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
March 18, 2011
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Cons:
-Extreme stomach cramps and problems the entire time I was on it
-Anxiety
-Expensive
-No effect on acne
I went on Yaz and was so sure this was going to work for me and all it did was cause me months of pain and stress. I was constantly sick to my stomach so much so that I could barely get out of bed. I missed work, social events with friends and spent Christmas and New Years in my bed or the bathroom. It was terrible. There was no effect on my skin and even if there was it wouldn't have been worth it. I tried to stick it out for 3 months hearing that it can take up to 3 months for your body to adapt. 2.5 months in I couldn't take it anymore and stopped 3 days later I felt so much better and have been getting progressively better for the last few months. Through this whole ordeal I did learn that dairy was the culprit of my bad skin. I have cut dairy out of my diet almost completely and my skin is amazing. 1 or 2 blemishes around the time of my period or if I cave and have a slice of pizza. I wouldn't wish Yaz on anyone but I'm glad, in some round about way, it was able to lead me to the true issue with my skin.
January 10, 2011
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
-cleared my terrible acne
-less hair growth (possibly)?
-no weight gain
-same sex drive
Cons:
-mild headaches during activities
-vaginal dryness
-breast tenderness
I tried Yaz years ago (before I took Accutane twice) and it didnt work for me. However, now I'm 19 and I've been on it for 2 months and it has completely cleared my skin. I used to have itchy whiteheads along my forehead, jawline, and cheeks which are now all gone. Yaz got rid of the acne I've had for 10 years and even Accutane couldn't deal with. Yes, I have some side effects but they are generally mild and I can deal with them if it means clear skin.
December 31, 2010
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
WORKS WONDERS, great skin, control over my period, got rid of acne withing two months
Cons:
Spotting for two months straight
This is a great little pill. My skin decided to Freak out over the summer and after 2-3 months of taking this pill I was totally clear.I was also taking 100mg of Minocycline and using epiduo (epiduo is expensive but is just the combination of Benzoyl peroxide and Adapalene)
August 20, 2010
Pros:
--Completely fixed my skin
--Regulated my unpredictable period
--Made cramps less severe*
--Made period lighter
--Helped with mood swings and PMS
Cons:
--Bad initial breakout
--Initial side-effects for the first two weeks
--Forgetting the pill, even for a few hours, gives me a headache
--Although my cramps (which were horrendous for the first day or two) are greatly reduced -- a few ibuprofen almost knocks them out -- I tend to have this milder cramping for several days. It's almost like the bad day of cramps got spread out over three or four days.
--Food craving for the first month
--It takes several months to adjust
This review is for ORTHO-CYCLEN, which is a steady dose of hormones, unlike ortho tri-cyclen, which changes the hormone levels each week. I don't know if that makes a big difference or not... I had stubborn hormonal acne, which is why I eventually turned to birth control (along with other negative effects from hormonal imbalances). I would break out when I ovulated (about 2 weeks before my period) and then again a day or two before my period. Other than that, my skin was in good shape. I think this is the ONLY reason why my skin is so great now -- because hormones were my number one problem and now, with bcp, it's all under control. You may have a compound cause of acne, like monthly hormones plus stress, so your results will vary. Let me also say that I'm 25, and my reasons for taking birth control were not solely about my skin issues. I think, especially for young girls, you need to make sure that you're choosing to artificially alter your hormones for the right reasons -- that you understand that bcp have serious side effects and your health needs to be considered. I know the idea of nicer skin sometimes seems to trump everything else, but just make sure you've thought it al through and done your research :) As an aside, I take the generic brand, which only costs $9 a month without insurance. Don't believe a lot of the hype that generic isn't as effective -- by law, the meds in a generic pill is chemically identical to the brand name. It works just as effectively, only the fillers tend to be a bit different (if that). There's no reason to spend $30-60 a month (with insurance) if there's a cheaper generic available, unless you have an allergic reaction or sensitivity to certain fillers (like celiac disease or something).
July 23, 2010
Pros:
No cramps ( Had horrible ones before )
Very light bleeding, and only for 2-3 days!
Cons:
Horrible acne. My skin isn't the best anyway, but since I started this pill two months ago, I get painful breakouts every day. It's very frustrating.
Felt sick for the first week, then fine afterwards.
I love this pill.. I love not having cramps and feeling like I'm in labour for three days a month.. I'm going to give it one more month. Hopefully my body will get used to it, because I refuse to walk around with welts on my face every day. *crossing fingers*
July 7, 2010
Product used: LoEstrin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
lighter periods, boobs grew a little, no headaches or pain
Cons:
extreme extreme weight gain, tired all the time, sex drive as low as it can get loss of ANY sexual desire.
this has made my small frame gain 30 pounds! and yes it does help lighten ur periods but thats alllllllllll it does, i broke out like crazy, and then i stopped taking it and it made it 10x worse!, ive stood on this pill for over 5 months to try and see if i see improvement on skin, wow! i got acne in places i never got, and this def made me a lil crazy, dented my relationship and put my sex drive as low as it can get!!!!! and i took this pill correctly same time everyday and now im suffering skin thats hard to look at! and my face looks like freggin cake batter from trying to hide it!, im going to try a higher estrogen
June 29, 2010
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
-prevents pregnancy
-no decreased sex drive (still horny as ever =P)
-no hair loss
-no weight gain
-no mood swings
Cons:
-didn't have the benefits I wanted (pornstar boobs)
I'm currently on the 1st pack, 4th week awaiting for my 'period'. So far haven't had any of the over-exaggerated side-effects. I wanted clearer skin, but its about the same as before but I will wait another 3 more months to see improvement. No nausea at all, I'm still horny as ever (lol). No mood swings, no weight gain, no fatigue or dizziness. I think those are all in the mind aka: placebo effect. Bottom line: I'd say this a safe pill to go on, if you don't want to experience side effects :)
February 14, 2010
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
kept break outs to very minimum
Cons:
-i was on yaz for 2 years,,then i stopped taking it because i couldnt afford it, now my face is covered in cysts that will not go away!! ive never had this in my life, my dermatologist says this is common with yaz and yasmin .. ive never been more depressed and embarassed in my entire life my face is ruined. im a crater face now. ;/ i guess im goin to have to try accutane soon.
ive been back on it for a week now after 5 months of not being on it.. im trying anything to get my face back to normal!! but what does this mean i have to be on yaz for the rest of my life ??! this sucks..
it is this only pill that cleared up my face so i guess i recommend it for acne?
November 20, 2009
Pros:
it works very well in regulating periods and clearing up acne no side effects
Cons:
makes breasts a little sore but it also makes them bigger too soo thats not really a con
this is my favorite birth control i have ever bin on because it has no side affects and works very well in regulating periods if they are irregular.
November 19, 2009
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
keeps my acne at bay (only few pimples during that "time of the month"), boobs increased from small B to full C cup, no cramps, light 4-day regular periods, no more bloating/water retention, no pregnancies
Cons:
no cons for me, but each person's body will react differently to various birth control pills
Yaz for me has been wonderful. I was on Ortho-tri-cyclen-lo for 3 years before switching to yaz. Ortho was suggested to me for the low dose hormone and promising decreased acne (it helped somewhat-still had to go to a dermo for perscription acne topicals) but Yaz has helped with my acne far better and I no longer have the cramps and water retention I had on ortho. An added plus is that I no longer need to see a dermo for harsh topicals. Since I still fear my acne returning and feel I need some type of treatment for the few pimples I do get, Proactiv is working good for me.
Pros:
-No babies