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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March 9, 2010

Pros:

* improved acne
* regulated periods

Cons:

* weight gain, uncontrollable appetite

This might not be the same for everyone, but I've been a skinny girl for my entire life and still gained a good 10 pounds on this stuff, even after completely overhauling my diet, going to the gym and lifting weights three or four times a week, and drinking lots of water and black coffee every day. I even had to keep a bunch of cottage cheese stocked in my fridge just in case I woke up hungry in the middle of the night (which I did most nights). The day that my second period after quitting Ortho started, my appetite went back to normal just like that and I lost all the weight I gained and more over the next month without even trying. On the bright side, Ortho did motivate me to make a bunch of lifestyle changes to ward off the weight gain. I completely stopped drinking soda and started eating more whole grains, vegetables, and animal proteins, and I got lots of exercise and built up some muscle. I had a ton of energy and felt great overall, even though most of my clothes were uncomfortably tight. My skin was never better, too. After a few months, though, I finally got sick of fighting with my stomach and stopped taking Ortho. My skin turned back into pizza until I finally discovered the magic of Acne.org Treatment and talked to my doctor about Alesse, a low-estrogen BC pill, which hasn't caused any horrible side effects in the month so far that I've been on it. So, like, I'll probably review Alesse later. Bottom line: Ortho Tri-Cyclen made my face purty, also made me fat. I personally wouldn't take it again (and I went on it twice with the same outcome both times), but your results may vary.
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December 4, 2009

Pros:

Chest increased at LEAST a full cup size within first 3 weeks & I have a very slender body type. Helped clear skin somewhat..have not experienced weight gain besides chest. Had HORRIBLE cramps-now non existent. (huge relief). Sex drive still great.

Cons:

Chest is usually a little bit tender-but very worth it. i would have liked it to clear my skin more than it has, but it hasn't gotten worse so I can't complain really.

Every pill works different for different women, I found this works much better than my previous choice of "Alesse" which failed to give ANY relief of my terrible cramps or 7-9 day long period. I also tried Yaz for a month, and it was HORRENDOUS... I was not myself, I am a very easy-going, happy individual but when on Yaz I was extremely moody, on edge, and frustrated.. believe me-It is not worth the risk of how badly it can alter your mood... it was actually frightening. I would definitely recommend you at least try Ortho-Tricyclen.
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April 16, 2010

Pros:

* Acne is clearing up
* Only have a 4 day period
* Flow is light
*Not bad cramps
* Only cost $8
* Lost 8 pounds

Cons:

*Have not found any yet.

I started this birth control about two months ago. My boyfriends mom took me to the health department to get some BC. I was scared of gaining weight and getting even worse acne because it was already terrible. I have some scars on my face it was getting that bad. I was so happy when I noticed my acne was getting better gradually every day. I weighed myself just out of curiosity and I have lost 8 puonds. I have not worked out or even changed my eating habits yet. I also know that the Wal-Mart makeup, foundation, is not good for your acne AT ALL! The only kind that's ok for your face is Rimmel foundation. I also know that if you wash your face once a day, the best time is before bed, it doesn't take as much of the natural oils out. If you wash your face too much you'll take the natural oils out of your face and it will just create even more oil so your face wash will be useless. Every product works differently with different people because no one person is the same. This BC really works with me but it differs greatly for every person. If this does not work just try another.
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March 16, 2011

Pros:

Improved my complexion greatly
on time periods
no spotting
few side effects
less headaches
reliable periods

Cons:

Heavier period
few headaches

This is the best form of birth-control I have found. I have tried Mirena and other pills including Yaz, lo estrin and some more. This pill has given me the least problems on the other pills I had severe migraines (but I am prone to them) and with Mirena I had awful cramps. I have to be on the brand name though as the generic gives me head-aches. OTC also helped greatly with my acne now it just flares up the week before my period and that is usually when I get more moody, but if I keep my face washed and keep persa gel 10 (bezyol peroxide) on my face it doesn't cause any problems.
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January 28, 2011

Pros:

- Better skin
- Lighter & Shorter Periods
- Less & Milder Cramps
- Prevents pregnancy
- No side effects (no bloating, no depression, no weight gain... unfortunately ladies my breast didnt grow, lol that would have been the only side effect i would like!)

Cons:

- Takes a while to see skin benefits

Unfortunately, bc is all about trial and error, and boy does it kill off your selfesteem when its error and you end up with worst skin. I've tried several birth controls and it has been a nightmare! Tri-Cyclen, really has helped my skin, however, it took about 2-3 months, before I saw dramatic results. I haven't experienced ANY side effects on this brand. (Unlike other brands where I felt depressed, was moody, worst periods, worst break outs, no weight gain etc.) *IMPORTANT* I've really learned after trying soo many different bc brands, that unfortunately everyone's body is so different. What works for you may have an opposite effect on your friend vice versa. The first BC I was on, was Cyclen... which was terrible terrrible terrible. Yet 3 of my friends love it and it did miracles for their skin.
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October 4, 2010

Pros:

- very light periods. Lasts only 2 days and I barely fill up a pad
- associated with the lighter periods is no cramping. I had moderate cramping before I went on the pill
- weight loss. I can't say this is due to the pill but over the year I was taking OTC I lost 8-10lbs and have yet to gain it back
- no mood swings

Cons:

- the worst acne I've ever had in my life
- one bout of nausea in my second month

I believe my acne was caused by the fluctuating hormone levels in the pills. The pill I'm on now, Yasmin, has a steady concentration throughout the month and has cleared this problem right up.

