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
December 7, 2011
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Cons:
Smelly periods/ Strange discharge after period til next one
SEVERE Migraines
Very bad acne: Everywhere
Bad cramps
Something changed down in vaginal area (PAP-test came back "un-normal"
This is not a product that I would tell any of my girl friends to use. It's the worst BC that was made and yet the doctors just give it to us without know the side effects that could happen. Doctors need to look into the BC's that they give us, so we can be sure that we're not harming ourselves and harming our insides, that may cause problems of conceiving a baby!!
November 25, 2011
Pros:
best for hormonal acne
regulates period
reduces menstrual cramps
Cons:
needs to be taken daily
if you suffer from acne along your jaw line i would definitely rec. going on birth control... i have been using BC for about 4 years now and even though i still break out it helps sooo much. I tried to go off the pill just to give my body a rest and within about 6 weeks i broke out soo bad i mean were talking about severe here.. everyday i would wake up with at least 3 to 4 pimples... i was going back to how bad it was in HS... after about 2 months off the pill i started taking it again and within a month or two my face cleared up significantly... i now have to deal with all the scaring but at least most of the bumps are now gone... You can get them at Plan Parent Hood and they are free... i really believe this is the most significant step in my regime and i will not make the mistake again and stop taking this..
November 22, 2011
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
sore breast (might be growth)
no weight gain
Cons:
acne
tiredness
low sex drive
i got this pill because i heard that its one of the best,its ment to help your acne clear (my acne was very light, 1/2 pimples) + in some cases make your breast grow (which i loved). i was originally on the microgynon, but came off it because i was not sexually active, then heard about the yasmin pill from a friend. 2 weeks into taking the pill, my skin had broken out horribly! i thought it would only be a short side effect, but it didnt get better, i looked up on how to help clear acne,
my acne has cleared up much better after using a flannel to wash my face day + night along with a antiseptic soap. then i would use bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) after, only at night & leave it there for up to a hour & wash off with cold water( this closes the pores). my best achievement was buying "ultra clear acne cream" on ebay, this product has been used only for 3 days + my skin in much smoother + pimples are shrunk over night. (this is used night and day). my only problem now is the scarring ive got from previous pimples. im on the hunt for a cure :D, i have decided to go back to microgynon when i have finished my 21 days on yasmin.
July 9, 2011
Pros:
Skin was flawless on the last 2 weeks from the higher dose of hormone.
Cons:
New breakouts almost daily on the first 2 weeks (the lower doses)
I tried this birth control a few months ago for my hormonal acne.. As I mentioned, the last two weeks were amazing but the first two weeks were not. I took it for 4 months, hoping it would level out.. but alas, it never did. Everyone is different, though.
May 16, 2011
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
Boobs grew significantly
Had shorter, lighter, regular periods
Cons:
Gained weight
When I first started on birth control a couple years ago, I was taking the generic Lutera which did not really have any affect on my acne. When my prescription ran out about a year later, I told my provider that I was really interested in trying Yaz for its supposed acne relieving benefits. I have been using it since January, and unfortunately I haven't really seen a change with it either. I am still going to stick with it, but in the mean time I'm using Proactiv as well. Hopefully something will work for me one of these days. Oh, and if you are looking for a birth control pill that will give you giant boobs, then this is the one to take haha. Also, I recieved a year-long prescription for Yaz free through Planned Parenthood.
March 25, 2011
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
Clear Skin
Shorter Periods
Less Menstrual Cramps
Cons:
Increased Appetite Leading to +7 lbs of Weight
Other than a little weight gain (and I've always been a big eater, so this could have also just have been my own bad habits), I didn't experience any negative side effects from this drug - no nausea, moodiness, depression, etc. ...something I was not expecting as I've read so many horror stories. The pill cleared up my skin after about 2 months, and worked it's wonders for about 3 years... and then... It almost seemed to stop working. The last 6 months have been awful - deep, big pimples all over my cheeks, near my mouth, and jaw - this kind of acne tends to leave scars, of which I have many now. My periods are also completely out of whack. I've been told that my hormones might just be going through changes (I'm 26), and therefore Yaz just doesn't work the same way. I've decided to give Diane-35 a chance before I try Accutane.
February 9, 2011
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
none
Cons:
Gave me chronic cystic acne
I never had probelm skin in high school, but my gynecologist prescribed Yaz to take temporarily for some menstrual issues I was having. While I was on the pill my skin was amazing. I'd never had problem skin, but now it was glowing. After my periods were on track again I went off the pill, and within 2 or 3 months I started getting these red bumps randomly on my face. The problem got worse and worse until I had full blown cystic acne. I've been on dermotolgist recommended antibiotics, used every topical cream you can imagine, tried home remedies, cut out sugar, dairy, gluten, etc. Nothing ever helps permanently. This has been such a nightmare. It is now 6 1/2 years later and I'm still dealing with this issue. Yaz completely threw my hormones out of balance. It doesn't have this effect on everyone, but many have complained of similar experiences. I do not recommend Yaz for anyone!! Taking B5 supplements is the only thing that has shown any kind of lasting improvement. Look it up, do some research before going on Yaz.
January 17, 2011
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
It got rid of the acne
Cons:
It caused menstrual bleeding 3 of 4 weeks of the month
Used it for 6 months and got off of it because I would rather have acne than spot almost all the time. The fact that I was bleeding so much I figured it was screwing me up internally.
January 13, 2011
Pros:
not pregnant
improved cramps
Cons:
terrible breakouts
I never had bad acne but as soon as I started ortho I broke out TERRIBLY. My doctor told me to wait a few months but it never got better. I finally switched birth control bills and now my face is back to normal...
January 2, 2011
Pros:
lighter period
less menstrual cramp pain
Cons:
serious health risks (I almost died)
spotting
expensive without health insurance
It had no visible effect on my acne, aside from the week of inactive pills, when I would get breakouts. Birth control pills carry serious but rare risks including: heart attack, stroke, pulmonary embolism (blood clot in lung), and deep vein thrombosis (blood clots) If you decide to use birth control primarily to control acne, please ask your family about any possible coagulative disorders in your family history. I took birth control for a little over a year and ended up in Intensive Care. And I was lucky to be there.
Pros:
For me, Gained weight (was needed)