Oral Contraceptives
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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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3.5
1015
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5
22.7%
4
34.3%
3
21.2%
2
13.1%
1
8.8%

Used Oral Contraceptives? Rate It:

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December 24, 2013
Worst Initial Breakout EVER! Best skin after 6 months.

Pros:

Improves tone, texture, and firmness of skin.
Clears skin
Easy to take

Cons:

Worst IB EVER!

I switched to OTC after Yaz stopped working as well. I experienced the WORST initial break out of my life in the first two months. I never thought my skin could get that bad, but it did! I even took pictures of the acne to chart how bad it was. Slowly over 6 months I started to clear up and, now, I have probably the best skin I have had in a year. Everything is clear, save one or two small spots a month. I'll take those small spots over the cystic acne I had even before the OTC. I still have a lot of red marks left over from the initial breakout, which are clearing slowly. One good thing, the tone and texture of my skin has improved greatly. So has the firmness. I never thought I would have skin this bad, but I do and the OTC has helped. UPDATE: I am still on this BC and my acne is pretty much non-existent now. I have the best skin of my adulthood. This stuff is great!
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November 25, 2013
This worked for my cystic acne!

Pros:

Results almost immediately!
cleared painful, cystic acne
no bad side effects so far (2 months in)

Cons:

Slight weight gain (5 pounds?)

I never write these reviews for things but have to for this because after much hesitation I went on Ortho-Tri Cyclen for my cystic acne and it has been the only thing that's cured in in 4+ years of trying! Like many women i was hesitant to try the pill for acne because of weight gain/other side effects' well, i have been on it for a little over a month and a half now and i saw results immediately and they have steadily improved since then. Now the only thing left on my face is really bad acne scarring (i still use makeup to cover it up) but am starting laser treatments for it soon. Also helpful - i use baking soda as a physical and chemical exfoliant followed by honey every night, and only moisturize with coconut oil. I have to believe this has helped give my skin the awesome glow it has now. Gained a few pounds despite being a varsity athlete in college - but I'd say overall its worth it. Give it a chance as it helped me so much when i thought I had no options left besides accutane. I was wrong!
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November 19, 2013
It made me crazy!
It made me sick! Made me crazy I would go frm extremely happy to extremely sad in less than a sec !
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November 13, 2013
works okay

Pros:

helps with acne and oily skin
birth control
helps with monthly cycle

Cons:

water weight
mood swings
change in vaginal ph

i am taking this pill for the soul purpose of clearing my acne and my oily skin. the birth control is just a bonus. im thinking of switching to the lo version in jan as i feel the regular is a bit much for me. i dont get nauseous because i take it one hour after lunch (1pm) i find that taking it in the morning or at nigh before bed causes morning sickness. i might be crazy but it actually curbs my appetite, makes me feel sick if i eat too much. i lost 20 lbs while ive been on it. i swell up in my tummy and my right knew due to water weight, i just take a diuretic for a few days and dink tons of water. i do have these anger spells where i get so mad i want to fight but im not sure if i can blame that on the pill. it does kill my sex drive and im always horny or at least i was before i was on it and i think its causing a vaginal odor. never had a smell before at all but lately i have been smelling a sort of smell. i cant really describe it, it doesnt stink but it doesnt smell good either. hopefully when i switch to the lo these few minor problems will cease
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November 11, 2013
Good and Bad

Pros:

No weight gain
Light periods
Light cramps

Cons:

Didn't help acne
Longer periods than past birth control

I initially went on sprintec because I wanted to be on a birth control that would help clear my skin. I used to be on Loestrin 24 Fe, but that just wasn't cutting it. I have now been on sprintec for a little over 6 months and my experience is both good and bad. The good part, I haven't gained a single pound and it hasn't effected my emotions at all. Periods are light and I don't get terrible cramps like I used to. The bad, my skin hasn't improved at all and I actually just started accutane a week ago because I couldn't deal with it any longer. Overall its a great birth control IF you have clear skin already. If you want to go on it for acne, I recommend going on another birth control!
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November 6, 2013
This might have helped my acne.

Pros:

acne improved after stopping

Cons:

made me CRAZY

I decided to go on Ortho-Tricyclen to help with my horrible cystic acne. I had been pregnant and wasn't able to try any birth control and had used creams and had been on antibiotics at one point. I went to the local women's clinic and they prescribed it to me. Not long after I started, almost instantly, I began to get VERY bad panic attacks. It really brought out the crazy in me! I've never felt so out of control mentally in my life. It was REALLY bad. After completing 1 week and 1 day of medication, I decided to quit after I ended up in the ER because of a panic attack (I do have some anxiety issues as it is, but this pill REALLY amplified them.). After going off I began to gradually see improvement in my skin. I did switch my face routine to cetaphil face wash (used with the oil of olay facial brush) and moisturizer, but I honestly think the pill had a lot to do with it, because I had cystic acne that was very deep and below the skin and often never came to a head, so no creams or washes could really penetrate that far down. It's November and I've been almost completely clear since the end of September. I have had a few pop up here and there, but only two or three and they were because I was lazy and didn't wash off my makeup and they were REGULAR, not cystic. I'm guessing the week that I spent on Ortho-Tricyclen perhaps made my hormones balance themselves out? I'm hoping my clear skin continues. I'll give it a four because it did seem to work and I really can't figure out what else it could have been, and it might be worth a try, but I have to at least take a star away because it really did make me feel horrible.
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October 30, 2013
Developed Blood Clots as a 21 Year Old College Senior

