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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August 22, 2007
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)

Pros:

Not pregnant! You get to treat yourself to a larger bra size.

Cons:

Like any birth control I've taken, I get mood swings. Once I switched to taking it in the morning to taking it at night before I sleep, I was feeling much better. The first couple weeks that I took it, my period lasted 2 weeks...but I'm feeling fine.

My skin has always been fine. I have broken out with birth control in the past. Yasmin helped me maintain my clear skin. My libido actually went up because I've been losing weight on this pill. I'm 30 so I've tried a few other types of birth control. This one is my favorite so far. I plan to continue taking it.
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August 17, 2007

Pros:

prevents pregnancy, clear skin, regulated cycle

Cons:

headaches are horrible, yeast infections,mood swings.

TCL was the second brand of pill my Dr. tried, it's effectiveness in regulating my cycle was good, It also cleared up a few nagging pimples on my face. It caused me yeast infections and headaches, especially taking the last week of pills before my period! I'm hoping to discontinue them soon.
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July 28, 2007
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)

Pros:

Birth Control

Cons:

I broke out in little bumps (looked like sweat bumps) all over my cheeks. Depression, Mood Swings like CRAZY.. made me get angry all the time over nothing.

I got on this pill because most of my friends got on it and told me how it cleared their skin but it ended up messing up my hormones even more and made me break out all over my cheeks, once i stopped my skin cleared up. Mood swings and depression were another side effect. but i heard it works very well on other people so I guess it just depends what works for you..
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May 15, 2007
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)

Pros:

CLEARER SKIN ON YASMIN!

Cons:

SEVERE ACNE ONCE OFF YASMIN!

LISTEN UP LADIES!!! DO NOT TAKE YASMIN! THIS B/C SHOULD BE TAKEN OFF THE MARKET! THINK HARD BEFORE TAKING THIS PILL. I HAVE BEEN ON THIS PILL FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND HAVE HAD CLEAR SKIN. LAST OCT. I GOT OFF, TO TRY TO GET PREGNANT, IT IS MAY AND HAVE NOT GOTTEN PREGNANT AND NOW AM BATTLING SEVERE ACNE!
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May 9, 2007

Pros:

clearer skin
no side effects

Cons:

N/A

OK- here's my story. I never had acne until my senior year of high school and sporactically throughout college (18yrs old and up- I'm now 23). I went to a dermatologist and tried alot of different cures. Not until I started OrthoTriCyclen-Lo and combined it with Praxion-the generic brand of a sulfur based face wash called Plexion- (only problem with the facewash is you can't get it close to your eyes bc it really, really irritates them-otherwise, mention it to your dermo and see if he'll presecribe it-its awesome!) did my face clear up. I loved the regularity of my periods and my clear skin. i could finally leave the house w/o makeup. anyway...recently (2 months ago) my face started breaking out again--i don't know if it is due to the BC just not working like it had for the past year, or because I had stopped buying that face wash and switched to over the counter stuff. Well, I called my Gyno and got them to switch me to regular OTC- I got Trinessa-and refilled my Praxion-hope it works
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April 22, 2007
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)

Pros:

not on it long enough

Cons:

not on it long enough

Everyone needs to know that everyones body works a little different. That is why there are over 40 different kinds of birth control pills. So far, this one works great for me. I trust my doctor, and if it started to not work for me, I would tell him. He would try another one. I agree that sometimes certain meds aren't great with some people, but telling people that they souldn't go on something because of your experience is wrong. Please if your doctor says to try it, try it then if it is not working, switch!! Good luck.
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March 27, 2007

Pros:

No babies, breasts increased one cup size, no mood swings

Cons:

Didn't affect my skin at all (I was hoping for improvement), I still get cramps and bloating as I did without the pill

I used to take OTC and now take OTC Lo. OTC helped my acne; OTC Lo doesn't, which is ok because I'm taking an Clindamycin/Adapalene combo for my face and my skin looks better than it ever did on OTC. I like OTC Lo because it has kept me from becoming pregnant without causing any of the really bad side effects (mood problems, decreased sex drive, headaches) that I've had with previous pills.
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March 15, 2007
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)

Pros:

None

Cons:

panic attacks, mood swings, uncontrolable crying, depression, anger, anxiety.

I have been on Yaz for 6 months. In that time my normally happy and upbeat attitude has done a nose dive. I am depressed, cry for no reason, pick fights with my boyfriend, and I am overly sensitive about everything. It has had a destructive impact on my relationship with my boyrfriend and we might have broken up this week after a hysterical episode I had on Tuesday. The worst part is that I know this isn't who I am, and the harder I struggle to control the situation, the bigger the hole I seem to dig for myself. I have decided to go off Yaz after my current pack is done. Hopefully I will be able to repair my relationship with my boyfriend and get my life back in order. Kim
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March 12, 2007
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)

Pros:

I have yet to see any so far.

Cons:

I have been terribly irritible and weepy from the time that I have started them - which has only been 3 weeks. I mainly went on to clear up my skin and it has gotten terribly worse! Large cystic like zits around my mouth and on my checks!

I want to go off but I'm afraid it will all get worse.
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February 12, 2007
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)

Pros:

not pregnant

Cons:

mood swings, depression, less acne than before (used ceracette before but changed because of a lot more acne)

have used yasmine for about a month and things have been both good and bad, my boyfriend thinks I have been on a bad mood. but for last week everything have just fine. havn't felt anymore sideseffects.
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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.
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