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
February 10, 2012
Cons:
Severe Facial Acne
Tender Breast
Breast enlargement
Abdominal Cramping
Nausea
I have been on this medication for two weeks and have experienced the worst facial acne ever! As a woman with larger breast for mine to get any bigger is frightening; as well as, the breast tenderness I have experienced. It has actually curbed my appetite a bit though.
January 5, 2012
Pros:
Increase in breast size
Lost weight
No cramps
No crazy mood swings
Cons:
Acne still present
Shoulder acne
thick chin hair still present
I haven't used this for very long yet so I will update in another few weeks. I have developed cystic acne on my shoulders from Ortho Lo and went on regular Ortho but still no change. My face still has cysts. Facial hair I've been struggling with because of an imbalance in hormones still present.
December 31, 2011
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
Good price
short periods
bigger boobs!
Cons:
more headaches
tad more emotional
This stuff is great! I had to go on it for accutane and never went off because of the short periods that are 28 days apart exactly. I decided to go off of it because my skin was mostly clear and I wanted to see if it would do anything, and I did notice that my boobs got smaller! I also got a few less headaches and a little less emotional, but broke out completely on my first period! It was awful so I decided to try a different birth control which made me break out even worse! I'm going back on Yaz in a few days.
September 27, 2011
Pros:
Larger Boobs
Less facial hair
Helped with thinning hair
Cons:
Worsened Acne (cystic acne)
Lower sex drive
Depression/Anxiety
I went on BC solely to see if it would help my cystic acne. This is my 4th week on this BC and so far I've felt like I've been PMSing all month. Since the first week my face broke out like never before. I had about 4 huge cysts on my face, without a head, so I've just been dealing with it trying really hard not to pick at them. I also started breaking out on my jawline and cheeks, places where I usually don't break out. I really hope this is just an "initial breakout" and that my body is adjusting to this BC (this is my first time taking BC). This past Sunday I started the white sugar pill and I don't feel depressed or anxious. Also, this is the first week where a new cyst hasn't popped up. I guess that's good news. We'll see and I'll keep you all updated.
September 19, 2010
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
Periods shorter and lighter
Cons:
SEVERE anxiety
Depression
Headaches
This drug had to have been sent straight from HELL! After taking this BCP, I developed extreme anxiety. I suffered from constant anxiety attacks at the most inconvenient times. (Of course, there is no convenient time to have one) I felt like a crazy person. My Dr. ended up having to prescribe an anti-anxiety medication just so I could function. I was a college student at the time, and was constantly missing class because I had so many panic attacks in the classrooms. I would NEVER EVER recommend this BCP to anyone at all.
July 7, 2010
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
-lighter periods
-less cramping
-clears skin with time
-no mood swings or changes in energy levels
Cons:
-have to remember to take this everyday
-takes a while to work
I started this pill in December, so over 7 months now. I switched from Alesse which I believe is the culprit for my oily skin and breakouts. The first week on Yaz my skin already began to become less oily. It took about 3-4 months for my body to adjust to this pill and for my skin to clear. I love this pill, I have to issues while on it and I would recommend this to those suffering with acne or having issues with other birth controls, such as alesse.
April 16, 2010
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
Nice packet!
Cons:
Worsened my acne!
Gave me very unpredictable periods which stressed me out completely!
Went from being content with my looks to worrying everyday what people thought when they saw my face :-(
I went onto Yaz after a year on Dianette because my acne was reduced to very light and breakouts weren't very frequent. Plus I was scared about being on Dianette for so long! After two months of Yaz I was having major breakouts on my cheeks where I had never had acne before. Eventually I just gave up and broke down so I'm back on Dianette despite the risks with Clindamycin to try to clear up existing acne. Yaz is primarily a form of birth control and its "effect" on acne was stumbled across randomly and as far as I can see, the clinical trials for Yaz and acne are far and few between. After going through hell on this pill I have decided to take the Dianette risk again for the sake of my skin and for the sake of my psychological well-being!
February 9, 2010
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
none
Cons:
mid cycle bleeding, NOT spotting, i need a pad like i have a really light period, acne got extremely BAD in spots I never had it before
Bottom line do NOT pay for this birth control if you don't have severe acne. And if you do, then remember it will take 3 to 6 months for it to kick in so your acne WILL get worse before it gets better. For me, it never got better. I took this pill for 7 days and i had a new acne spot on my face every single day. NOT COOL. Not only that but since going off it, it has completely cleared up! The only down fall to it is that I am still bleeding light. But I will take that over the way I was feeling. It made me feel so depressed and sad and I am so glad I went off it.
November 24, 2009
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
Typical birth control pros, Helpful for those with PCOS
Cons:
Acne has never been a problem for me, but after taking this pill, i have HORRIBLE acne! I couldn't believe it, I thought it would help my skin rather than hurt it.. I now have large hard pimples on my jaw line and chin!
I'm not certain if this will go away after a while. I have only taken it for a short time, so I am hoping things will change, but this acne has gotta go! - However thanks to great health care the price is cheap, and the active ingredients make this great for those with pcos.
November 11, 2009
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
clear skin big boobies (:
Cons:
i feek tired all the time. sometimes i feel worthless to the point of sucidal thoughts
EVERY girl is different. we all react different so give it a shot and see what happens
Pros:
No weight gain