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
April 10, 2008
Cons:
little nausea, mood swings, my boobs are a little sore sometimes(but it's worth it!)
This BC has really helped my acne. I love it! On top of that, my boobs are a little bigger(1/2cup to 1cup size bigger depending on the time of the month). I haven't gained a pound, but I work out, though. It definitely prevents pregnancy! The nausea I can deal with, and the mood swings, well what woman doesn't have mood swings? Let's not blame it on the birth control, ladies! j/k :) I definitely recommend this product.
February 29, 2008
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
It work well with acne and it works fast
Cons:
None so far
I love Yasmin I have been on it now for only 2 weeks. I was on Yaz a lower hormon level pill that didn't help my acne and I took it for 4 months. But Yasmin has been such a great help wtih my acne. Now I only get 1 or 2 pimple here and there where as Yaz I was having major break outs day in and day out with no refiel. I don't have the mood swings or break threw bleeding either. I love this pill and recommend to it anyone looking to clear up your skin using birth control. Also if you have a good doctor they can write you a RX for 3 months worth at a time so you wont have to go back so much.
April 13, 2016
On and off and back on...
This is a review for ORTHO CYCLEN (not tri-cyclen). A quick back story/description- I have had mild to moderate acne since around 9th or 10th grade. My older brother had insanely severe cystic acne in which he took antibiotics for and that helped him until he got out of puberty and no longer needed them. I always had glowing skin and never thought I'd be bothered with blemishes... ha no I was wrong. I have tried countless home remedies, topical creams leftover from his bout with acne, etc. I got on Ortho Cyclen for contraceptive reasons in January of 2015. My skin was still not great until around late May/early June, in which it was next to flawless. From there on out I had very, VERY, minimal spots - were talking very small ones maybe 3 a week. So around December I had a bad breakup and kept forgetting to take my pill on time, causing breakthrough bleeding. I figured that since my acne was clear even while taking the pill inconsistently and I wasn't sexually active anymore I could get off the pill and my skin would be just fine. NOOO. I got off the pill completely January 1st 2016 (being inconsistent for about a month prior), 2 weeks later I was having the worst breakout I've ever experienced. It was so traumatizing. I tried everything and nothing was helping. I went to the pharmacy and got my script refilled and began taking the pills January 14th. Today is April 13th, and my skin, THANK GOD, has cleared up tremendously. I still have hyperpigmentation and some small bumps but my back is clear again and I'm finally getting comfortable in my own skin. Be aware that going off the pill will cause an imbalance. Oh and I had HORRIBLE mood swings for the first 2 months on the days leading up to my period, that did go away though. Give it 3 months, I know it might seem like forever but it's worth it. I'll update monthly if anything changes :)
Good luck everyone!
July 9, 2016
So its been about another 2 months since that post and things have been decent. I need to commit and stick to a gentle skincare regimen because I get upset over the smallest bump and try to dry out my whole face. :( I'm broken out now because I started using Panoxyl 10% all over my face and oooph did it dry me out. So my face and neck have been recovering with a little oil-free lotion and vaseline but we're done with benzoyl peroxide for now. I recently liked using Cetaphil Gentle Cleanser, Mario Badescu Glycolic toner, and also his spot treatment. With that routine I never needed a moisturizer and it really helped to calm down my skin. Up the sleep intake and I;m going to limit my dairy intake as well. I'll have a blog going on my page for anyone interested:) peace and love everyone . You're beautiful!
June 30, 2015
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Power through
Ok like most of you I never write reviews. I have always had moderate acne and usually severe around my periods. My obgyn suggested Yaz because of lower hormone levels whatever I'm not really sure..... All I know is I was not prescribed Yaz for acne! And omg I got the surprise of a lifetime when my face broke out so bad with horrible cystic acne all over my chin and jaw line....... I had 9 yes 9 cystic zits at once!!!! I got a new one everyday! So I read everyone's posts about waiting until the third month and it's no joke... I literally just started 3rd pack and like magic over night my growths dried up and are healing now?! The rest of My skin looks amazing it was just that one area. Anyways I'm posting this to tell you the products I used to at least keep them at bay and to keep yourself from crying every time you look in the mirror cause that's what I did.... And it seemed to speed up the process
So I always use Clinique 3step program twice a day acne solutions
I used a powerful clay mask mixed with Apple cider vinegar at night
Papaya enzyme scrub 3x a week
When I'd pop the zits I used a antiseptic cream to kill any bacteria but don't leave it on cause it's oily
Baking soda with water to decrease their size 2x a day
Aloe right after wards just 100% aloe but same rinse it off after ten minutes
up and up 10 benzoyl peroxide clearing cream stuff
And finally obey your body radiance peel 3x a week followed by their daily moisturizer
I don't care if you think this is a lot of products when your face looked as disgusting as mine did you would understand....
Also we all have different skin so my skin can handle lots of products start slow and ease into each one. Another thing that helped was I never wore makeup over them as gross as it is they need to breathe and they looked worse with makeup anyways
Good luck!!
