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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5
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4
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3
21.1%
2
14%
1
9.5%

Used Oral Contraceptives? Rate It:

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April 10, 2008

Pros:

helped acne, no weight gain, bigger boobs

Cons:

little nausea, mood swings, my boobs are a little sore sometimes(but it's worth it!)

This BC has really helped my acne. I love it! On top of that, my boobs are a little bigger(1/2cup to 1cup size bigger depending on the time of the month). I haven't gained a pound, but I work out, though. It definitely prevents pregnancy! The nausea I can deal with, and the mood swings, well what woman doesn't have mood swings? Let's not blame it on the birth control, ladies! j/k :) I definitely recommend this product.
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April 13, 2016
On and off and back on...
This is a review for ORTHO CYCLEN (not tri-cyclen). A quick back story/description- I have had mild to moderate acne since around 9th or 10th grade. My older brother had insanely severe cystic acne in which he took antibiotics for and that helped him until he got out of puberty and no longer needed them. I always had glowing skin and never thought I'd be bothered with blemishes... ha no I was wrong. I have tried countless home remedies, topical creams leftover from his bout with acne, etc. I got on Ortho Cyclen for contraceptive reasons in January of 2015. My skin was still not great until around late May/early June, in which it was next to flawless. From there on out I had very, VERY, minimal spots - were talking very small ones maybe 3 a week. So around December I had a bad breakup and kept forgetting to take my pill on time, causing breakthrough bleeding. I figured that since my acne was clear even while taking the pill inconsistently and I wasn't sexually active anymore I could get off the pill and my skin would be just fine. NOOO. I got off the pill completely January 1st 2016 (being inconsistent for about a month prior), 2 weeks later I was having the worst breakout I've ever experienced. It was so traumatizing. I tried everything and nothing was helping. I went to the pharmacy and got my script refilled and began taking the pills January 14th. Today is April 13th, and my skin, THANK GOD, has cleared up tremendously. I still have hyperpigmentation and some small bumps but my back is clear again and I'm finally getting comfortable in my own skin. Be aware that going off the pill will cause an imbalance. Oh and I had HORRIBLE mood swings for the first 2 months on the days leading up to my period, that did go away though. Give it 3 months, I know it might seem like forever but it's worth it. I'll update monthly if anything changes :) Good luck everyone!
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El4cure
July 9, 2016
So its been about another 2 months since that post and things have been decent. I need to commit and stick to a gentle skincare regimen because I get upset over the smallest bump and try to dry out my whole face. :( I'm broken out now because I started using Panoxyl 10% all over my face and oooph did it dry me out. So my face and neck have been recovering with a little oil-free lotion and vaseline but we're done with benzoyl peroxide for now. I recently liked using Cetaphil Gentle Cleanser, Mario Badescu Glycolic toner, and also his spot treatment. With that routine I never needed a moisturizer and it really helped to calm down my skin. Up the sleep intake and I;m going to limit my dairy intake as well. I'll have a blog going on my page for anyone interested:) peace and love everyone . You're beautiful!
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September 12, 2014
Cleared up my skin and grew boobs!
I am sixteen years old and I have suffered from acne since I started puberty around 11 years old. In the past couple of years, my acne has become more severe across my cheeks, forehead, and every where in between. I had tried many types of acne treatments including seeing a dermatologist and buying perscription medications. Nothing seemed to be clearing up my acne like I wanted it to. I realized that not matter how much I cleaned my face and used different treatments, the acne would not go away because it was directly related to my hormones. I talked to my parents and we decided to try the pill. The first couple of cycles on this pill were hard on me. My acne had become so severe the first couple of months on the pill that I was embarressed to go to school. After a few more months, I noticed a big difference in my skin. The pimples were getting a lot smaller and there were not as many. My acne was being healed. Now, I am on my fifth cycle and I only break out a little around my period. I am so glad I decided to take this birth control. My skin looks so much better and I am more confident. For me, some other advantages to taking this pill were my cramps and migraines around my period are completely gone. My boobs have also gone from an A to C cup.. so that's pretty cool too. I would recommend this pill to anyone who has hormonal acne. The results are different for everyone but I can assure you that it has worked for me.
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November 25, 2013
This worked for my cystic acne!

Pros:

Results almost immediately!
cleared painful, cystic acne
no bad side effects so far (2 months in)

Cons:

Slight weight gain (5 pounds?)

I never write these reviews for things but have to for this because after much hesitation I went on Ortho-Tri Cyclen for my cystic acne and it has been the only thing that's cured in in 4+ years of trying! Like many women i was hesitant to try the pill for acne because of weight gain/other side effects' well, i have been on it for a little over a month and a half now and i saw results immediately and they have steadily improved since then. Now the only thing left on my face is really bad acne scarring (i still use makeup to cover it up) but am starting laser treatments for it soon. Also helpful - i use baking soda as a physical and chemical exfoliant followed by honey every night, and only moisturize with coconut oil. I have to believe this has helped give my skin the awesome glow it has now. Gained a few pounds despite being a varsity athlete in college - but I'd say overall its worth it. Give it a chance as it helped me so much when i thought I had no options left besides accutane. I was wrong!
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August 6, 2013
Happy with the results

Pros:

acne clears up, less oily skin
lighter period (3 days max)
no weight gain, no mood swings

