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
February 26, 2009
Cons:
Nighty nausea, weight gain, frequent mood swings. I threw up a lot the first month I was taking the pill, but continued to feel nausea everyday, more so when taking the white pills. No affect on my acne.
If it works for you or you can tolerate the side effects, great. If not, try something else.
January 21, 2009
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
No pregnancys, breast blew up (in a great way) within a matter of 2 weeks of being on the pill (almost as if a breast augmentation), lighter periods, periods right on track every month, much fewer cramps & less bloating, acne cleared within 4 weeks
Cons:
i take the pill @ night before bed and i expierenced severe headaches & nausia the first 4 mornings of starting the pill, if a day has been accidently skipped and i take 2 pills at once i expierence extreme nausia, cravings for certin foods
with every medicine your going to have your pro's and con's. I am 20 years old & have been on BC since I was 15 due to severe cyst on my ovaries. I have been on alyse, avian & seasonal before (which was HORRIBLE-I gained 15 pounds in 1 week and it was all from retaining fluid which made me look like a balloon!) and i definatly recomend this pill before any. Personally, I would choose to have a couple head aches once in a blue moon to have a promising non-pregnancy, great full looking breast, lighter periods & clearer skin- I have never expierenced sudden changes in my moods thus far- The price is a little high but when you put everything together (acne medication, cramp medicine, bloating medicine, prevention of pregnancy, even breat implants) you come out saving a bundle! Everyone's body responds differently so I recomend giving it a shot for 3 months, time to allow your body to adjust! So far, I have been very satisfied
December 24, 2008
Pros:
my skin is really clearing up & was considerably cheap
Cons:
major mood swings, but considering the skin it gave me, its priceless
it depends what your body is like to see if your acne is going to clear up, i had mild to moderate acne and it worked terrifically, but it is always different from person to person. Its worth a shot though. :]
December 3, 2008
Pros:
no babies, lighter periods
Cons:
huge mood swings, cramps, fatigue
Until I started taking birth control I was a very emotionally stable person. My largest problem is this. I experience emotional breakdowns once or twice a month, when I cry normally I can't seem to stop. I also seem to get upset over nothing. My passion for everything that used to be important to me has vanished. I'm very tired, all the time, and experience nausea because of it.
November 23, 2008
Pros:
Clear skin
Cons:
frequent headaches, severe moodiness, decreased sex drive.
I really liked this pill the first 2 months but after that I experienced daily headaches and when I reached the last week of the pack I would experience migraines and felt severly moody. Ive been off this pill for two months now and my headaches and moodiness have dissappeared but now my skin has become very oily. I miss my clear unshiny skin but not having headaches is worth it.
November 23, 2008
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
stops most of my acne, light period, prevents pregnacy & no weight gain
Cons:
tender breasts 1 week before period, some abdominal pain threwout themonth
Ive been on YASMIN for over a year and i love it! It helps some of my acne ( i still hae some) andi have lighter periods =) It is great for women who experience heavy periods and severe cramps during PMS.
This month my pharmacy switched me to the generic brand OCELLA and i dont like it at all....i have experienced bloating & a differnt kind of acne around my face, almost like a rash. Im goin to switch back to YASMIN as soon as thismonth is over!
November 6, 2008
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
helps with acne, no weight gain
Cons:
more expensive than Ocella
DO NOT TAKE OCELLA! For me, it was 10 bucks cheaper than Yasmin but it made me bloated, increased my appetite, and didn't do anything to help with my acne. There's a huuuuge difference. I noticed it after taking Ocella for only 1 month, and I immediately switched back to Yasmin. It's well worth the extra money each month.
October 29, 2008
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
clearer skin (still not totally clear, but improving weekly), no weight gain, shorter period
Cons:
bigger boobs (was already a 34DD when i started this pill), nausea for first two weeks, noticed what appeared to be a thick, skinlike membrane in blood lost during period--had never happened to me before (and I'm not having sex so can't be pregnant)
My skin is clearing up slowly but surely (and I have always had bad skin no matter what I'm on/how careful I am so that's saying something). The membrane thing kind of freaked me out when I first saw it, but after doing some research it appears it could just be a thickened lining of the uterus due to going on BC for the first time in awhile. I'm going to see if it happens again this month.
September 26, 2008
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
No weight gain, lighter periods, less acne
Cons:
Nausea every day so I take the pill at night and sleep through it.
This is the only contraceptive that has worked for me in many years. When I go off it I feel terrible and run down. I do get emotional and eat everything in sight about a week before my period, but that is probably just me and not the pill.
August 25, 2008
Pros:
Loss of weight, less appetite, not as moody, light periods(3 days), bigger breasts, :-D My anemia levels are now not as high, and the best part: MY ACNE IS GONE!
Cons:
A little anxiety, some mood swings on the last 7 pills, can have PMS symptoms with the exceptions of cramps at that time. Achy breasts at the very beginning of taking this pill.
I would reccommend this pill to any woman. Its very effective in what its supposed to do. Of course with every pill you will have some sympotoms, nothing is perfect. I was on Lo-Ovral before and had massive menstrual headaches and was ALWAYS dizzy and nauseated. With Ortho Lo, I feel much much better compared to Lo Ovral.
Pros:
Affordable and easy to use.