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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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August 31, 2014
Good for Acne
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!
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August 11, 2014
NO acne, regular cycles and NO babies ;)
I am married with a 4 year old. I neeeeeed contraception. Haha I decided to go with Nexplanon ("Implanon" at the time) simply for the fact that I was scared I would miss pills (I am scatter brained and never in the same place every day). After getting my second one (not sure why, but the first implant did not break my skin out) implanted in late July 2013, my acne kept getting worse and worse. I have "normal" skin. I'm not dry or oily, but I was getting some MAJOR breakouts. In March I was fed up with it and paid the $300 to get it removed because I had not had a good skin day in a straight 3 months (my upper back being worse than my face) and I was getting super self conscious about my skin. It was just a nightmare and I didn't care about anything other than getting my skin cleared up! It is now August 2014 and my skin is PERFECT (it did take some time. Probably 3 cycles of the ortho for my skin to heal and I did experience breakouts during the transition) I don't take my clear skin for granted now, and it is even better than it was before I had my son. The estrogen makes your skin clear up, but I have also COMPLETELY stopped picking at my bumps. That is hard to do, but your skin really needs to heal. I also use Dr. Bronner's liquid soap after exfoliating back, chest and face once a day with a soft bristle brush I got at Wal-Mart (it's like a Clarisonic with a long handle to reach my back). The Ortho has cleared my cysts and the exfoliation and awesome soap has cleared whiteheads and blackheads! It's awesome and I am absolutely loving a predictable period. As for keeping on track with taking the pills, I always keep them in my purse (just in case I'm not home) and my alarm goes off at 9 every nignt. If I'm home, I just get the package out of my purse and take it. Also I'm only allowed to silence the alarm AFTER the pill has went down my throat haha. ;) hope this is helpful and gives some hope to someone!
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August 9, 2014
made my skin horrible
I am starting my second month of Sprintec. I use it to control my periods which is workiing. However acne-wise its not the best. I started breaking out horribly when i first went on it! My skin has never been this bad!! I dont know what to do :/
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July 29, 2014
My BFF
I have been on Tri Sprintec (which is excellent for lack of insurance) for maybe 2 years. Thanks to this pill, my skin has dramatically improved. I had light-moderate acne and would get large, deep blemishes on my back. Now I only break out on my face when (and if) I happen to miss a pill or top using The Regimen, and my back is completely clear. This had also completely cleared my forehead. This in combination with The Treatment (2.5% BP) are my go to!
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July 9, 2014
Wish I could give it no stars..
I promise you when I say this birth control seriously messed up my face, not to mention my self esteem and self confidence. I have never written a review for ANY product, love or hate. This is my first review and I feel it is totally necessary that I warn some of you. I realize this BC might work for some, including my roommate, but it definitely didn't work for me. I started OTC because i was getting a few breakouts here and there and my roomie went on OTC-lo and got cleared up right away, so why not try it? My doc told me OTC-lo isn't the best recommendation, so she suggested OTC.. First month, a few more pimples here and there.. no biggie, researched the product a lot in hopes to find some good reviews saying how in a few more months it will get better... I'll just fast forward to the 4 month mark... O M G... my acne went from bad to worse. I have never had forehead or jaw acne before and it looked like I had been bitten by a million mosquitos. Im not joking when I say I counted 20 zits on my face at once. I stopped going out to the gym when my roomies would ask, I stayed in my room most of the time, I couldn't even run outside in my neighborhood without feeling self conscious. I went into hibernation mode and definitely lost a few friends because of the no contact. After/during those 4 torturous months, I did my research not only online but into my past and when my skin was the clearest. I realized I was the clearest I have ever been on a mono phasic pill called Previfem (generic version of Ortho Cyclen.) I quickly/hesitantly switched back to Previfem and voila... my skin is almost back to the way it was.... but now I have a bunch of scars to remind me of the literal hell I was in for 4 months. I'm telling you people, be careful with this BC... It not only messed up my face but gave me headaches every day and made me extremely lethargic. Save your time and your money... Monophasic pills are the way to go.
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June 18, 2014
Happy Happy Happy on Ortho Cyclen! :)
This is actually a review for ortho cyclen, not ortho tri cyclen. It's the same hormones, it just does vary throughout the month. I'm so happy being on ortho cyclen. I have been on many other pills, and this is the first to make a difference to my acne. The first week, I broke out. Big ugly bumps all over my problem areas (chin and between eyebrows). Then, after the initial breakout, for the next two months my acne was the same as it had always been and I didn't notice a big difference. The usual big white heads mixed with lots of closed comedones. The medi spa I go to sometimes gave me a sample of a benzoyl peroxide cream, and I used it on my problem areas where the skin was really congested. I think this helped to speed up the process. It brought my closed comedones to a head and made my acne flare up horribly! But then ... magic! I feel as if the benzoyl peroxide helped to speed up the process of the ortho cyclen clearing my skin. Now, my skin is almost completely clear. My acne is so small it is very easily covered with a bit of foundation. So, although my skin is not yet perfectly clear, the ortho cyclen has minimized my acne so much I feel very comfortable and confident that it will all clear up soon. Plus, my periods are not heavy or painful. I am not nearly as dizzy and icky feeling on my periods as I used to be. My skin looks noticeably less congested and is not sore like it used to be.
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January 24, 2014
Not to sure...