September 12, 2014
Cleared up my skin and grew boobs!
I am sixteen years old and I have suffered from acne since I started puberty around 11 years old. In the past couple of years, my acne has become more severe across my cheeks, forehead, and every where in between. I had tried many types of acne treatments including seeing a dermatologist and buying perscription medications. Nothing seemed to be clearing up my acne like I wanted it to. I realized that not matter how much I cleaned my face and used different treatments, the acne would not go away because it was directly related to my hormones. I talked to my parents and we decided to try the pill. The first couple of cycles on this pill were hard on me. My acne had become so severe the first couple of months on the pill that I was embarressed to go to school. After a few more months, I noticed a big difference in my skin. The pimples were getting a lot smaller and there were not as many. My acne was being healed. Now, I am on my fifth cycle and I only break out a little around my period. I am so glad I decided to take this birth control. My skin looks so much better and I am more confident. For me, some other advantages to taking this pill were my cramps and migraines around my period are completely gone. My boobs have also gone from an A to C cup.. so that's pretty cool too. I would recommend this pill to anyone who has hormonal acne. The results are different for everyone but I can assure you that it has worked for me.
July 25, 2014
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Brilliant!
Yasmin cleared my 'mild' acne that although I was told didn't show and was nothing,caused me a great deal of distress. Dianette did not work at all and spironolactone had stopped being as effective. The only bother I have us during my weeks break which I quite often skip now. Highly recommended. Took a a few weeks to show full improvement but never got worse.
November 25, 2013
This worked for my cystic acne!
Pros:
Results almost immediately!
cleared painful, cystic acne
no bad side effects so far (2 months in)
Cons:
Slight weight gain (5 pounds?)
I never write these reviews for things but have to for this because after much hesitation I went on Ortho-Tri Cyclen for my cystic acne and it has been the only thing that's cured in in 4+ years of trying! Like many women i was hesitant to try the pill for acne because of weight gain/other side effects' well, i have been on it for a little over a month and a half now and i saw results immediately and they have steadily improved since then. Now the only thing left on my face is really bad acne scarring (i still use makeup to cover it up) but am starting laser treatments for it soon. Also helpful - i use baking soda as a physical and chemical exfoliant followed by honey every night, and only moisturize with coconut oil. I have to believe this has helped give my skin the awesome glow it has now. Gained a few pounds despite being a varsity athlete in college - but I'd say overall its worth it. Give it a chance as it helped me so much when i thought I had no options left besides accutane. I was wrong!
August 6, 2013
Happy with the results
Pros:
acne clears up, less oily skin
lighter period (3 days max)
no weight gain, no mood swings
Cons:
have to remember to take it everyday
initial breakout at the beginning
I'm a 22 year old college student and I've been taking this pill for 7 months now. The main reason I decided to go on the pill was to get rid of my acne. I had moderate acne and I would use makeup to cover up my flaws and the scars it left behind. My acne would also get really bad when I was stressed in school. I had tried others and didn't seem to work so I decided to give it a shot. I still remember the first month I didn't see much improvement, on the contrary my acne got slightly worse but by the end of the second month I started to see results. As of now, I've gotten rid of 90 percent of my acne. I say this because I still have the occasional pimple here and there(especially when my period is coming). sometimes even 2 or 3 but it's not as bad as before and they go away pretty quickly within a day or two. I still wear makeup to cover up my acne marks but my skin doesn't break out like before. With the combination of a good face wash(morning and night) and this pill I've seen great improvement. I didn't feel like I gained any weight from this pill nor has it caused me to have any cravings. Didn't have any bad side effects. I wear contact lenses and didn't experience any issues in my vision. I think this pill is great and would recommend it to other girls. Don't give up. To any girl who feels discouraged: you should at least stick with it for 3 months to see complete results :) Hope this helped!
July 28, 2012
Pros:
-Boobs grew
-Lighter and shorter period
-Appetite changed (barely hungry)
-No weight gain
-Cleared skin
-Increased sex drive
Cons:
-None so far
Its working greatly for me although some of my pros may be considered cons. Everyone is different I have a friend on the same pill and she is feeling complete opposite.
April 9, 2012
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
Weight loss, acne control for the first two years, birth control
Cons:
Intense painful deep acne in the 3rd and ongoing years, poor circulation, always cold, intense mood swings and deep depression and anxiety, pain in the legs indicating possible blood clots.
Bottom line is I would STRONGLY advise finding another method of birth control/acne prevention, anything really besides this drug. Not only are there obvious possible side effects such as the blood clotting, but I could not believe the emotional roller coaster I was on while on this medication. I was seriously considering going to therapy for depression ad anxiety because I could not understand why I was always feeling so anxious and having weekly meltdowns for no reason. Since switching I have an actual appetite, I am remarkably happier, have less acne and a much warmer body temperature! I understand there are risks with each oral contraceptive you choose, I just highly advise otherwise especially if it's simply for acne prevention!
Pros:
helped acne, no weight gain, bigger boobs