Cons:

Blood clots

I am 21 years old and it seems that I have always suffered from acne. Even in middle school I remember having terrible skin. I literally tried everything from basically every over the counter acne product to prescription treatments such as gels and creams to oral treatments. Eventually I was prescribed this birth control for acne. It worked well for a while with my skin mostly clear and only a few blemishes here and there. I had been on this birth control for about a year before it drastically affected my life. I am a senior in college and this year I was actually sent to the emergency room and hospitalized for a week from a blood clot in each of my lungs. I am now on blood thinner for at least nine months and would just say I would NOT recommend to anyone a birth control for an acne solution. No matter how glowing your skin may look it is not worth the risk. Trust me.
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September 21, 2013
Works for some but not me!!!

Pros:

Nothing for me
Works for some people

Cons:

Weight gain 10 lbs
Breakouts got worse
Always felt and looked bloated!

When I went on this pill the only reason was to control my acne. Several of my friends are on it and it has cleared them up. I am 16. When I started I knew that I only had a 1/3 chance of it working. 1/3 of people it works for. 1/3 it does nothing for and of coarse my category 1/3 of people it makes acne worse. I stayed on it for 3 months and I was told it takes about that long to work. However what I didnt understand was that in the 3 months that it takes to work my acne should not have become worse. There really shouldn't be an initial breakout from BCP's. Your acne might not get better however it should not cause your acne to exploded and get worse. Read the side affects from the maker or ask your gyno. I have seen my friends that it has worked for and that is why it is hard for me to rate it. If you are in the group of 1/3 that it works for than lucky you. This is just something you need to try and see if it helps. I also eat really well and am very very active. I put on 10 to 14 lbs and I couldn't budge that weight off me no matter what. It was to the point that I was barely eating and still no weight loss. I actually looked bloated all the time and the weight was all around my middle. I do at least 700 ab and core strengthening a day for my sport and I use to be cut but on the pill it wasn't possible. Again this is just how it effected my body. Once I was off I have just started to drop the weight doing nothing different except eating more but still healthy. I have never struggled with weight ever. I would say give it a try but if your acne gets worse stop because it's not for you. One of my friends that it works for also had a ten lb weight gain. She can't get it to budge so she is deciding if she should live with the 10 lbs or start over looking for a treatment that controls her acne but does put the pounds on some. There is no quick fix. I am having to learn the lesson of being patient and finding the treatment that will clear me up. It sucks but I think it will serve me well as a life lesson.
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September 19, 2013
Too many people don't give this birth control a chance

Pros:

No acne
Less oily skin
Minor weight gain (> 3 pounds)

Cons:

Constipation
Minor bloating

I was really weary to try birth control at all because I thought I was going to gain a ton of weight from it, and reading reviews on here scared the poop out of me. I went ahead and started taking ortho anyways. The first month was God awful. I had horrible, horrible cystic acne everywhere. Even in places I never get acne. It hurt. It sucked. I was discouraged. I almost stopped taking the pills but my mother encouraged me to continue to take them for at least 3 months. By month 2 I did not get anymore acne, but still of course had scars from my past consistent acne and my severe bought in the first month. I'm on month 4 and still, no acne. My acne is clearing up and I'm just left with a few scars. I've been dealing with acute moderate acne for a year and now I can finally feel okay. I'm almost to the point where I don't have to hide myself behind layers of make up. I just want people to know that these pills definitely can work and have for me. The only downsides are the following: A) I get a little constipated on week 1 and week 2 and have to take a fiber supplement to keep things regular. B) During the second week I feel kind of bloated and gross, but it begins to go away by the middle of the third week and by the time the placebo week is over I feel normal again. This pill will make you insanely hungry Month 1 but after that month my appetite has been normal and maybe even lessened. I took these pills because I had a severe hormonal imbalance from a past eating disorder, these pills have managed and regulated my hormones and I am very happy. OH and also my insurance pays for this bc completely and so that's also a super plus!!!!
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September 18, 2013
Satisfied!

Pros:

Less acne
Increased sex drive :)
No oily skin

Cons:

Intense bleeding which is probably why I'm more tired
Tired a lot
Slight more intense lower back cramps

My face is less oily, it's helping my acne and I also have a great sex drive since i realky didnt have one to begin with:) but I am tired a lot and I have heavy bleeding if I missed a pill and not horrible but more intense back cramps.
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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.
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