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:
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February 10, 2012
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Cons:
Some spotting before period during the first month.
If you are a healthy young woman (meaning you do not smoke, consume a lot of alcohol, and/or eat a lot of junk food) this pill could be the best one for you. These pros and cons are from my experience but remember; every pill affects every woman differently.
February 1, 2012
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
no mood swings
Cons:
Bad Breakout
Nausea in first month, couldnt stomach breakfasts
Put on weight
Sore, cystic acne
Decrease in sex drive
I'm only on my second month but seriously considering giving up.
In my first few weeks on being on Yasmin I couldnt eat breakfast (i take the pill just before i got to bed) and was hospitalised on one occasion when i fell unconscious and had a mini-seizure (im only 17)
Nausea has gone now, but read so many bad medical problems arising from this I dont want to continue, but also dont want to experience the breakouts people are having from quitting (im still in the bad breakouts from being on it!)
My face is sore, puffy, red and due to a skin/joint condition i have its increasing my scarring (and giving me more sports to scar!)
It has now spread all over to my back and I've never had it this bad, most of them are really painful.
Going to dermatologist for other alternatives.
September 21, 2011
Pros:
Pregnancy prevention, acne control
Cons:
Headaches, mood swings, irritability, breast tenderness, weight gain
HATE IT!
Got a new prescription today!
It worked for 3 months then it all went down hill from there. Terrible cramps and heavy bleeding did not stop, I have horrible headaches between the last hormone pill and the placebos and then again when starting the hormones at the end of my cycle. Ive gained weight and cannot get it off with diet and exercises. This is the worst pill I've ever been on.
September 8, 2011
Pros:
No decrease in sex drive :)
Cons:
-Stomach aches
-Horrible nausea lasting the entire day
-Got new pimples every single day I've been on it
-Water retention
-Crazy food cravings
-Extreme fatigue
-Breast soreness
-Worse cramps than before
-Heavier period
As you can see by my list of cons, this pill definitely didn't work for me lol. First of all, I went on accutane over two years ago and ever since my skin has been great. A couple pimples here and there, or once in a while I'd experience clogged pores on my forehead and around my nose, but my skin care routine takes care of it within a week at most. My forehead and nose area are my "problem areas" if you could even call them that, but OTC just bombed my face with under-the-skin, painful pimples around my chin and my mouth like no other. I broke out in areas of my face where I never had before, even previously to my accutane treatment.
And don't even get me started on the sickness this pill caused me. It was beyond your typical morning sickness. It lasted the entire day if I did not take pills for nausea and an upset stomach. And even when I did, I still felt uneasy for the remainder of the day, especially for the first two weeks.
I felt bloated all the time, no matter what I ate or do. My diet hasnt changed, and I know full well of the types of foods which cause my stomach to be bloated all day long.
My cramps are also worse than they were before, and I even had cramps while I was spotting! Now, my period is even heavier than it used to be, and it's also longer.
Bottom line is, I know some people have been benefiting from OTC as it works with their bodies in a way it does not with mine. Although it has definitely not worked for me, perhaps it will work for you. Although I know sticking with a medication for three months is recommended, the amount of cons definitely outweighs any reason I have to stay on OTC for another two months. I hope it works for others though! Good luck =)
August 29, 2011
Pros:
Lesser breakouts
Larger breasts
Cons:
Weight gain
Terrible mood swings
Depression
Acne is still here
I HATE this pill. My dr wants me to finish off the rest of my 2nd pack before starting me on a new birth control, however this has been a terrible experience I don't think i'll take the pill again.
I've been on ortho 2 wks shy from 2 months and I've gained 7 lbs despite no change in diet.
I noticed my negative side effects right away, but wanted to give this pill chance. I'm so done. I'm mainly stopping this pill bc the reduction in my acne is not that significant, I am steadily gaining more and more weight, and I often feel like I'm on an emotional rollercoaster. BOTTOM LINE: If you start this pill and think it sucks- follow your intuition.
