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 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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5
19.7%
4
30.4%
3
21.8%
2
16%
1
12.1%

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September 29, 2007

Pros:

Seems to be working well for my skin- it is healing!!

Cons:

Headaches

I am actually on Ortho Cyclen (Sprintec). Ortho Tri Cyclen did not work very well for me, but this is the all the same strength as week 3 pills (Ortho Tri Cyclen). This seems to be working on my awful skin- it is healing!! The redness is going away along with my big blemishes- thank GOD!! I have only been on this for 8 days though, so hopefully it keeps getting better and better.... And I can finally date again and not be in a crappy mood all the time because of my skin! I very much hope this continues to work. Will keep you posted.
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September 24, 2007
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)

Pros:

Major sex drive increase.....feel like i'm 18 again in that area :) I buy mine overseas for 20 a month.

Cons:

I have a little bleeding mid cycle if i take two months in a row.

I also still bleed heavilyl for two or three days. They are not as light as some pills.

Have been using 5 months for POCS symptoms mostly. It has made all those things go away. I love enjoying sex again...........It's all good here!! I am 39 years old.
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September 19, 2007
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)

Pros:

Helped with my horribly oily skin (and consequently, breakouts), my hair seems to have stopped falling out, increased sex drive, all-around better mood.

Cons:

None yet. Potential of increasing my blood pressure, which is a concern for me. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it doesn't affect it.

I was on Depo, which made me extremely moody and emotional. Yasmin makes me feel better about myself and has lifted my mood more than I thought possible. My insurance covers it, so for $5 for a 3-month supply, it's worth way more than its cost.
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September 18, 2007
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)

Pros:

Prevents you from becoming pregnant

Cons:

Major depression, loss of appetite

Not worth the money spent! My skin looked great, but i had no appetite. My friends had taken Yasmin and told me that they stopped after 6 months due to depression. Then i too experienced the same emotions after about 4/5 months. Being depressed about nothing is not good! Crying at work over trivial things is also not good and can have a devasting effect on your relationship with others. I have been on the Pill for 14 years and this was the worst pill i have ever taken!
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September 14, 2007

Pros:

Didn't get pregnant, little or no cramping, and I knew when my period was coming!

Cons:

Break outs! Bloated, oily, mood swings, bad PMS, decrease sex drive

I would break out 2 weeks before I got my period all the way up until the week I got my period... so basically I have one week of being break-out free out of 4. My skin gets so oily on it. I never had acne before until I started using Seasonale, and then I switched back to Ortho Tricyclen-Lo, and acne just continued to get worse. And the bloating sucks!
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September 4, 2007

Pros:

Lighter periods, less cramps

Cons:

Decreased sex drive, water retention, depression, slight break through bleeding, yeast infections, no improvement in acne

I had been taking OTC-Lo for 2 years and did not see very much improvement for acne. It made my skin appear "thinner" and caused my mucous membranes to dry out. I stopped taking bc all together and found that my skin slightly improved.
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August 20, 2007

Pros:

prevents pregnancy increased my libido

Cons:

caused acne 2 weeks out the month

I started on OTC-lo after a year of breastfeeding. While breastfeeding I was on Ortho's generic progestine (sp?) only pill then switched pharmacies...which had a different generic which caused me to break out for 4-6 weeks and gave me moodswings and reduced my libido to ziltch. Went back on namebrand...broke out 4-6 weeks but was fine otherwise. Stopped breastfeading got back on "regular" bc...OTC-lo...HUGE mistake...it caused one of the worst breakouts of my life. I'm talking huge cysts! Stuck with that about 2.5 months and got on OTC. The first week almost cleared up completely. Then broke out again( I guess b/c of the increasing projestine)minus the cysts. I've been taking Orthocept for about 4 days now after being off OTC for 5 and have had NO new bumps. Libido is lower but feel so much better I want it more!I took Mircette as a teen which worked but I wanted a higher estrogen level initially to stop the oil and clear me up. I will try and switch back after my skin heals though.
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August 19, 2007

Pros:

You know when you're going to get your period, every-single-time.

Cons:

Makes you fat, bitchy, irritable, worse cramps in my life and did nothing for my face.

Too bad I wasted seven months of my life on this sh*t. I gained about 16 pounds while on it which gave me horrible stretch marks all over my body, and I was only 15 years old. Don't go on this for acne, go on it for preventing pregnancy. I didn't mind knowing when I was going to get my period except I bled quite a bit and I got incredibly terrible cramps which cause me to be home for school at least once a month due to period problems.
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August 18, 2007

Pros:

Prevents pregnancy, regulates monthly cycle, somewhat clears skin

Cons:

Can cause nausea, mood swings, and doesn't full clear skin

My skin was pretty horrific when I first started taking Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo. I was told the Lo or the standard Ortho Tri-Cyclen wouldn't make a difference in terms of acene improvement. I had a face full of probably hundreds of tiny red pimples as well as normal sized whiteheads. Now, it DID clear up the tiny red pimples but I still have normal-sized blemishes. In the beginning it also makes you very moody/nauseous while your body is getting used to the hormones. I get nauseous the following morning if I don't take it the same time every day. I would say overall, it works well for what it is and is inexpensive.
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August 14, 2007
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)

Pros:

much less emotional during PMS, less cramping, skin slightly better bc theres no more big deep pimples, less mood swings, BIGGER BOOBS! haha

Cons:

skin hasnt improved that much, little tiny pimples where ive never broken out before, less sex drive

I don't hate it, it just hasn't helped my skin all that much
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