This was my first pill and I think it's the one that doctor's recommend first if you have no major concerns because of it's relatively cheap price and low amount of estrogen. I really would have happy being on this pill as it mostly had great side effects; however, after a year of taking it I can now definitively say that OTC caused my consistent and tremendously painful hormonal acne. This was an extreme self-esteem killer, as the only reason I was on BC was to have safe sex with my bf. It seemed ironic that he's the only one that ever gets an HD view of my face yet he was indirectly the reason for my breakouts... I've always had a couple blemishes pop up around that time of the month but they were small and manageable with a little makeup. From the first month I started taking OTC, I started to get unsightly pimples on my chin area. I remember the first half of last year going by always having to deal with a pimple - it's like I never got a break from them. Once one pimple deflated another one sprung up somewhere else. Then, this summer I went on a 2-month vacation to Europe and completely went off birth control. Within a week, my skin had never looked better. I went everyday without makeup. Then, my bf met up with me on the trip and I started to take OTC again. The first couple of weeks went beautifully but as soon as I started the third week of pills, I had the WORST breakout I've ever had. I had 4 cystic acne pimples on my chin and even Retin A wouldn't calm them down. Retin A, btw, will not help with hormonal acne. The acne got much worse after that. They changed to cysts, which we all know take much longer to go away and are also very painful. It wasn't until I made the connection between OTC and my acne that I decided to switch to Yasmin, and within two weeks it has ALL cleared up. The Retin A works wonderfully to diminish the scarring and my skin is starting to look like it did on vacation!
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April 9, 2010

Pros:

Cleared up my skin

Cons:

Nothing. Never had any adverse side affects.

Birth control works on a very individual basis. I've had terrible reactions to the brand's my friends love and vice versa. You just have to experiment until you find what works for me. I used Orth Tri Cyclen for about a year to control my adult acne. It really is the most effective thing I have used. For about 6 months I didn't even need to use any acne products, the pill alone cleared my skin up beautifully. My insurance changed, I stopped taking the pill and the acne came back after a few months. I plan on getting back on it just for the skin benefits.
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January 22, 2010

Pros:

Prevented pregnancy. Made breast bigger.Covered by most insurance companies.

Cons:

Weight gain, mood swings, break through bleeding.

This was the first birth control pill I was on. The first month I gained 15 lbs. I didnt gain any after that but still many years later I still can not get down the weight I was before taking this pill. On the plus side my breast did go from a B cup to a C cup! I didnt ever really see a major difference is my skin either. Only after trying other birth control pills did I see a difference.
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November 25, 2012

Pros:

Completely cleared my skin!
No initial breakout (in my case)
No crazy side effects birth control is known to cause

Cons:

Took around 4 months to clear my skin
Won't work for everyone (as every acne product doesn't), but DEFINITELY worth a try!

These pills work amazingly well for ME. After 5 years of having moderate acne with large, painful bumps that left bad scars, I had zero self-confidence. It got so bad that some days I wouldn't go out in public. I was trying every cleanser I could find, going on antibiotic pills and creams, using Differin and Retin-A, trying different birth controls, cutting dairy products out of my diet completely, and going to many other difficult and sometimes extreme measures in order to clear my skin, but nothing worked. But after reading a lot of great reviews about ortho tri-cyclen, I decided I would make one last attempt at clearing my skin. I loved it right away! I barely had any PMS symptoms, and my skin was instantly less oily and every morning when I looked in the mirror I had fewer pimples! For the first few months I still broke out around that lovely time of the month, but I can say after 5 months of using ortho tri-cyclen that my skin is TOTALLY CLEAR! I never thought I would be able to say I don't have acne, but it feels so amazing to be confident going out in public, even without makeup! So, I guess the bottom line is that after much trial and error, I found the cure for MY acne. Everyone's skin reacts differently to treatments, which is why acne is so hard to get rid of. All I do is live a clean lifestyle and take these pills every day, and for MY skin, that's all I need! I drink about a gallon of water every day, ALWAYS wash my face twice a day (using Clean and Clear Continuous Control cleanser), keep bacteria off my face (use clean makeup brushes, sleep on clean pillow cases, etc.), and take these pills every night. It truly is an amazing feeling to have clear skin! If you haven't found what works for you yet, I know exactly how you feel, and I would encourage you to start by drinking a lot of water, keeping your face clean, and living an overall healthy lifestyle. From there, I would definitely recommend trying ortho, just remember to be patient! Good luck :
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March 9, 2011

Pros:

clears skin
no side effects
regulates period

Cons:

none

This really cleared my skin as a teenager and I stopped going on it as an adult because I thought it had stopped working but I was so wrong. My skin got SOOO much worse when I stopped and restarted. Always talk to your doctor before starting or ending medication (duh!). I wish I had. Now I'm back on the pill and I'm finally seeing results after 3 months. Be patient because it can really help if your acne is hormonal (like mine). Good luck!
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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:

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