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
June 13, 2011
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Cons:
I hate having a period every month and I don't think it helps with my monthly flare up acne. I think it makes me more tired around my time of the month too.
I switched from BC that was making me break out really bad to this. So no matter how weird I feel a few days a month, it is worth it to be acne free most of the month.
April 13, 2011
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
Fuller Breasts
Babyless
Cons:
Gave me acne.
Weight gain.
Sore breasts.
Back pain.
Nausea.
I've been taking yasmin for two packs now, and I've never felt so ugly. My face used to be pretty clear, and now it's covered in small whiteheads and fewer, but larger pimples. I felt bloated all the time and I gained weight while on the this pill. It generally sucked.
April 3, 2011
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
I'm not pregnant
Cons:
Tiredness
Hormonal- stresses and emotional
Serious acne flare up
The only pro I could find is that I'm not pregnant. However this could just be down to the fact that the state of my face makes me avoid any contact with boys at the moment.
I've taken two packs now and towards the end of the first one I experienced a breakout of small itchy whiteheads all over my jawline and cheeks. I took my 7 day break and then decided to start another pack. One week into that one and my chin has exploded with large cyst like pimples.
I regret taking yasmin, and even if this is an initial breakout, I was a lot happier with my light acne before i started this pill!
March 17, 2011
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
Kept my skin clear
Did not cause weight gain
I took this while on Accutane in 2008. I believe this is what actually kept my skin clear when I was no longer on Accutane. I was not even washing my face anymore. I got acne in my 30s. I am now 37. I stopped taking Yaz 6 months ago-thought I'd go "natural/hormone free." I also thought it would clear up the slight melasma I have. But I still have the melasma. And, even worse, I am been back in the derm's office for acne-again! I believe mine is hormonal and am having to start all over again with tretoinin (sp?), doxycyclin, and am started Yaz again today.
October 14, 2010
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
No acne, no babies, lighter period (4 days a month)
Cons:
Sever cramps (used to never cramp), complete loss of sex drive
Yaz was very effictiev, I never broke out and for a while my sex drive was fine. But I've been on it for almost 2 years if not more and my sex drive is completely gone, I have cramps that make me want to die, and I just want to switch to another birth control pill now.
October 7, 2010
Pros:
Lighter/Predictable periods,Not pregnat bra size wemt up a cup.
Cons:
Crazy migrains after period and horrible back aches during period, cysts like pimples all around chin and cheeks,mood swings, light weight gain.
So far I'm on my 4thmonth on the OTCL the thing that bothers me the most is the acne cysts. Never had bad skin before the pills so its driving me nuts :( and I get a lot of fresh pimples while I'm on the white pills its the worst so my self esteem is really low since on the pills.
While on my period back aches and migrains are really bad so I have to take pain killers. Even if I do so so hard to bare at work.
I have mood swings worse then before the pills sucks for my Bf lol light weight gain made me go from a A32 to a B34 lol
Waiting to go on my 5th month and if the acne cysts still won't go away I will switch.
August 25, 2010
Product used: LoEstrin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
-Clearned up body acne significantly
-no weight gain
-loss of cramps/pms
-no noticeable side effects
Cons:
-cleared up facial acne a little bit but not enough for me to want to stay on it
-major breakouts after stopped using it
-high cost
probably would work well for light-moderate acne. The cost eventually was too much, i wasnt satisfied enough to keep taking it. Started around 30 dollars a month, and the last few months I was on it it was 50 dollars a month. ridiculous!
May 18, 2010
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
Beginning to clear skin
Reducing redness
Cons:
Boobs very sore
I have been on Yaz for about 6 weeks now. The first 3 weeks weren't nice - my acne became worse that it had ever been. I returned to the doctor saying it wasn't working etc. She encouraged me to stick with it for a 3 month course and then re-assess my options. By about week 6 I have almost over night seen a turn around in my skin. It's not perfect yet, but redness is definitley reduced and it has minimised the areas on my face that are breaking out. I was discouraged at first but beginning to be very happy with this product. I suffer hormonal acne that came on severley almost overnight. My skin was clear one day and horrible the next and kept getting worse.
December 13, 2009
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
CLEARER SKIN. also lighter and shorter "periods" with less cramps. My self confidence is back :)
Cons:
None that i have experienced, despite the long list of side-effects which are associated with this pill. It was a little bit expensive, i paid $82 for a 3 month course.
This product takes time to work, but it is so worth it. After about 2 and a half months on yaz my skin was a lot clearer and i had no more breakouts. I was on minocycline (antibiotic) during the first 2 months which interupted the effectiveness of the pill. Once i stopped taking that, yaz kicked in and my skin started clearing up. It just needs time to adjust to your body, good luck!
November 25, 2009
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
Reliable birth control, increased bust size, no noticeable weight gain, no mood changes, no loss of sex drive
Cons:
Nausea, IBS/lactose intolerance, acne, increased urgency to urinate and urinary incontinence, increased rate of UTIs
I have tried several forms of birth control: Tri Cyclen Lo (gave me the worst acne ever), Desogen (perfect skin but insomnia), and Nuvaring (great for 2 years, then sudden acne). I took a year's break and then decided to try Yasmin. For the first 2 mos, I experienced some moderate acne. About 6 months in, I became lactose intolerant. I have eaten dairy products daily my entire life with no problem until Yasmin. I also started to get nausea every day, usu. in the morning. I have been sexually active for 6 yrs, and I had 1 UTI in the time before Yasmin, but in the 8 mos I've used this pill, I've probably had 10 UTIs. When I don't have one, going to bathroom is very urgent. My acne is back and worse than it was the first month of Yasmin, mostly on my forehead and chin/jawline. I have started to get chest pains, and I've decided it's no longer worth it to deal with the side effects. I'm going to try to switch to Dianette or maybe back to Desogen after finishing this pack.
Pros:
Helps with acne