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 19, 2007
Cons:
gained 5 pounds, nausea
i have only been on tricyclen for 3 months now, and it is working great the only thing that i hate is the cravings for chocolate and junk food and i am still getting very bad nausea. my acne has cleared up a bit but i still breakout often. i have had acne since i was 13 and it sucks and i dont know if it will ever go away but this is defenatly helping a bit. i am also using a acne face wash consitting of systlic acid, and that has been opkay as well
August 14, 2007
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
Boobs are bigger, no spot bleeding or terrible cramps, and my cystic acne has cleared up (so far!) I usually break out when im ovulating, which this pill stops. My doctor told me this pill acts as a diuretic and shouldnt make me gain weight. hmm...
Cons:
I'm not sure about the weight gain, though i fear i might be (i've only been on it for a few weeks so it's too early to tell). I do have a few little pimples, but nothing compared to the cysts I used to get.
Birth control is gonna suck no matter what, we're messing with nature here. Anytime we alter out hormones, it is bound to show up on our face (could be good or bad, depending on the person.) Overall, I have been satisfied with the effects on my skin. Give this product AT LEAST three months to kick in and go with the flow of your body. Of all the birth controls out there, this seems to be doing its job without too many side effects.
August 3, 2007
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
No PMS, big boobs yay!! Not much weight gain, I think my skin may be getting better, need to use it for a few more months. High sex drive.
Cons:
Spotting and horrible depression, but there are pills for that too!!! Tired all the time and no appetite, but that could be the other pills too.
All birth control pills are sh*tty, women are supposed to get pregnant and we shouldn't be messing around with fate; so I guess there will be consequenses right? Yah I am nuts. ANy who, I haven't met a pill yet that doesn't make me depressed, but at least things are alot less stressful now when it comes to having sex.
July 22, 2007
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
regular/lite flow, no major cramps, no weight gain, gives me more peace of mind...no babies! :)
Cons:
very, very little pills (sucks if you drop one)
All and all i would reccomend yasmin, it was the second pill i tried and it definitly made more pierods more regular and pretty lite. I have always had bad skin, but i think since i've been on it it has been better (or it might be my face cream?), but i know it definitly did not make it worse. i think it made me a little more hungry the week before my pierod, but its alright bc i know when that week will be every month. I dont think i get mooody or depressed on it, but i also take it at night so i may not notice as much. with insurance it is only $15, but i dont have insurance this month so im curious to see how much.
July 1, 2007
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
No nausea, weight gain, pms symptoms all relieved, sex drive intact
Cons:
terrible acne infection on face
Will continue to use if I can eliminate initial acne with an antibiotic.
June 29, 2007
Pros:
No acne, no irregular periods
Cons:
weight gain, lower sex drive
I have been on Ortho Tri-cyclen Lo for 2 years and I began spotting so my doctor took me off of it. I have always been really small but after about 3 months on it i gained 10 lbs. I've never had an acne problem but I didn't gain any more pimples. Other than the weight gain I was happy with this pill until I started spotting.
June 22, 2007
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
I have now been on YAZ for 3 months and ALL of my PMS/PMDD symptoms have disappeared.
Cons:
The only bad side effect has been a lower sex drive, but my husband and I agree that my sanity is most important. We have a strong relationship and can work out the sex issue.
I am 47 & had been experiencing perimenopauseal symptoms' mood swings, crying, anger, anxiety & depression. I had not had severe PMS/PMDD problems since in my early 20's. My doctor wanted to put me on anti-depressants, but I wanted to get to the root of the problem. I tried natural options, soy, exercise, herbs'I saw slight improvement. Then over the last yr & 1/2 I have taken 5 birthcontrols. I experienced breast pain, bloating, migraine headaches & still PMS/PMDD! I cried, avoided friends & family, quit activities I normally enjoyed. I researched PMS & found that those who had PMS in their teens/20's could see it return during Perimenopause. I found out about YAZ and it's treatment of PMS/PMDD. I thank the Lord for this product! This is the 3rd month I've taken it and ALL of my symptoms have disappeared! I strongly encourage women who are in their 40's & are experiencing PMS/perimenopauseal symptoms to ask your doctor about YAZ. It worked for me!
June 14, 2007
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
i didnt get pregnant & my period was shorter with less cramps.
Cons:
INTENSE mood swings, SEVERE acne (i do not have acne and yasmin made my face disgusting like completely covered in acne), also weight gain.
this pill was a nightmare. be careful. this was the first pill i tried and now i dont want to ever go on birth control again because of the side effects of this one.
May 31, 2007
Pros:
breast growth, clearer skin, and weight loss
Cons:
nausea, occasional light-headedness, mood swings
i've always had a problem with heavy periods since i inherited the flow from my mom, and having to wear two tampons at once isn't very comfortable and the subconsious feeling is terrible during school. so my periods have been lighter since i started taking ortho tri-cyclen and my skin looks noticably clearer and brighter. another plus is my breasts have grown noticably within 2 months from a C to a D
May 31, 2007
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
I have probs with adult acne on my chin/cheeks, and nothing I have tried...skin medicine or other pills..does a thing, yet Yasmin makes my skin perfect. I also lose weight on this pill.
Cons:
Nausea in the morning, total loss of sex drive, and worst of all, intense, uncontrllable anger and depression out of nowehere.
I took this pill a couple years ago for about a year. Long enough to clear up my skn and stop the vicious cycle of breakouts. Because of this, any scarring started to clear up, and even the entire next year I was off of it, my skin remained calm. Only after a BIG mistake...a spray on tan, did my acne flare up again horrible. a year and a half later, after nothing else working, I am back on Yasmn. One week into it, skin is the best ts been n a couple years again. If it only wasnt for the moods!
Pros:
regulated periods, lighter periods, little or no cramps, fuller breasts, prevents pregnancy,