I've been on Ortho Tri-Cyclen for 5 years now. I started it to control hormonal acne that appeared at age 21 - big cysts on my chin and jaw. There was definitely an "adjustment period" (about 3-4 months) where my skin flared up and felt like it was purging everything underneath, but since then, it's hard to remember what living with cystic acne was like. My skin has been mostly clear for the past 4.5 years, and I used to get big chin cysts that would last weeks. (It's also effective in that I've never had a pregnancy scare - I do always take it at the exact same time each day). However, there are other long-term side effects. Because bc affects your blood pressure, I developed a varicose vein in my leg after about 2 years, and even since having it removed another one has begun to crop up. It makes me worry about the increased risk of blood clots, esp. with such long-term use. However, I'm also scared of what my skin will do once I stop . . .

So I've always had pretty average skin, some pimples but nothing major. Then, because of such great reviews, I decided to try a facial and a microdermabrasion at a spa and while that portion was nice, the workers recommended I use a dermalogica skin care kit, but after 2 weeks my face was terrible. So I decided to go the doctor to see what I could do and she recommended me antibiotics, a topical, and birth control to help with acne. So far I'm 3 months & 3 weeks in and my cheeks have broke out way worse (hormonal acne,something I've never had) and my mother keeps begging me to get off it because she thinks it's making it worse, but I keep insisting that it takes time for your body to adjust. Now I'm scared it's not working. My acne is only on my cheeks, something I've never had, and I keep up a simple yet consistent night/morning routine but nothing is working. I've decided to go on Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo for another 3/4 weeks to see how it goes (making it about 4 months and a week in total) and if it's gets better, I will continue, if not then I'm gonna stop taking it. I know some girls say that it takes up to 6 months to see improvement but I've been waiting for 3 months + just to see some change, so my patience is wearing thin. As for side effects, I've only noticed that I cry much easily than before but that's it. Will update ASAP. UPDATE 6/3/16: I went off the pill about a week after this post because I just couldn't take it anymore. Since then, I've had a very heavy period and I noticed that my hair (eyebrows and body hair) grows much faster and thicker. My skin does seem to be improving ever so slightly , but it's only been 5 days so let's see what the rest of the month holds in store. UPDATE (8/1/26): Ever since I stopped using this pill, most of my acne has cleared, maybe only like two or three pimples remain but the scarring left is so terrible :( When I wash my face I feel how smooth it is but then when I look at it, its so red and even brown in some spots. I look back at old photos of me without makeup and I realize how much better my skin was and it makes so irritated I took this in the first place. Please don't try this if you dont already have severe acne! If you have mild or moderate, it will only make it worse.

I'm 15 and have been struggling with acne for three years, trying anything to get rid of it. I have horrible cysitc acne all along my chin and sides of my face with regular pimples that pop up everywhere else. Along with that I have many deep pimples on my back and neck. I began with drugstore remedies with no results. I took many prescriptions of Doxycycline and Metrocycline before realizing that I was actually terribly allergic to them, breaking out in rashes along my neck and having swollen eyelids. It was a nightmare. I turned to Proactive for quite a few months but it didn't work, it only relieved my acne for the first two or three months before I gave up. With yet another trip to the dermatologist, they prompted me to try accutane. However, I read that large booklet of information they gave me and realized that it's side effects could seriously harm me, more so because I'm female. After turning accutane down they recommended birth control. I preyed that my acne was a result of imbalanced hormones and gave it a shot with Ortho Tri-Cyclen. Today I am two weeks away from starting my third month but I hardly see results. I have more cysts on my chin and side of my face but I was warned that it may get worse before getting better, like most medicines. I don't want to give up on BC and truthfully, I don't know if I can handle having acne like this. I am depressed about how I look and how much energy I have to have to appear normal. I wake up an hour or so earlier than anyone I know to cover my acne, and even then it's still noticeable. It affects my interaction with others and focus during school because I'm too hung up on "my acne is horrible people probably thing I'm gross". Summer time is hard too because I can't enjoy going to a public pool and I try not to wear makeup. I've sadly come to the decision that if this doesn't work then I'll turn to accutane, my last resort. But some of these reviews give me hope. After the three months mark I should see more improvements. It's hard to imagine having a clear face after taking my acne day to day for three years. So please, please, please work Ortho Tri-Cyclen!

I have been taking Yaz for 6 years now and it has been great! No negative side effects for me; no weight gain, no mood swings or low sex drive. I believe that Yaz has kept my skin's oil levels under control as well as the acne lesions that occur. I skip my placebos so that I only have 4 "periods" a year.

I took Ortho Tri-Cyclen since I was 15 until I was 21 for acne and birth control. It worked pretty well. I had mild/moderate acne while on it, but without it I likely would have had severe acne. This past year (20 years old), I stopped taking Ortho Tri-Cyclen and I had a major breakout--the worst breakout of my life! Really painful cystic acne covered my whole face. It got so bad that after a few months of being miserable with severe acne I got back on Ortho Tri-Cyclen and started taking Minocycline. After a month I ended up on Accutane and I'm still on Ortho Tri-Cyclen. Anyway, I think this has really helped my acne, but talk to your doctor or dermatologist before getting off of it because it may make your hormones go crazy and make you breakout majorly!

