Acne.org Products
Hormonal Therapy
Efficacy
63%
Based on All Available Studies
Strength of Evidence
Note: Improvement significantly increases after 24 weeks.
Hormonal Therapy
Acne.org’s Real World Take
Any brand of oral contraceptive appears to clear the skin about the same amount, regardless of whether it is officially approved for acne treatment. Some people report complete clearing of acne symptoms and others see partial relief. However, artificially controlling your hormones is a serious decision, so it’s best to proceed with caution.
Hormonal Therapy
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 Oral Contraceptives? Rate It:
Choose from 1 to 5 stars
September 8, 2008
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Cons:
constantly SPOTTING! I spot like 3 weeks out of the month and just when it stops I start my period.
makes my stomach VERY upset once a month
It's VERY expensive without insurance but besides that and the stomach pains and spotting, it really clears up my face!
August 30, 2008
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
Weight loss (& no bloating around period), clear skin, no babies!!
Cons:
zero libido (which kinda defeats the purpose of taking birth control!), moodiness/irritability, lack of motivation.
I was on Brenda last year to help clear my skin, which worked but I put on 5 kilos! Doc recommended Yasmin as it helps with fluid retention other pills can cause. It worked great for me, lost the 5 kilos and really cleared up my skin. I went off the pill for most of this year to give my body a break from the hormones but am getting married in Oct so decided to go back onto Yasmin. I have been taking it again for about 3 months now, I have lost around another 3 kilos and my skin is already much better but not completely clear yet. My face is great but still getting breakouts on my back and chest (although MUCH better than before). I hope it will clear it completely cos it did last time I was on it. Hopefully in the next two months my skin will be fixed so i can have clear skin for my wedding!
August 29, 2008
Pros:
Have not had any nausea
Cons:
Mysterious acne appearance. Could be stress from something else though.
I have been on this for just over a month. I had ridiculous spotting the first month. 2 weeks of period sucks. I seem to have some pimple issues. Is it my body regulating?
The great thing is that I have not had any nausea. It has been a long search for a pill that didn't cause me to have projectile puking which is very uncool when driving your child to school.
August 28, 2008
Pros:
Completely cleared by back acne within a few weeks. Only a rare pimple occured on my face. I had tried Differin, Retin-A, Tetracyclin, nothing worked. Lighter, shorter, timeable periods. Less cramping. Prevents pregnancy.
Cons:
NONE. Some people may experience nausea during the first few months. This is normal and expected. Women who use the pill should not smoke. Smoking, especially 10 or more cigarettes a day, significantly increases the risk for blood clots & stroke.
If you have to resort to Accutane, you may as well try just using the pill first. Accutane users MUST use a form of birth control.
August 22, 2008
Pros:
My acne was never really bad, but the little I did have cleared up quickly.
Cons:
Extreme nausea, fatigue, bloating...and i'm BITCHY. I've noticed alot of women on here claim to have been nice and always happy. I use to be too. This BC makes you believe your a little nuts. Ladies, I hope your boyfriends are understanding. :)
I've been pregnant before and I had severe morning sickness and fatigue. This BC is VERY similar, I literally had to lay down and close my eyes because I was going to puke!! I hope it doesn't get worse. I'm a little nervous on how long i'm going to have to put up with these aweful side effects. The things we women do..I think its about time the MEN get on Birth Control. ;)
August 5, 2008
Pros:
REALLY clears up skin, keeps it that way pretty much, only mild breakouts on forehead after; regulates periods; no noticeable emotional changes
Cons:
weight gain (5-15 pounds)
i'd recommend it if your acne isn't too bad and it's just in certain concentrated areas.
July 31, 2008
Pros:
Not pregnant, semi-regulated periods.
No acene developed
Cons:
mood changes, aggressiveness, agitation, and length of periods
I switched to Ortho from LoEstrin because that did nothing to regulate my periods. The other thing that I am realizing is that I am WAY MORE EMOTIONAL, short tempered, and aggressive, and less sexual energy than when I switched or started on BCP. I have started to push my boyfriend away with my emotional changes and behavior. I also have longer periods than I did before I S started on BC. I think each person is going to be affected differently, so its important to know your baseline and ask others for their input.
July 28, 2008
Pros:
not pregnant, clearer skin but still break out , alittle weight gain at first, regular/ predictable periods!!
Cons:
moood swings
overall i like it, it does what its advertised to do regulate periods and prevent pregnancy ... i just started taking doxycycline though for acne and it says it decreases the effect of birth control pills .. ugh that sucks it worries me a little
July 27, 2008
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
NO PERIODS!!! clearing my skin already, honestly no lie. no other side effects besides i'm not hungry every 5 seconds like before haha.
Cons:
besides the talk of bigger boobs, i like my small double A's, nothing
I have honestly only been on this for about a week and i had pretty okay very bad skin, pimples everywhere, i tried everything from cheap stuff to proactiv and nothing worked, proactive made it worse. I went on YAZ for my boyfriend and no more periods and it completely took a toll on me. It made a big difference. I already only have about 5 pimples left, before i started i had over 10 no lie. I love this stuff so much. and so does my boyfriend. ;]]
July 22, 2008
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
treats ane well for me lesser bleeding some months
Cons:
no complaints yet i do smoke
good product
Pros:
clears my hormonal acne (cystic and non cystic)
bigger breasts