Oral Contraceptives
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Oral contraceptives, otherwise known as birth control pills, are also approved to treat acne. They work by regulating male hormones in the female...

Oral contraceptives, otherwise known as birth control pills, are also approved to treat acne. They work by regulating male hormones in the female body. Less male hormones normally lead to less acne. 

Oral contraceptives contain an estrogen component (ethinyl estradiol) that is combined with progestin hormones, such as drospirenone (Yasmin® or Yaz®), norgestimate (Ortho Tri-Cyclen®) or norethindrone (Estrostep®). 

Oral contraceptives are taken once a day with a meal. Make sure to take the pill at the same time every day.

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1015
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5
22.7%
4
34.3%
3
21.2%
2
13.1%
1
8.8%

Used Oral Contraceptives? Rate It:

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November 13, 2009

Pros:

I know when my period will come within a 2 hour block. My breasts got bigger. I haven't gotten pregnant (we use condoms and the pill...my family is very fertile) Acne cleared up. no side effects

Cons:

My cramps got a bit worse-I didn't get cramps before. Possible weight gain-first time I've ever gained weight, may be from going to college but as a div 1 runner, I work out twice a day so weight gain was unexpected

Works great, no side effects, no bleeding between periods, you know exactly when your period will come and it helps acne
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November 11, 2009

Pros:

Increased breast size, helped clear acne, milder cramps

Cons:

Hair loss the first month I was on it, mood swings

I would recommend it but make sure it is not the generic version of ortho tri-cyclen, that stuff was horrible!
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10 user(s) found this helpful

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November 11, 2009

Pros:

Haven't gotten pregnant, less acne, and less cramps

Cons:

For the first month or so I was a little irritable. Other than that, It's been great.

Great Product.
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2 user(s) found this helpful

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November 10, 2009

Pros:

Cleared my face up, Less Cramps, Made my breasts grow a little more, Can Enjoy unprotected sex with my boyfriend now.

Cons:

Tenderness in my breasts, a little more emotional then usual, slight nausea in the first week.

This is the first bc I have ever used, so far, so good. It has not caused me any problems at all.
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November 9, 2009

Pros:

Cleared acne, and free through planned parenthood or just $5/month through Cal State University system.

Cons:

very low libido

low dose hormonal contraception is known to lower testosterone levels, and that's how they get rid of acne. Nothing ever got rid of my acne. After a few months of being on the pill my acne lessened and healed. Unfortunately, testosterone is also responsible for libido. Although it rid me of acne, it also rid me of my sex life. So I went off the pill, and sure enough a few months later I was broken out again. Since I figure my acne is purely hormonal, I'm trying special diets in an effort to prevent the acne from within.
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5 user(s) found this helpful

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November 8, 2009

Pros:

regulate periods, possibly clearing of face, comfort having unprotected sex with my bf

Cons:

tender breast, possible breast increase (they were already huge), possible bloat

I was just introduced Natural Family Planning and i beleive that its a wonderful thing. No side affects at all. Its a great recommendation :)
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November 5, 2009

Pros:

Cleared up my acne significantly. Also regulated and diminished the effects of my period.

Cons:

Mild to moderate nausea during first week of each pack.

I have had acne for nearly 10 years and this is the ONLY thing that has made people actually notice a decrease in my acne. I've actually had friends say things like, "Wow, you're skin has really cleared up!" after 3 weeks on this pill without changing anything else about my skin care routine (except that I also cut back on smoking, which helped a lot as well!) I still get a few zits when I'm actually on my period, but for the whole week before and during my period I used to get acne so bad all over my face that it was actually painful. This made such a difference! But, it won't work for everyone.. some people's acne is not caused by hormones, so birth control will have no effect. If you tend to get more breakouts around your period, I definitely recommend trying this.
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26 user(s) found this helpful

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November 5, 2009

Pros:

Very light periods with no cramps,no noticable weight gain drastically improved acne condition, bigger breasts.

Cons:

very, very emotional for the first 3 or 4 months. possible loss of muscle tone.

I'm 18 years old and have been using tri-cyclen since I was 14 and havent thought of switching. It works great for me, i hardly noticed my period and it improved my acne for years. I'm not sure how it has affected my weight or muscle because I've been on it for so long. works great for acne!
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November 3, 2009

Pros:

clear skin!!!!!!! that's the most important thing of all :)

Cons:

slight weight gain, boo :(

it works for me...it took about 2 months to notice a change and every month after that my skin got better and better. It's now been a year since I started taking it and I rarely get break outs. I suddenly got adult acne at the age of 25 and it got REALLY bad (moderately severe cystic, nodules, blackheads, and all over my face and neck)....a year later I'm back to normal and sooooo happy :)
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6 user(s) found this helpful

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October 30, 2009

Pros:

Not pregnant, seriously cleared up my acne (no more cysts or painful whiteheads), bigger breasts

Cons:

i believe i am a bit more moodier towards the end of the pack but nothing too drastic!

try it. won't hurt!
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13 user(s) found this helpful

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