Took this (in generic Ocella form) from ages 19-23. It worked great on my acne, but when I was 22 I developed migraines and high blood pressure, a risk factor for having a stroke on Yasmin. When I went off it, it caused horrible cystic acne, worse than anything I had before, that has been dominating my life for the past two years, as well as the loss of 1/3 of my hair and horrible mental effects (crying, extreme anxiety and sadness) as well as weight gain. PLEASE look around on the post-pill breakout forums, or just google "acne after stopping Yasmin" before taking this. It is a horrible drug and there is no way to avoid the bad effects when you stop, which you'll have to do eventually. DO NOT use hormonal birth control for acne, it just makes it worse in the end. Should come with a warning label: you'll look great while you take it, but be bald and cystic when you come off...

I went to my doctor really quickly to switch to a new birth control because the previous birth control I was on - Yaz - had a HUGE lawsuit against them from blood clots and people dying from it, here in Canada. So I URGE all women to please do some recent research on the birth control Yaz before considering. Coincidentally, my doctor had clipped out a newspaper article about Yaz and told me he was no longer prescribing it to anyone anymore. He switched me on tricyclen! I had really bad break outs all along my forehead, jaw line, cheeks and chin. Literally after taking it for the past THREE days my skin has drastically started to instantly clear up! I also have a lot of traveling to do this month for a wedding and I'm very happy my face has finally decided to clear up. I haven't had any mood swings or anything. My hormones have been so messed up after having my son 18 months ago and I can finally say I'm happy with my new birth control.

I was put on Yaz after I first got my period because it was completely irregular. I don't know why I was put on Yaz and not a standard BCP, but anyway. My skin never had any problems before I started Yaz, and I didn't have any issues when I was on it (for about 4 years). Then I decided, after reading about dangerous side-effects of Yaz, and having experienced some scary symptoms of blood clots in my legs, I wanted to get off Yaz and onto a normal BCP, that didn't mess with my hormones. After I switched off Yaz, I had a SEVERE hormonal breakout. I had clear skin before and during Yaz, with one or two regular pimples, but not real acne. After going off Yaz I started growing hair along my jawline, and I had serious cystic acne on my chin, jawline and neck. SEVERE. It was the most painful and horrible experience of my life. Being 19 and breaking out with intense cystic acne. Horrible. I got tested for PCOS and I don't have it - YAZ had artificially controlled my hormones when I was on it, and going off, I was left with hormonal acne. I didn't want to go near Yaz again, and have been trying to deal with my acne ever since. 9 months since going off Yaz and I am just clearing up, however I now have intense hyperpigmentation all over my chin/jawline/neck. Please, if you are considering going on BCP that helps acne, please don't. They have some seriously dangerous side-effects, and when you want to go off them it will destroy your hormones and skin. Please, PLEASE, PLEASE, if you are considering taking BCP for acne PLEASE DON'T. I hope I can save someone from the same experience I had.

After trying and failing to treat my acne with Zineryt and Tetracycline, both which severely dried my skin out, it was suggested that I go on the pill to treat my acne. My acne was not cystic, but instead consisted of very small whiteheads that covered my entire face and back, leaving my skin bumpy, red and greasy. There was no immediate difference, but in 6 months I noticed a drastic improvement and within a year 90% of my acne had gone. Yes it took a year, but all the redness, bumps and whiteheads went, leaving only some scars and slight red pigmentation which it fading. I never picked my spots anyway so I think that also reduced the amount of scars 'left over'. I was 18 when I went on Yasmin, and I am now 20 and have been taking it for 2 and a half years. Some people may argue that I went on it when I reaching the end of puberty anyway, but my sister went on it at 16 for medical reasons and it cleared up her acne as well. When she went off it at 18, her acne returned (although not as severely) so I would definitely recommend it, especially if you are a teenager or in your early twenties. I continue even now with washing my face with Johnson's 'Clean and clear' blackhead cleaning scrub, and rub sudacrem on my 'problem areas', so my forehead and around my nose. I am planning on taking it for at least 2 more years, till I am sure that puberty has finished as I think my acne was probably hormonal. I started getting acne when I was 14, and it took 4 years before someone suggested the pill as a treatment and I am so glad it tried it. Yes it takes time, but my acne hasn't returned since so that proves to me Yasmin is still working. One thing I will mention is yes- Yasmin did trigger some mood swings (as in occasionally made me feel wayy more emotional) and yes I did put on weight- about half a stone. However I did put on weight straight to my boobs and butt so I was lucky in that respect but I think this varies on the person! For me, all this was worth going through if my skin improved, which it did.

This birth control really cleared up my skin a lot. I still get about 2 cysts and some small whiteheads around my period but no where near as bad as before. I went from moderate/moderately severe acne to light. I have been on 4 different birth control pills before and OTC cleared my skin the best out of all of them. There are definitely some cons but I think it is still worth taking to keep my skin clear.