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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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November 5, 2009

Pros:

Very light periods with no cramps,no noticable weight gain drastically improved acne condition, bigger breasts.

Cons:

very, very emotional for the first 3 or 4 months. possible loss of muscle tone.

I'm 18 years old and have been using tri-cyclen since I was 14 and havent thought of switching. It works great for me, i hardly noticed my period and it improved my acne for years. I'm not sure how it has affected my weight or muscle because I've been on it for so long. works great for acne!
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October 28, 2009

Pros:

Less acne, bigger boobs, no spotting, extremely horny (which is not a bad thing to me...), free from Planned Parenthood in CA.

Cons:

Can't skip period, super tired and emotional during beginning of pack, boobs slightly sore, I'm a bit bloated most of the time

I don't have any drastic side affects, it's doing more good than bad, and it's birth control, which I need.
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October 16, 2009

Pros:

No more babies, knowing when I'm going to start my period, No more spotting for a week before, boobs got bigger..

Cons:

Did not clear my acne up. I've been using it for 1-1/2 months so I'm hoping it will help. The first month I was super tired, and my boobs hurt like crazy. That went away after the first pack.

I'm still using it because I need a form of Birth control. But it did not help my acne at all :( Boo
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October 3, 2009

Pros:

I had a boy, I love him so much. Im loving my life. Husband and I were shocked at first.

Cons:

Didn't work for me got pregnant.

Gonna try again
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October 1, 2009

Pros:

it hasnt made me gain wait and my skin is getting better not prego yet so thats good

Cons:

i havent been on the pill for too long but it has had some bad side effects on me... it makes me super moody...
i cry for no reason.. get ticked off about pretty much everything and get deppressed very easily... some nausea but not alot..

its not worth it... when you cry almost every 3 days and spend most of ur time in a confused and blaah mood.!
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September 13, 2009

Pros:

starting to clear up my acne, boobs are getting bigger, not sexually active so can't say if it works for that, no weight gain or loss...

Cons:

made acne worse at first, first few days made me nauseous, and very sore breast...

only been taking it for a week, but it seems to be working with very little sideaffects...
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September 2, 2009

Pros:

cleared acne..

Cons:

nausea, mood swings, weight gain

prevented pregnancy and got rid of acne other than that it was horrible, i had nausea and crazy mood swings
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August 29, 2009

Pros:

havent really seen any in the past 5 months of using it other than preventing pregnancy

Cons:

ocassional breakouts, mild weight gain, emotional changes, mood swings.

ive been taking this medication and am thinking about getting off of it, it isnt really doing anything for me and im looking to loose weight. being on the pill makes this a little harder.
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August 23, 2009

Pros:

Helps regulate my periods.

Cons:

SEVERE ACNE!! Soo depressing, super moody, bitchy, irritable.

I was taking OTC Lo(yellow pk), but switched to OTC regular(blue pk) and oh boy did it make me break out like I never have before. Huge hard pimples, they're like stress pimples, not pimples w/ whiteheads that come on if you don't wash your face. These stubborn breakouts are continuous and takes about 2wks for them to go away and the scar will stay for over a month or somewhat remain dark blemishes. These large acne did not flare up and were not large like this when I was taking OTC Lo. I was taking OTC Lo for over 2years, and have been taking OTC regular for 4 ½ months now, so I'm giving up on giving it another chance/another month. Gained weight and made me irritable.
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August 23, 2009

Pros:

Light periods, minimal cramps, helps with endometriosis, very very mild breakouts around time of period

Cons:

Slight mood swings at first, can be expensive without good insurance

I've used this product for four years it's amazing. My periods are always on time, light and only last four days. My acne was never too bad, but it keeps my face relatively clear, except for right around the time of my period I'll get a few pimples. I have tried the generic type and it was awful, horrible cramps, long irregular periods and severe breakouts.
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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:

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