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
October 9, 2014
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Don't do it..
I started using yasmin when I WAS 18 and used it for 3 years , with short breaks.. 2 years ago I stopped it forever and at first I experienced the worst side effects ever, but even so, stopping WAS THE BEST DECISION OF MY LIFE. SIDE EFFECT that i experienced: -while ON yasmin: BLOATING
BAD CELLULITE ( every time I stopped them, a week after the cellulite disapear, so don't tell me there's no connection)
LOW LIBIDO
SPOTING -The period after STOPPING them: BAD ACNE
INGROWN HAIR ON MY LEGS (I had marks on my legs for 1 year, it was horrible)
IRREGULAR MENSTRUATION FOR MONTHS
THINNING HAIR
HORMONAL IMBALANCE Now, after 2 years of stopping, my body finally recovered from this POISON , I still have mild to moderate acne, but, otherwise I FEEL GREAT :)
November 19, 2013
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
It's working
Cons:
A little brown discharge
I was taking NOVIAL last year, (not for acne). My skin was clear in a month. but I didn't know it was because of the pill. Then I stopped taking them because it caused me migraine. This year I had the worst break out of my life, because I'm about to finish my career and I'm very stressed (stress = high androgen levels). So, I decided to take a low dose pill. "Yasmin". I have been on it for 2 weeks and my skin is getting better. For experience I know my acne it's hormonal, (hereditary) my sister had acne and as soon she started to take birth pills, her skin cleared up. So I suggest you, you must not take the pill at least you know your acne is essentially hormonal. It can causes you some issues.
I will post later to keep you informed :)
August 17, 2013
Clearing me up
Pros:
Significantly less acne on jawline
I feel more confident
Cons:
Decreased libido :(
nausea for the first month
I'm 24 and have been experiencing acne on my jaw and lower cheeks for 2 years now. I started taking ortho partially to clear up acne. I really didn't have my hopes up because the doctor said it might not work for me though it is helpful for some people. I started my third packet two weeks ago and I have noticed that for the last two weeks my skin has been softer and that my jaw line has been less bumpy. I've been eating a normal diet but have not put in much effort to restrict cheese, milk, and chocolate yet the amount of pimples that come out continue to decline. I still have scars and red spots but the bumpiness has gone away. ANOTHER way I have been able to tell that ortho has helped me has been by using the biore pore strips. In addition to using them on my nose I would in the past use them on my cheeks and would remove a lot of sebum from all areas of my face. I used a pore strip this week and NOTHING came out from the cheek area and a little bit did on the nose so this is how i know that sebum production has decreased! So I did a little research and found out that the pill lowers testosterone levels which in turn decrease sebum production therefore causing less acne ;)
May 22, 2013
Product used: LoEstrin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
Bigger boobs
Effective contraceptive
Light periods
Cons:
Acne
Mood swings
I've been taking LoEstrin for a little over a year now. Since high school I've always had mild breakouts here and there, but nothing severe at all. I'm going into my third year of college now and I would say my breakouts are the worst they've ever been. They're not horrible, but I've had pretty clear skin most of my life and to have acne now at age 20 is a bit out of the ordinary. The pill does its job for a birth control pill and I have very regular, light periods on it. However, if you're prone to acne, I wouldn't recommend taking this. I am planning to switch to Ortho Tri-cyclen asap.
February 12, 2013
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
No weight gain,
No mood swings (more stable mood),
Less Acne!,
Boobs got bigger but went back to normal size after 3 months,
Not pregnant,
Cons:
always bloated
nausea (during the first week of a new pack, make sure your stomach is not empty hours after taking the pill!)
initial breakout
This is a wonder pill for me! You have to at least give it 3-5 months to see the difference. For the first 3 months I had big cystic acnes on my nose that wont go away! I had them injected with a cortisone shot so that they'd go flat and they did! At the start of 4th month I saw a huge difference. I mean there were still scars from the previous pimples but there were no acne anymore. I can live with the scars since I can always cover them with concealer and buy a scar removal topical. :)
January 12, 2013
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
Cleared skin a lot!!!!