Cons:

have to remember to take it everyday
initial breakout at the beginning

I'm a 22 year old college student and I've been taking this pill for 7 months now. The main reason I decided to go on the pill was to get rid of my acne. I had moderate acne and I would use makeup to cover up my flaws and the scars it left behind. My acne would also get really bad when I was stressed in school. I had tried others and didn't seem to work so I decided to give it a shot. I still remember the first month I didn't see much improvement, on the contrary my acne got slightly worse but by the end of the second month I started to see results. As of now, I've gotten rid of 90 percent of my acne. I say this because I still have the occasional pimple here and there(especially when my period is coming). sometimes even 2 or 3 but it's not as bad as before and they go away pretty quickly within a day or two. I still wear makeup to cover up my acne marks but my skin doesn't break out like before. With the combination of a good face wash(morning and night) and this pill I've seen great improvement. I didn't feel like I gained any weight from this pill nor has it caused me to have any cravings. Didn't have any bad side effects. I wear contact lenses and didn't experience any issues in my vision. I think this pill is great and would recommend it to other girls. Don't give up. To any girl who feels discouraged: you should at least stick with it for 3 months to see complete results :) Hope this helped!
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July 28, 2012

Pros:

-Boobs grew
-Lighter and shorter period
-Appetite changed (barely hungry)
-No weight gain
-Cleared skin
-Increased sex drive

Cons:

-None so far

Its working greatly for me although some of my pros may be considered cons. Everyone is different I have a friend on the same pill and she is feeling complete opposite.
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October 3, 2011

Pros:

Less Acne
Crazy sex Drive
Slightly Bigger Breasts (naturally big so I can't really tell if they got bigger)

Cons:

Very Minor Headaches but I think that's because I'm just dehydrated.
Feel Nauseous sometimes but that is because I'm too much in a rush to eat food with the pill in the morning.
Possible slight weight gain but that's not a problem.

Remember to ALWAYS drink A LOT of water and eat food with the pill! Water is the answer for everything! If you are having really bad side effects, it's probably because the dosage is either too high therefore your body isn't used to it or because you are dehydrated. I'm almost 17 years old. I haven't really had any side effects. If i did gain weight its not much to worry about for me because it isn't much of a difference and i can maintain my weight pretty well. I love ortho-cyclen so far and been on it for half a month. I thought i would've had very bad side effects just because that is my usual luck with anything oral, especially oral acne medication like doxyclen and minocyclen with major headaches and minocyclen actually turned my gums gray! It looked like i had gum disease! I'm glad i researched it and found out that it's a pretty rare but possible side effect. Regardless any pill is usually an antibody and antibodies are meant to kill bad things but also kill essential good bacteria! Orthocyclen has made my boyfriend really happy and we couldn't have more of an amazing sex life! We are both glad we can know we can have sex anytime with me being safe. P.S. the only reason i rate this 4 out of 5 is because I just really hate taking pills and putting anything into my body. Anyways, it's really not that hard to remember taking it because if you love your pill, you love the idea of just being protected; so trust me - You'll remember every day!
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September 19, 2011

Pros:

lighter periods
pregnancy prevention
larger breasts
inexpensive

Cons:

a little weight gain
possible moodiness?

I barely noticed any side effects for this birth control. I don't remember feeling any extreme pain or discomfort, and it's a reliable form of protection. Some friends that are girls as well as my boyfriend noticed a change in my breast size, and there was a small change in my weight, but there have been no side effects that have made me want to consider coming off this prescription. I don't have any acne to begin with, so i can't say if it helps clear that up or not, however it didn't give me any either. Overall, it has been working for me and i will consider to use it. Hope this helped! :)
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December 23, 2010

Pros:

I only felt nauseous the first week or so
No babies
No weight gain so far

Cons:

Tired
Made my acne worse!
Lessened my sex drive
Break-through bleeding

I got off Apri last January because I had gained 25lbs during the two years I was on it. I almost instantly lost the weight. However, I started breaking out for the first time in my life. I got back on birth control in November, hoping it will help with my acne. I've been on Ortho Tri-Cyclen for about a month now and have had the worst acne of my life. Literally a nightmare. I am hoping it will change in the next few months, and that I can hold out until it does! My mood seems fairly normal which is why I really want to give OTC a change before switching to something else.
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December 14, 2010

Pros:

helps control acne breakouts
eases cramps
regulates period

Cons:

weight gain? Actually, I haven't gained weight, but I cannot seem to lose weight, either, even when dieting stringently.

I like the birth control alot (I'm on ortho cyclen). It really helps with my hormonal acne, but I've just learned -- unfortunately by trying it out-- that skipping a period by taking all active blue pills, can cause you to break out really badly. It sucks because I've been on this bc for about 7 months, and my skin was doing really, really well -- getting better every month. But then I skipped a period and all hell broke lose. I'm in the second month after skipping and its starting to calm down. I won't skip in the future, and hopefully my skin will be nice again :)
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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:

  • Look at before and after photos, the more the better, especially patients with similar scarring to your own.
  • Be realistic about results. Look for improvement, not a cure.

Questions to ask a potential scar revision specialist:

  • Are you board certified? Be certain that they are board certified.
  • How long have you been performing these procedures? Normally, the more experience the better, however, some younger surgeons may be more on top of the latest procedures.
  • Can I speak to some of your other patients? Ask for references for several patients who had similar scarring and speak to them about the process and their satisfaction with results.

Red flags:

  • Their story changes: As you discuss different treatment options, if they tend to change their mind easily, or agree with whatever you say, consider this a red flag. A confident, experienced surgeon will possess strong, unwavering opinions.
  • Your gut tells you "no": Trust your gut. If you just don't feel that the doctor is the right fit, trust that and move on. On the other hand, if you feel they are the perfect specialist for you, trust that feeling.
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