Oral Contraceptives
Hormonal Therapy
Reviews
3.3
2743 Reviews
Oral Contraceptives
Hormonal Therapy
Efficacy
63%
Based on All Available Studies
Strength of Evidence
1
2
3
4
5
Note: Improvement significantly increases after 24 weeks.
Oral Contraceptives
Hormonal Therapy
Side Effects
High
Oral Contraceptives
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.
Oral Contraceptives
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.
Read All About Oral Contraceptives
Compare To Other Treatments
5
19.7%
4
30.4%
3
21.8%
2
16%
1
12%

Used Oral Contraceptives? Rate It:

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March 8, 2007
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)

Pros:

lighter period and always on time, milder menstrual cramps

Cons:

less sex drive, decreased ability to clear infection?

Great for menstrual cycle associated problems. Don't know for sure if this is due to yasmin, but for the first time in my life I had a viral infection I could not clear for 2 weeks.
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March 7, 2007
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)

Pros:

less acne, bigger boobs (good for me), not pregnant!

Cons:

weight gain (ALOT), no appetite, moody, depressed, dry skin, no sex drive, LOOOONG periods

I went on yasmin to clear up my acne...and that is exactly what it did. After 3 months, I was just left with scars. I'm on my sixth month now, and I've had my period for 2 months straight, HEAVY. Now if you can handle the depression, mood swings, constant bleeding, low sex drive, and weight gain...then go for it. And everyone is different, so it may work for you. I'm going to go on Accutane now, yasmin didn't work for me. (IF YOU ARE ALREADY A DEPRESSED PERSON, DO NOT TAKE!!! SERIOUSLY!)
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March 2, 2007

Pros:

clear skin, regulates period

Cons:

mild weight gain

I took ortho tri-cyclen for about six months last year. One month, my pharmacy gave me the generic brand trinessa without informing me. I started taking trinessa, broke out horribly, and had terrible mood swings. For all of you who are saying your skin is breaking out please realize that the generic versions of OTC are NOT THE SAME as the name brand. The name brand may be mpre expensive, but it is worth it. I am now on Ovcon 35, I was happy with it at first, but it has not done anything for my skin, and is causing mild breakouts, Im going to start OTC again next week.
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February 9, 2007
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)

Pros:

Really reduced my cramps and the days of my period to no more than 3 days.

Cons:

Horrible ACNE @ the age of 34!

I'm changing due to acne problems. When I asked my Dr. about it, he claimed tha Yasmin was rated for clearing up ACNE by the FDA. I could NOT believe it. I have had nothing but major breakouts! Beware!
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January 25, 2007

Pros:

So far is clearing up my skin, no nausea, lighter periods, much less cramping.

Cons:

I get moody like a crazy person.

I am thinking of switching to Ortho Lo to attempt to lessen the mood swings before my boyfriend kicks me to the curb. However, I am just starting my third month and am wondering if perhaps I should wait it out a little bit. Any suggestions? Does Ortho Lo work as well for acne?
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January 16, 2007

Pros:

Minor cramps with period, no real serious mood swings, no depression

Cons:

helped my skin a little, but still get acne now and then. The biggest con and why I'm getting of it is into the fourth month my sex drive just vanished.

Ive heard birth control can zap your sex drive among causing other serious problems, but OTC Lo sounded like it might not since the hormone doses are low, but losing your sex drive is worse than having to use condoms.
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January 15, 2007

Pros:

made my periods shorter and less painful, almost no cramps, didn't give me any stomach problems, no nausea, cleared up my acne after 3 months of continued use :0)

Cons:

expensive if you don't have insurance

I take Ortho Lo. I really like it. The Ortho Lo isn't proven to clear up acne, but I think that it has helped my complexion a lot! I started Retin A Micro around the same time as this pill. I noticed that my face was getting really bad. I stopped Retin A Micro after 2 months of using it cuz my face was look'n like totally horrible (really irritated, and red). After 2 weeks of stopping retin A, and continuing to use the Ortho Lo pills my skin has cleared up. I now just apply benzoyl peroxide at night. In the morning I just wash my face and apply my moisturizer and then my makeup and I'm good. I think that Ortho Lo has helped to clear up my face (I have moderate acne, but it got a lot worse while using Retin A).I don't know if these pills will help everyone, but it's worth it to give it a shot.
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January 13, 2007
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)

Pros:

no pregnancy

Cons:

HELP! I got acne... I don't get it, just out of nowhere! first I just had a few spots, but now it seems to get worser! I wanna cry!
and I've got blood for a few days now.

I'm on the end of the first month of yasmin and I don't know what to think about it. I don't like what I'm reading here. really don't know what to do.
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January 3, 2007
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)

Pros:

no babies, no wieght gain

Cons:

horrible mood swings, bad skin, depression, nausea, headaches, swollen breasts, skipped periods

This pill turned me into a monster, an absolute monster. I would have horrible mood swings which would leave me either crying hysterically or screaming at my boyfriend. Hopefully I can begin to go back to normal now that I have stopped taking this pill. It does its job though as I am baby free.
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December 30, 2006
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)

Pros:

Bigger Breasts, Shortest Period Ever!
Less Tiredness than Diane 35

Cons:

SEVERE depression, non-malignant but itchy lumps in breasts, trouble focusing vision, altered breathing patterns, tiredness, hopelessness

I went on Yasmin for PCOS. At the time I was very happy to know that a progestin had been made that did not have an androgenic effect. What's unfortunate is that in this case, my "cure" had less desirable side-effects than the disease I was taking it to cure. What I don't understand is why the drospirenone (progestin in Yasmin) is at such high doses. Perhaps the aweful side-effects are not due to the type of progestin, but to it's extremely high dose. It has about 8X the progestin availability as for instance Tri-Cyclen. And I think the 30mcg of Estradiol is too high too. Why don't they make a Yasmin that has 20mcg of Estradiol and about .50mg of drospirenone? PLEASE DRUG COMPANIES HURRY UP AND MAKE SUCH A PRODUCT! HURRY HURRY HURRY
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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:

  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.
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