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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4
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3
21.1%
2
14%
1
9.5%

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February 19, 2008

Pros:

Slight Skin Clearing, No Pregnant.

Cons:

Severe Migraines, Gained weight that wont go away, low sex drive,

Not worth it. although yaz was worse. my skin was decent and now its a wreck.
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January 15, 2008

Pros:

No pregnancy.

Cons:

Made it through middle school and high school with maybe 3 zits. Now that I've been on Tri Cyclen for 6 months, I'm breaking out like crazy and I'm 22. Also, inability to lose weight when I used to drop so quickly.

In search of another birth control method. Either another pill or an IUD. It seems to clear up skin in other cases so I'd say to start it but switch later on if you're experiencing the same thing I am. ** I get mine from planned parenthood and it only costs $15.00/month.
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January 15, 2008

Pros:

NONE

Cons:

IT MADE ME BREAK OUT SO BAD AROUND THE 3RD MOUNTH. WORKED WELL AT FIRST BUT THEN GAVE ME REALLY BAD CYSTIC ACNE ON MY CHECKS. THEY LEFT REALLY BAD RED SCARS.

I WOULDNT RECCOMENT THIS PRODUCT. I SWITCHED TO ORTHO TRICYCTLEN FROM MY OTHER BIRTH CONTROL ORTHO NOVUMM. THAT A A HUGE MISTAKE. I HAD NEVER REALLY HAD THAT BAD OF ACNE OR SCARS. BUT AFTER TAKING THIS I BROKE OUT SO BAD, LIKE NEVER BEFORE. AFTER GETTING OFF THIS BIRTH CONTROL MY SKIN CLEARED UP AGAIN. BUT IT TOOK AROUND 2 MONTHS. NOW I AM LEFT WITH HORRIBLE ACNE SCARS.
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January 15, 2008

Pros:

not pregnatnt, clear skin, shorter periods, hardly no pms symptoms

Cons:

none until i was switched to otc lo, then i had to go off it cuz i started clotting.

i loved the regular otc. i was on it for years. i wouldnt have changed except the local planned parent hood stopped using it, they switched me to the otc lo, and it was great until i started clotting after only a couple of months.
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January 2, 2008

Pros:

no babies,lighter periods, no cramps

Cons:

didn't help acne AT ALL, moodiness, bloating, weight gain

I started taking OTC Lo to help my acne.... and it did NOT work.... the only thing it did is make my period lighter. I gained 15 lbs in my first couple months of using it and my breast did not change at all.
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December 11, 2007

Pros:

not pregnant =]

Cons:

mood swings, no sex drive, started to break out when i didnt before, some nausea, bloating.

ugh dont take it. like, the bloating i can handle, but not the breaking out!! i never broke out before, what the hell!?
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December 9, 2007

Pros:

Prevents pregnancy, cleared up my acne.

Cons:

None really. Some nausea and dizziness. Slight mood swings when i first started.

I was previously taking a birth control pill called Solia (horrible) which made me break out really bad and caused intense mood swings and a lot of unwanted crying. Once i switched to ortho tricyclen i noticed clearer skin within the first 2-3 week, less of an unstable mood, and no cramps either. Before starting any type of pill, i had very severe cramps, and brith control pills took care of that right away. OTC did cause nausea and dizziness the first month but has gone away since. My sex drive has not been affected at all, i have not gained any weight,my breasts are the same size, and the bloating i do experience is like any normal bloating prior to your period, I dont have any spotting and my period comes at exactly the same time every month. I would definitly recommend this pill.
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December 8, 2007

Pros:

NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!! Did absolutly NOTHING for my acne.

Cons:

Didnt clear up my skin at ALL! I have been on it for about 8 months and did absolutly nothing. I am broken out so bad near my chin and around my mouth. It didnt made my acne worse it just... didnt do anything at all. WASte of MONEY. Waste of TIME.

Doesnt WORK!!!!!!!!
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December 8, 2007

Pros:

much less cramping, clears acne, lighter periods

Cons:

i have had none, and it's my second time using... i used it when i was 17/18 and now i am 25.

Ortho Tri Cyclen works well for clearing up acne... and i noticed that many of the people complaining it didn't use LO... not the same! that's why it's a different pill called LO! I have heard many cons about OTC Lo, i would never try it myself. it helped clear my teenage acne and at my age now, i recently developed a hormonal burst possibly due to excessive stress and age, and after one cycle of being back on orth tri cyclen NOT LO my face is almost completely clear again, and it was bad along my jawline and such!
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November 29, 2007

Pros:

Didn't get pregnant, skin cleared up.

Cons:

Periods became heavy and irregular, lasting sometimes for 2 weeks. Experienced irritability.

The clearer skin are not worth the 2 weeks a month I loose being on my period.
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