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
August 13, 2009
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Cons:
breakout(all under the skin, so bumpy effect), especially forehead and a lot on upper neck, behind ears.
Increase facial hair =( not v. noticeable
breakout bleeding for the whole first month.
Now that I think about it, it really has increased my acne. It may just be during bleeding though... and maybe the pill needs a few months to work.
August 12, 2009
Pros:
Ligher periods hardley any cramping I'm getting a little of zits here and there but I think my body has to get used to it
Cons:
Makes me very sleepy
Use it its better than all the other products out there.
July 27, 2009
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
Lighter periods, breast tenderness is gone, predictable periods, less pain during period, not pregnant
Cons:
None really...it has worked very well for me.
Yasmin is the third pill i have tried i have been on it now for 9 months. The previous two pills that i tried were microgram and cilest both of which give me breast tenderness. Yasmin so far has been great. I have not put on any weight, however my boobs may have got bigger but this is to be expected with every pill. I think every pill that you are on will increase your appetite and this is something that should be controlled.
July 16, 2009
Pros:
I've had no side affects from using OTC. I've been using is for a few years and it has worked the whole time like magic!
Cons:
I have nothing bad to say about this product.
If you are looking to start taking Birth control, OTC is the way to go.
June 20, 2009
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
-not pregnant
-generic is only $5 with insurance
Cons:
-worst breakouts ever in places I've never had acne before
-constant hunger, resulting in weight gain
-longer, much heavier periods
I've been on this for 6 weeks after 4 weeks of Yaz and I am not impressed. The fact that it's birth control doesn't mean a whole lot when it makes you so fat and pimply no one wants to have sex with you anyway (kidding, kind of :P) If the acne hasn't cleared up by the end of this pack, I'm looking into something else
June 19, 2009
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
Boobs bigger, periods regular for the first time
Cons:
Made very mild acne into a terrible, crazy mess
I was really optimistic about trying this...I have had acne issues for about 12 years (since I was 12), and I thought maybe this would help out while at the same time regulating my period (which is why I went on it in the first place). HOWEVER, within several months, my face looked AWFUL. I was so upset, because my skin had been pretty consistently clear...just a little breakout around TOM, and some oilyness. Also, in the past I have only dealt with whiteheads and smaller zits...this gave me huge, angry, red pustules.
I told my dermatologist that I thought it was the yaz my gyno had prescribed; she waved that off, saying yaz was good for skin and that couldn't be the problem.
After I broke out in a horrible, itchy rash over my entire body, I went back to the gyno, who took me off of it. Sure enough, within a month, my skin had markedly improved and was back to normal after about six months.
June 18, 2009
Pros:
no children
Cons:
increase in acne
I had mild acne on my face, and would get what i refer to as tumors once a month so my doctor suggested ortho tri-cyclen. i have been on it for three months and my face still has mild acne, but my entire back has broken out with tumor pimples. i have never had a pimple on any other part of my body except my face, and now i have scars on my back from these pimples. i am going back to yak. yes, it costs an arm and a leg, but atleast i can show my back in public!
June 16, 2009
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
Made my boobs bigger.
Cons:
I keep breaking out very badly and my pimples are not going away, my boobs are extremely sore the week before and week of my period, I've gained a bit of weight and I have frequent mood swings. I am often depressed and now have poor self-confidence.
I've heard so many great reviews about Yasmin so I was ecstatic when my doctor put me on it. However, my skin was NEVER this bad before starting Yasmin and I've never broken out this badly. I've used this product for seven weeks now and people usually say they being seeing results after 2-3 months, so I guess I'll stick it out a little longer and see how it turns out.
May 19, 2009
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
Helped a bit with acne...but not really enough.
Cons:
Increased appetite, increased bust by a cup size and 1/2. (that may be a pro for some but not for me)
Mood swings
I think this drug has varied effects on everyone. For some, they lost weight. Some gained, some had better skin, some had worse. I gained weight, had mediocre skin, and for me it was not worth the side effects.
May 18, 2009
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
No pregnancy. No side effects except frequent mild headaches. Shorter periods. 2-3 days.
Cons:
No improvement in skin.
Skin is as bad or worse than before. Fewer side effects than other BC pills I have used.
Pros:
Prevents pregnancy. not been on long enough to tell. kept appetite down, if thats a symptom.