Got rid of cramping etc.
lighter shorter periods
Smooth skin
Less intense sore acne
When you get the occasional spot it's the tiniest thing ever
Reduces size and redness
Cons:
It takes time for acne to clear
Skin feels like it's getting worse
Doesn't take away scarring
If you stopped it for a month, you would have bad skin again
I didn't have the worst skin ever, but it was being a downer on my life. I tried every treatment then I went on anti biotics stopped that, and I have been on the pill since July 2012 and my aim was to be CLEAR by October 2012 (formal). It did take a while to kick in, but it's so worth the wait! When formal came around I was so happy! Clear smooth skin hardly had to put any make up on! It was great I felt great, my self esteem was up 100%. I highly recommend YAZ if not any other pill! Good luck
January 1, 2013
Pros:
I have nothing good to say about this pill
Cons:
Daily headaches, back acne, really oily face covered in small zits, dont sleep very well.
I have been on yaz for 4 years and it worked great , clear skin and no negative side affects. I get ovarian cysts which were almost non existant while on yaz. Since switching to ortho tricyclen lo the pain in my side is back=cysts back, my skin is soo bad and i cant sleep. Going back to yaz!
June 26, 2012
Pros:
+ Acne chilled out
+ Not much weight gained
+ Periods are lighter
+ Not very severe cramps (which is why I was put on it)
Cons:
- RETAIN A LOT of water if I screw up a pack (Missing a pill or taking one kind of late)
- The water weight makes me puffy :
- Missing a pill or taking one late = Constant breakout until a week before my next period
Well, I was put on this pill after being on LoSeasonique (TERRIBLE PILL that made me breakout all over my legs and face). I had horrible cramps so I was put on it. Then I was put on OTCL for cramps AND acne. It had the side effects in the first two months, but I knew it would take some time. Soon, my acne chilled out and my cramps were very little. My "flow" was very light as well and it is really nice knowing when your period is coming. Mine usually last for like 4 or 5ish days. A downside I learned the hard was whenever I would take a pill late or miss one the next month (or pack) would cause me to breakout and retain water.
My breakout would last until the week before the placebo pills and I would start retaining water.
April 12, 2012
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
- Regular, lighter periods
- Mood swings greatly reduced
- Improved skin
Cons:
- Very uncomfortable menstrual cramps
- Gained unexplained weight
- Constantly needed to pee!
- Constipation
- Dry, flaky skin (face, hands, scalp)
After years of grief, I finally consulted the doctor when I was 20 complaining of very heavy, irregular periods, big mood fluctuations and persistent adult acne which was bringing down my self esteem. I was on Yasmin for about a year and it was the first pill I tried. After a few months I noticed that my skin was a lot less oily and much clearer than it had been in years! I was absolutely over the moon. For the first time since puberty I actually an element of control over my menstrual cycle and I felt so much better about my skin. The only downside was that my menstrual cramps had become unexpectedly severe, but I figured I could live with it considering how much happier I was with everything else. Unfortunately in my case, the happiness didn't last for much longer. Fast forward a few more months and I unexpectedly gained a load of weight, constantly needed to pee, was perpetually constipated, and I was plagued by dry, flaky skin on my hands, face and scalp. The dry skin on my face even brought back some of the acne, which understandably was a big disappointment. It was what I was trying to get rid of in the first place! I returned to the doctor to describe my symptoms and he seemed quite surprised to hear about them. But sure enough, once I came off Yasmin, absolutely all of the above problems completely disappeared in under a month. The weight just fell off me. It really was bizarre. To be perfectly honest it wasn't a complete waste of time because I really was content for a few months. I know there are some horror stories on here but if your doctor thinks that Yasmin might be worth a try then you can always dump it like I did, should it turn out not to be right for your body chemistry. As for me, I'm now 22 and still looking for the right pill. I've been given Dianette which could be a miracle cure or complete disaster! Ho-hum.
March 29, 2012
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
-bigger boobs
-shorter,regulated periods
-effective at preventing pregnacy
Cons:
-horrible mood swings,feeling like crying all the time,stressing over the most irrelevant things
-increased apetite
-bleeding in between periods
-worsened acne
-lack of energy and motivation,feeling tired despite getting more tgan enough sleep!
i have mixed feelings about this pill.i am starting my 3rd strip now and so far,and my skin is experiencing a bit of a rollercoaster ride,with unexpected breakouts in uncommon for me areas like the cheeks which i always had clean.as for me the mood swings are the WORST.they are starting to destroy my relations with my boyfriend and the worst thing is-i just cannot control them. hopefully,these are only initial and both my mood and skin will get bettet in month 3/4!
Pros:
Clear skin