19, 2011

Pros:

-Not Pregnant
-Helps Clear or regulate acne
-No weight gain or loss
-Always know when your periods will be

Cons:

-Breakouts at the start of use
-Slightly moody/emotional at the start of use
-

Dan's regimen is good, but I felt that especially around my time of the month all hell would break loose. I always wanted Birth Control to control my acne, but I was weary of side effects and had heard horror stories so I laid off and figured that eventually my acne would settle down. Finally, after a year of being with my boyfriend I decided I wanted Birth Control to prevent pregnancy as condoms had given us a few scares and Plan B was not something I was too keen on taking or paying for. I got an appointment at Planned Parenthood. Let me make this very clear ladies. Planned Parenthood is not a shady, back alley place that you should be ashamed for going to. Planned Parenthood is a respectable, amazing place that helps men and women alike on multiple levels. It was very clean, professional, and everyone was amazingly helpful and caring. I can buy Birth Control there for about $24 a pack, which is great because my family does not have insurance. At first it was pretty bad. I broke out horribly and as frustrating as it was I had read the reviews and had braced myself for the worst. The first month was difficult. Aside from Acne I began to experience emotional swings near the end of the month. Everything made me sad, angry etc. This is to be expected. I've been on Birth Control for almost a year now and I love it. I only see minor emotional swings now and then but it is very uncommon and only around my period which is not unlike normal PMS behavior. No weight gain or loss. No increase in appetite or anything of the sort. Everything is working out well and during the whole month before my period my face is clear as can be with the exception of a small spot here or there. While I still break out during my period, it is nothing compared to how it used to be. A small cyst an a couple spots sure beats a whole army of cystic acne come to parade around my face.
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December 29, 2010

Pros:

Regulated Periods
Made skin significantly softer/smoother
Reduced oil production which somewhat controlled/reduced breakouts
Increased breast size

Cons:

Did gain four pounds in two months
Not a permanent solution to acne

I took this medication hoping it would give me perfect skin. It did help with my skin but I wish I had understood that it is not a permanent solution. I stopped taking it because of the weight gain and it was annoying to take the pill everyday. If you take this pill for a long time hoping for clear skin and eventually go off it, your skin will probably return to its original state. I am now going on accutane which is a more permanent solution. This pill is great if you need it for periods/preventing pregnancy but I wouldn't take any birth control just for your skin because it's not worth it in the end.
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Finding a Doctor

The right dermatologist can make a big difference to your patient experience and the success of your acne treatment plan. Here are the steps to find a dermatologist who is a good fit:

  1. Use the search feature on the American Academy of Dermatology website to look for board-certified dermatologists in your area, and filter the search results for doctors with a special interest in treating acne.
  2. Read online patient reviews of any dermatologists you are considering and ask people you know whether they have any experience with these dermatologists.
  3. Do your research and go to your first appointment with questions prepared.
  4. Listen to what your gut feeling tells you once you see a dermatologist in person. If you are not completely comfortable, try a different dermatologist.
Find a Doctor Using The American Acacemy of Dermatology Website

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Only a select few plastic surgeons specialize in acne scar revision surgery. Be certain to find a provider who specializes in acne scar repair and who is passionate and experienced in this area.

Be sure to:

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  • Be realistic about results. Look for improvement, not a cure.

Questions to ask a potential scar revision specialist:

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Red flags:

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