Pros:

not getting Pregant
Acne free
not dry Vagina

Cons:

Mood swings
headaches
acne in sunlight

This was my first birth control. I'm 23 years old now, I was 18 when i started and stopped after a year or half a year. I can't remember. But I do remember this birth control was good because it stopped my acne on my face right away from starting it, it didn't get me pregnant. Great right? Wrong. In the summer time, I started to get acne all over my back and chest, even my face. but very very small pimples and only when I was in direct sunlight. (Swimming, even with or without sunscreen. walking outside.) It was like my skin couldn't breathe! so all these mini pimples would scatter all over my chest and back. my face had larger ones and I would have horrible headaches and cramps when my period came. I also was very bitchy. so angry about nothing, then emotional when my period was about to start.(for example. i'll be pissed off and rage and then about an hour later i'll start to cry. then the next day my period would start) it didn't make my vagina dry though. so In the winter time I didn't get acne (the mini ones that would scatter all over my chest and back like in the summer time). I recommending because it helped only in the winter times because the sun didn't affect me as badly as it did in the summer times. I guess because my skin wasn't exposed.
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January 11, 2014
Fair

Pros:

No weight gain
Cheap(er)

Cons:

Difficult to lose weight on
Initial breakout
Migraines, moodiness

I took this medication for two months. The initial breakout left me feeling miserable; I had painful cystic acne all over my chin. I also got terrible headaches, and was a moody all the time. I think my acne is finally starting to clear up a bit but I don't know if it's because the medication is actually helping or if my initial breakout is just ending. This is not the pill for me at all.
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January 2, 2014
So glad I went on this!!

Pros:

Cleared me up in a week
No pregnancy (plus if you're in a relationship)
Bigger boobs

Cons:

Nausea
Sore/Tender breasts

I've been on this pill for almost a week and 80% of my acne has cleared up and I am so glad I decided to go on the pill. I needed birth control anyways because I am in a serious relationship, but a few years ago I went on Accutane and unfortunately after about a year and a half of being off of it, my acne started to return and that's when my dermatologist recommended that I try birth control because it may be hormonal acne. I didn't actually try birth control about until almost two years later and I have to say, it's done wonders for me so far. Only negative effects I've been dealing with are nausea and sore boobs, but either than that, I really think it's worth a try, especially if your acne gets worse around your period which is a good indicator that you have hormonal acne. Of course everyone's different but because this pill is indicated for acne, I think that if you've tried absolutely everything, this is another option. *****UPDATE***** Alright so I feel like it's time to write an update, I've been on this pill for 8 months now and my rating of 4 stars won't change. So I feel like it has helped with my acne, making it very moderate, a few zits here and there, no miracle though. For me the first row of pills seems to clear me up and then the next two breaks me out a bit, and then the sugar pills are just neutral. So it has helped with my acne, but only slightly. One thing though is that my skin is now pretty soft, tolerant to acne face washed, doesn't dry out anymore, I'm not sure if that's because I don't use anything on my face now and just wash it with a salicylic acid wash, but yep, nothing to really complain about. All those symptoms I've experienced in the first month are now long gone, so that's a plus! So I still recommend this because again, it will most likely help with breakouts, but don't expect a miracle, so any relive you're looking for you might get it with this BC.
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December 24, 2013
:(

Pros:

Works for a whole

Cons:

Nausea
Mood swings
Acne worsens

I've been on ortho tri cyclen for 5 months now, and for the first 4 months it really cleared up my skin, better than it's been in years! But this month my skin has broken out worse than ever before. Plus I have naturally dry skin so when it breaks out and I try to treat it, it dries out too and looks disgusting. On top of that I've been nauseous and had crazy mood swings. I've been trying to stay positive, but I can't decide if I want to quit the pill or switch to another one.
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Relevant Article(s):

Finding a Doctor

The right dermatologist can make a big difference to your patient experience and the success of your acne treatment plan. Here are the steps to find a dermatologist who is a good fit:

  1. Use the search feature on the American Academy of Dermatology website to look for board-certified dermatologists in your area, and filter the search results for doctors with a special interest in treating acne.
  2. Read online patient reviews of any dermatologists you are considering and ask people you know whether they have any experience with these dermatologists.
  3. Do your research and go to your first appointment with questions prepared.
  4. Listen to what your gut feeling tells you once you see a dermatologist in person. If you are not completely comfortable, try a different dermatologist.
Find a Doctor Using The American Acacemy of Dermatology Website

Finding a Doctor

Only a select few plastic surgeons specialize in acne scar revision surgery. Be certain to find a provider who specializes in acne scar repair and who is passionate and experienced in this area.

Be sure to:

  • Look at before and after photos, the more the better, especially patients with similar scarring to your own.
  • Be realistic about results. Look for improvement, not a cure.

Questions to ask a potential scar revision specialist:

  • Are you board certified? Be certain that they are board certified.
  • How long have you been performing these procedures? Normally, the more experience the better, however, some younger surgeons may be more on top of the latest procedures.
  • Can I speak to some of your other patients? Ask for references for several patients who had similar scarring and speak to them about the process and their satisfaction with results.

Red flags:

  • Their story changes: As you discuss different treatment options, if they tend to change their mind easily, or agree with whatever you say, consider this a red flag. A confident, experienced surgeon will possess strong, unwavering opinions.
  • Your gut tells you "no": Trust your gut. If you just don't feel that the doctor is the right fit, trust that and move on. On the other hand, if you feel they are the perfect specialist for you, trust that feeling.
Find a Doctor Using the American Society of Plastic Surgeons Website