August 19, 2011
Pros:
no weight gain
no cramps
no loss in sex drive
Cons:
acne
dryness by mouth
emotional
If you're thinking about trying this birth control, I definitely wouldn't recommend it. The pros do not outweight the cons. I took this with the hope that it would help me not get pregnant, which is has succesfully done so far.. But I also took it because it was supposed to help with acne. For me it has not done that, it has increased my acne, especially near my chin area. I also got a dry patch near my lip a few days ago, it is very painful and red. This product has made my self esteem lower by the things it has done to my face and the mood swings I get now.
April 17, 2011
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
Cleared up my skin
Less moody
Cons:
Irregular cycles
Harsh on my body
I had started taking this because of the mood swings I would get around my period and after a few months taking it my skin began to clear up. My skin was great, but my body did not like it. My heart began to beat really fast out of nowhere and I started getting migraines among a few other side effects. After getting a bunch of tests done and everything coming back fine, I though that maybe it was just the pill doing it, and it was. I now have found that I react bad to all oral contraceptives, so maybe it will help if your body does not have a problem with birth control pills.
April 16, 2011
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
Lighter periods
No stomach cramps
Weight loss
Bigger breasts
Cons:
Acne MUCH worse - not just whiteheads and blackheads - regular large cysts!
Nausea during first month
Having had acne since my early teens (I am now 21), I had tried many different treatments and facial skincare products in an effort to improve my skin, so I thought I would try Yasmin. It was recommended to me by many friends as the miracle pill (weight loss, massive breasts, perfect skin!) and I had very high hopes for my acne. I used to have three or four whiteheads at any one time around my t-zone and mouth - the longevity of these spots and the scarring afterwards (I scar easily!) was my main concern. However, within the first week of taking Yasmin I experienced breakouts like never before - instead of a few whiteheads every couple of days, I had 3 or 4 new cysts on my face per day, and not just in my t-zone. I was reassured by my doctor that this was normal and my skin would get worse before it got better, so I stuck with it. Today, after 3 months on Yasmin, I have so much scarring from the cysts, which are still all over my cheeks and forehead. This was not the right pill for me! Although there were many positives - bigger breasts, no stomach cramps - I have learnt that if you break out severely after the first few months then it is likely that you will continue to do so... this was not just a transition period. A miracle pill for others but not for me!
March 29, 2011
Pros:
Regulating Periods
Cons:
Made Acne Worse
I've been on this BC for three weeks and I only started taking it to regulate my periods. So far, I can only tell that I haven't had a period yet as I'm still on the active pills. I did not start this BC for acne. Previously I just suffered from large pores, oily skin, and general splotchyness of the face with a couple of bumps every month during the week before and of my period. However, now that I have started taking it...I wake up every day with a new bump on my face. I'm only three weeks in so the jury isn't out yet, but I'm not sure that if this is a permanent thing, if I will want to continue taking it. This is disheartening because I actually became excited when I read that it was actually supposed to help acne. I also get brief, sharp abdominal cramps from time to time but I chock that up to the fact that I was told I could start taking it immediately and I would have been on my period around this time and that's how I would have felt. Kind of like my reproductive system is caught in a limbo as it regulates, which I hope is also the cause of my acne as well. I'll hold out for the three months but if it continues on like this, I don't know. I haven't suffered any of the other side effects others have spoken of though (like mood swings and loss of sexual drive).
February 27, 2011
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
Weight loss, no bloating
Cons:
My acne got much, much worse!
Expensive!
I was prescribed this after I decided my previous birth control wasn't working out for me. I was excited because my doctor said that this helped women with their acne and even reduces hair growth. Being of Greek heritage and having suffered from acne for 10+ years, I thought why not! Big mistake! Within a month my acne worsened and I don't mean a few breakouts here and there. My acne was actually worse than when I was a teenager! After a month, I called my doctor in hysterics and switched back to my old birth control (ortho-cyclen) which helped my skin once upon a time. Unfortunately, Yasmin messed up my skin so much, it took almost a year of various topical and antibiotic treatments to get it back to my pre-Yasmin state.
Pros:
Shorter & lighter periods
Weak menstrual cramps
Clear skin
No mood swings
No cravings
No swollen breasts
No pregnancies