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
June 23, 2009
Cons:
Worsed Acne, Changed my mood drastically, Weight Gain
I got this pill free from a local Planned Parenthood. I decited to take it because im not very smart at safe sex and thought it would help with my skin. My skin has cleared up before than it use to be. I took it for about a week and saw bad changes happen to me. My skin is now worse than before, my mood has altered significantly in a bad way and made me gain weight. I put the gain weight in both the pro and con because I am a petite girl so a few pounds will show however it did give me bigger boobs, which I enjoy. Overall I do not like this pill. I just stopped taking it because I cannot handle how it has changed my mood and worsened my skin. I am feeling sad, angry and just lost at everything.I do not like this free pill.
June 21, 2009
Pros:
clearned skin completely! leveled emotions, consistent periods
Cons:
weight gain
It cleared my skin. I have had hormonal acne since I was 13 and I feel I have tried everything else.I took the pill for 4 months and it was wonderful for my skin, but not so great for my body. I gained 7 lbs. Urg. I stopped this month and am trying a few different things. My face is already breaking out a little bit. I may go back or try a different birth control eventually.
June 12, 2009
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
My skin is a lot clearer since using this!
Cons:
Did weird things to my sex drive at first, but that seems to have gone away. Also, the potential side effects are kind of scary.
This stuff has been great to my hormonal skin. Before this I was on spironolactone which was also excellent, but I needed a birth control and Yaz works very similarly to Spironolactone in treating acne but is a form of birth control. I'm on my second month and my skin is looking pretty good. I am also using lemon juice as a topical at night, mixed with water. That is really great at helping fade red marks acne has left behind. The combo really is working for me. The only thing is (and this has nothing to do with the medicine), I've noticed that whenever I eat crappy foods and products containing REFINED SUGAR, specifically, I break out. Diet is a huge part of winning the fight against acne. The dermatologist will of course disagree because if you eat a clean diet with lots of fruits, veggies and water (little or no soda, candy, sweets, fried foods, etc.) then you're not going to keep going to see him/her. This may not cure it 100%, but I've found that it helps a LOT.
June 5, 2009
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
Clearer skin! ; little to no cramps, shorter & lighter periods, barely any weight gain, bigger boobs
Cons:
Mild headaches (for the first week I took Yasmin - they went away by the end of the week), spotting before period ( only for the first 2 months)
I had tried Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo before Yasmin & I had a lot of issues with feeling sick in the morning, my face seemed to break out even more while I was on it - so at first I was quite hesitant to try Yasmin ( I was worried it would have a similar effect). However! Am I glad I tried it! Within 3 months (almost to the day) my skin has cleared up. Before, I used to get huge, painful cystic pimples & now I have absolutely nothing ( I have a a SINGLE small pimple and it went away in 2 days!) I no longer have cramps & my periods have been bang on every month. Im really happy I tried this birth control & although the side effects are different for everyone - I would definitely try Yasmin to combat your acne!
June 2, 2009
Pros:
increased breast size, lost a few pounds, no pregnancies, loss of appetitte, and helped clear my back
Cons:
nausea, mood swings, more emotional about things
I like it. It works well. I thought id gain a lot of weight being on it but im glad i'm losing it. It has helped with my back acne too which is great. I love that my boobs are bigger. they are fuller now then they were before and I can fill out a bra that was slightly too big for me before. It works well. I like it. i think the nausea mood swings and emotional aspects will subscide after a few months. but i guess ill have to wait and see.
June 2, 2009
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
No pregnancy, clearer skin well, shorter, lighter period, pmdd stopped, increase in breast size.
Cons:
Experienced weight gain.
I'd tell anyone with more severe acne to give it try. I had suffered with acne since I was 10 or 11 and so I tried yaz to see if it could help and it did! Besides that, you get a lighter period thats around 3 days long which makes life a bit easier. Every woman's body is different so I'm just saying it worked for me!
May 30, 2009
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
Dealt with hormonal acne very well, no adverse reactions (i.e. feeling sick), significantly better periods, much shorter, less emotional etc.
Cons:
Probably not a primary acne treatment (see below), like most acne medications, it can cause acne to get worse before it gets better, can be expensive (but my insurance covers Rx completely so not an issue for me)
Background: Have used prescription acne meds off and on (mostly on) for 11+ years. Went on Accutane a few years ago, greatly improved acne. Before trying Yaz, I had been using Tazorac and Benzaclin for over a year with good success. However, I was still experiencing breakouts during my period and halfway between my periods. Experience with adding Yaz to my routine of Tazorac and Benzaclin: The first month my acne was the same or a little worse. The second month I had one small pimple. Currently, I have no acne at all. Periods are much better and I never felt sick. This was surprising to me because just about everything makes me sick. Thoughts: I think Yaz has worked well for me because my skin was already mostly clear from the other drugs--thus lessening the initial breakouts and only "asking" Yaz to deal with hormonal acne. I consider it an effective addition to my anti-acne regimen. However, I don't see myself ever using Yaz as my sole anti-acne med.
May 20, 2009
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
Works wonders for people who have acne caused by hormonal reasons
Cons:
takes about 3-5 months to stop hormonal breakouts
To make a long story short, I never had a pimple during high school. I went on Yasmin when I was 18 because of irregular periods, and then decided to go off the pill when I turned 21. Within 3 months of going off the pill I started getting acne, something which I had no clue how to handle since I never had this problem before. Last summer I started to break out real bad and tried all different topical treatments, but nothing worked. Finally I decided to go back on the pill (YAZ) because I figured I have some hormonal issue going on. Within 4 months my acne was gone and I only get one small pimple during my period. People, don't rule out the pill after one month. It takes months for the hormones to regulate and for your body to get adjusted.
May 19, 2009
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
Clear skin, I didn't gain weight (and I eat a lot).Bigger boobs and lighter/shorter period.
Cons:
I urine a lot!! :( sucks it ruins my beauty sleep.
the pill is pretty good. When I first use the pill my face was a mess. I had a lot pimples on my forehead and a couple on my cheeks. These pimples were huge and it was totally embarrassing. I did not want to leave my house. Fortunately this pill made my face all better. It actually took awhile before it started working. If you have a lot pimples and just started using Yasmin you should see results after 6 months. But don't just rely on the pill, clean (wash) your face daily and use a moisturizer in the morning and at night.
May 15, 2009
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
increase breast size, clearer skin, improve pms
Cons:
price
use yaz if you want to get rid of your acne, increase your breast size and if you suffer from pms...yaz actually works..
Pros:
Bigger Boobs, Weight Gain