This birth control really did work for me for the first few years. At some point I guess my body got used the the birth control (per my doctor) and I started breaking out horribly again. The side effects were minimal when I was on it, and if it continued to work then this rating would be a 5 rather than a 3. I do encourage other women to give this birth control a try since it did work for me for about 5 years without any crazy mood swings, but I did experience some weight gain. If you are concerned about weight gain, my weight would fluctuate off and on while I was on this by about 10 pounds, for the most part I would stay right in the middle with a 4-6 pound gain, but around my period or times of high stress it would go up to a 10-12 pound gain. Different birth controls affect each woman differently so I can't say that every woman will experience the weight gain that I did, but I figured I would give you all a heads up.

My acne struggles started a few years ago. I had pretty severe acne mostly on my cheeks, but also small bumps all over. I tried a different brand first (Minastrin), but it seemed to be making it worse. Some of the other things I have tried are: most drugstore brands, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, liver supplements, oil cleansing, witch hazel, the list goes on. BC was my last option for the most part. I have been on OTC Lo for about 8 months now. The first 2-3 months didn't do much, but starting with the 4th month and beyond, it just got better and better. It has cleared my skin about 90%. I still break out around my period though. But my skin tone is clearer, the bumps have gone away, and the spots I do get are generally smaller and go away faster. Overall, I am a LOT happier with my skin than when I started. It truly has made a difference. My skin looks plumper, feels softer, and does not break out as much with different topicals. I currently take this pill, wash in the AM and PM with CeraVe foaming cleanser (with a konjac sponge at night), moisturize with argan oil in the AM, and use Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera Gel on spots at night. I use IT Cosmetics powder foundation (I have gone from heavy foundations and concealers to just a powder foundation!) This simple routine has helped me clear my skin up dramatically. HOWEVER, this will be my last pack. This pill has caused me bloating and persistent depression/anxiety. I realize now that this is just a cover and a blanket cure for my skin. If you think you have hormonal acne, I highly recommend looking into supplements such as DIM, Vitex, Calcium D-Glucarate, and Saw Palmetto. All can help hormonal acne by balancing hormones. I am planning on stopping this pill, and incorporating those supplements! Overall, as an acne treatment I give this a 4/4.5, and as a medication a 3/3.5. If you are struggling and need birth control for contraception as well, give it a shot, but understand the risks and realize it is synthetic hormones (this is making me feel less and less 'natural' every day). However, it can be beneficial. In general, it is not a cure, and only really masks the problem for a short time.

Do not use this pill. I suffered from acne and my doctor put me on yasmin to help it as i thought it was good for resolving acne. i've been on it for 4 months and I have never been so miserable and depressed. My acne worsened and continues to worsen now, I've never experienced acne this bad it's ruining my entire life I have now been put on to roaccutane to sort it out once and for all. Yasmin has resulting in me crying all the time (once a day), eating ridiculous amounts and severe bloating. I am now looking to convert to a different pill, Yasmin has changed me so much for the worse and I've never regretted something so much in my life. Please think carefully before starting this pill.

So I've had acne since I was 14, I'm 24 now. It was severe at one point. I tried multiple topicals and it would work and then come back worse. So I finally went on Acutane. Cleared my skin up to where I would get maybe two or three small pimples! I was clear for 6 years. Then a year ago I started Minastrin fe 24 for my irregular periods I've always had. It made my skin all oily again, and I had horrible cystic acne return. After 6 years! My derm said it was from too much testosterone, which increases oil production. Enter yaz. In the first week I noticed I did not get a cyst. I was getting them everyday before. It has only been two weeks, so after a few months I will update again. But it is reversing the damage my other BC did, so far so good! I did get tired and nauseous a little but that only was for the first two days. No other side effects now. I'll post again in a few months with results. 2 month update----- I'm almost done with my second month and still improving. My skin is getting less oily. I haven't gotten a cyst. I am still getting smaller pimples, blackheads, whiteheads, but not like before. So far so good!

I give this bcp a 3 star rating because before taking this pill, I had brutal period cramps and irregular cycle. Now i have a regular cycle and very minimal cramps. Now speaking skin wise. I am now on my fifth month. My first month, my skin was the same: moderate acne, clogged pores, a zit here and there nothing severe. At the end of the second pack and beginning of thethird, bad things started happening. My skin would leave horrible red marks when zits would leave. I still to this day 2-3 months later still have these marks and they are exceptionally visible. I broke out horribly. The hyper pigmentation was everywhere. Now, it has died down but I have red marks from zits that left my face more than 3 months ago. This never used to happen before I was on these pills. They will not fade. I don`t know whether to continue taking the pills or stop.

I have been taking Yaz on and off for around a year. There has been a total of 3 months that I have been off of this pill because it lowered my sex drive significantly and made it a little harder to gain muscle (plus it gave me a a little bit of cellulite even though I workout 3-4 days a week and eat a healthy diet). However Yaz has helped clear my skin and my skin is way less oily. I am 24 years old and didn't start getting oiler skin and acne until I was 20. Yaz has been the only thing that has made a change in my skin for the better. Not only has Yaz helped my skin, but it also has made me emotionally stable. I used to cry for no reason, get upset, snap at people, and was an emotional roller coaster. I take the pill continuously throughout the month, that helps regulate my hormones and makes it so I don't get my periods, it also has helped a lot with my energy levels and my relationship with my husband. The two times I tried to go off of Yaz my oily skin/acne returned, and I was once again an emotional mess. For me the pros outweigh the cons, I'd rather be a happy sane person than a miserable emotional wreck.

I'm 23 years old and I tried Yaz for only 3 months because it made my mood swings with my S.O. really bad! I would get angry about everything, snap and yell about stupid little things. So I had to stopped the pill, it didn't help my acne at all. I also was very paranoid with Yaz from all the bad reviews but I tried it with a positive out look. but left with Negative results. only reason I tried it was because it was cheaper then Diane 35.

It made me sick! Made me crazy I would go frm extremely happy to extremely sad in less than a sec !

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

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.