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
September 10, 2008
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Cons:
mood swings, weight gain (20lbs), raised blood pressure
I started taking Yaz to treat PCOS symptoms. I use it to treat facial/body hair issues, diffuse scalp hair thinning, acne, and mood issues related to PCOS. I started with Ortho and gained 10lbs in 2wks. Doc switched me to Yaz, telling me it won't cause more weight gain. He was wrong 10 MORE pounds later, I'm miserable. My skin is clear but my scalp hair is still thin and coming out by the handful. My moods are stable half the month, the other half of the month is scary. My blood pressure went up on Yaz and I'm now officially pre-hypertensive. I'm making an appt to ask Doc if I can forget the Yaz and just stick to Metformin for my PCOS.
September 2, 2008
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
Yasmin is the only way I have found to stabilize my hair loss. I went on Yasmin 9 years ago. Recently my Dr. took me off and sure enough my hair started to fall out again. I am back on but need to get my BP under control.
Cons:
When I go to the Dr.'s I sometimes have borderline high blood pressure, now Dr. is always saying that I might not be able to stay on pill.
Great, if it agrees with your body chemistry.
August 24, 2008
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
Cleared up my skin. My skin glow now! Up'd my sex drive. Bigger, firmer boobs. I am 35 and my best self ever - better skin, better body, better sex, better sex and better sex. Go girls. Let the dogs sniff behind you all the time.
Cons:
None.
Love it. Love it. Love it!
August 15, 2008
Pros:
Helped a severe acne problem, regulated periods, no weight gain
Cons:
Occasional breakthrough bleeding, breast tenderness
Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo has done wonders for my skin! My acne was becoming so severe, I was considering taking accutane. After about of a year of the pill, my acne has improved tremendously, though it is still not perfectly clear. However, because of the breakthrough bleeding, I am about to switch to regular Ortho Tri-Cyclin, and am slightly nervous about it.
There seem to be many negative posts here, keep in mind people review a product more often because they want to complain, not to praise. Though every body is different, this worked great for me, and wasn't an overload of hormones. RECOMMENDED!
July 17, 2008
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
prevents pregnancy, 100% clear skin in 3 1/2-4 months, boobs grew about a cup size
Cons:
loss of sex drive for the first month or two, loss of vaginal fluid (mostly after period and when i first started the pill), still have blackheads
about a month after i started taking yaz my skin started to clear up, then 2 months after that the acne that i had on my face (a few cysts on each cheek, probably one or two around my chin) was healing but I could really tell that there was nothing else going to form. Now it is a month from when that happened and i havent gotten one cyst. I restarted minocycline around the time i started with yaz as well and i have drastically changed my skincare routine too. I think these have helped with my amazing results. I reacted very well to minocycline the fist time i took it and going off it was why i got severe acne on my cheeks again.
also, i am not completely sure of what i pay for it, my parents usually get it for me.
July 12, 2008
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
My periods are lighter, and I have not gotten pregnet
Cons:
Horrible breakouts,cramping in between periods,always hungry.
I had moderate acne before I got on this. When I first started it only cleared up a little. Then shortly after i started getting these huge welt like Bumps all over. after a while it would clear up in one spot then break out horribly in another. It is the most painful acne I have ever had. I DO NOT recommend this product and can`t belive it even had gone up in price dramatically. I am getting on some new stuff ASAP
July 9, 2008
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
works well enough for pms
Cons:
Horrible horrible acne
I have never had this much acne in my life! totally not worth it. Im going to ask my doctor if i can try Yaz and see if it works better than Yasmin
June 27, 2008
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
Shorter, lighter periods
Virtually no cramping
Affordable
Cons:
Worse Mood swings
Acne Breakouts
I'm really not crazy about this stuff. I've been on it for almost a year now. It was suggested that I give it a chance to regulate my system and things would eventually even out. Nope. It seems like the longer I'm on it, the worse things are getting. Went from having little acne to breaking out something horrible (always on week 2). Went from minor mood swings to major ones (again, always on week 2). My annual is coming up and along with having my hormone levels checked, I am going to switch brands. Just not working for me.
June 13, 2008
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
none!
Cons:
really bad acne, nausea, mood swings
i started using yasmin after coming off estelle 35D which actually made me quite depressed. i expected the nausea at the beginning but it kept coming back even after 2 months. i took the pill in the morning and the nausea would hit in the middle of the day. i kept feeling like i had air stuck in my throat, like i needed to throw up but couldn't. i was light-headed and would sleep as soon as i came back from work. i used estelle 35D to clear up my skin and it really worked, i had perfect skin afterwards. however the depression was quite bad and so i stopped taking it. pimples came back but they weren't bad. yasmin however gave my full blown acne. i've just started brevinor which i've found is a lot better.
June 5, 2008
Pros:
Cleared skin, period seemed lighter
Cons:
heavy cramps, bloating, moodswings
I just started using OTC a month ago so hopefully there will be more positive changes.
Pros:
Clear skin, slows facial/body hair growth, regular periods