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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September 26, 2011

Pros:

Minimal side effects first 6 months
Very little to no acne
No excessive bloating first 6 months
No weight gain first 6 months

Cons:

Month 7 started feeling really bloated and had sore breasts
Extremely hungry a lot of times
Feeling very sleepy for past 3 months
Water retention

EVERY PILL HAS SIDE EFFECTS AND THEY ALL ONLY WORK FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS AT LEAST FOR ME EVERYONE'S DIFFERENT. I RECOMMEND SWITCHING PILLS EVERY 6 MONTHS TO ANYONE THAT GIVES YOU THE LEAST SIDE EFFECTS THAT'LL KEEP YOU BALANCED
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September 19, 2011

Pros:

lighter periods
pregnancy prevention
larger breasts
inexpensive

Cons:

a little weight gain
possible moodiness?

I barely noticed any side effects for this birth control. I don't remember feeling any extreme pain or discomfort, and it's a reliable form of protection. Some friends that are girls as well as my boyfriend noticed a change in my breast size, and there was a small change in my weight, but there have been no side effects that have made me want to consider coming off this prescription. I don't have any acne to begin with, so i can't say if it helps clear that up or not, however it didn't give me any either. Overall, it has been working for me and i will consider to use it. Hope this helped! :)
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August 20, 2011

Pros:

Pregnancy prevention
Lighter period

Cons:

Tender breasts first month
Food cravings

Started this after getting a free sample from planned parenthood (I wasn't sure which bc method I wanted). At the end of my first pack my breasts started hurting like crazy. And I started craving sweets, which I don't normally eat very often. However. It worked great at lightening my period. I'm always regular but my 3rd day id stop bleeding, then start again with a vengeance. This stuff helped me stop doing that. I haven't seen any weight loss or gain, but I work out lightly 3 times a week so that may help. I read that some womens boobs grew. I'm a 34B and am still waiting for that! Maybe after the 3rd pack?? Lol
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July 19, 2011

Pros:

-Not Pregnant
-Helps Clear or regulate acne
-No weight gain or loss
-Always know when your periods will be

Cons:

-Breakouts at the start of use
-Slightly moody/emotional at the start of use
-

Dan's regimen is good, but I felt that especially around my time of the month all hell would break loose. I always wanted Birth Control to control my acne, but I was weary of side effects and had heard horror stories so I laid off and figured that eventually my acne would settle down. Finally, after a year of being with my boyfriend I decided I wanted Birth Control to prevent pregnancy as condoms had given us a few scares and Plan B was not something I was too keen on taking or paying for. I got an appointment at Planned Parenthood. Let me make this very clear ladies. Planned Parenthood is not a shady, back alley place that you should be ashamed for going to. Planned Parenthood is a respectable, amazing place that helps men and women alike on multiple levels. It was very clean, professional, and everyone was amazingly helpful and caring. I can buy Birth Control there for about $24 a pack, which is great because my family does not have insurance. At first it was pretty bad. I broke out horribly and as frustrating as it was I had read the reviews and had braced myself for the worst. The first month was difficult. Aside from Acne I began to experience emotional swings near the end of the month. Everything made me sad, angry etc. This is to be expected. I've been on Birth Control for almost a year now and I love it. I only see minor emotional swings now and then but it is very uncommon and only around my period which is not unlike normal PMS behavior. No weight gain or loss. No increase in appetite or anything of the sort. Everything is working out well and during the whole month before my period my face is clear as can be with the exception of a small spot here or there. While I still break out during my period, it is nothing compared to how it used to be. A small cyst an a couple spots sure beats a whole army of cystic acne come to parade around my face.
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July 9, 2011

Pros:

Helps keep acne under control
Helps prevent unwanted pregnancies

Cons:

Intense mood swings
Breast soreness

Overall, this is a good birth control for acne. My doctor told me it is one of the birth controls that has been proven to help acne, which I see is true. I was on this specific birth control for three years. I stopped taking it because any birth control is not the best thing for a womans body. Six months later my face was out of control with acne. I tired so many different things to clear my face, but nothing was working. Finally, I got back on this birth control and my face has greatly improved. Unfortunately my face has not gone back to the complete acne-free clearness it was, but now that I am used to having acne it is nice to have something keep it under control.
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April 7, 2011

Pros:

-Cleared up hormonal acne cysts on chin when topical treatments couldn't.
-No weight gain
-Less cramping

Cons:

-Mood swings: they're manageable, but it feels like constant mild PMS.
-It feels like I have an increased appetite for sweeter things, when I didn't before.
-Pretty bad initial breakout for the first 2 months.
-Doesn't have any effect on back acne.

This is the only treatment that effectively cleared up the large cysts that would plague my chin. I still get little pimples here and there, but nothing like the monster ones I used to have. It definitely takes at least 3 months to see results, so wait it out if you want to be certain - unless the side effects are too debilitating. I have been frustrated with my tendency to be irritable, but I'm hoping it will subside eventually. Also, I felt really nauseous the first week I began taking it, but that went away and has yet to return.
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April 7, 2011

Pros:

Boobs increased in size about 1/2 of a cup. lighter, shorter periods, less cramping

Cons:

Brief depression headaches, and stomach aches while adjusting to pill, weight gain,

I used to have 8-12 day periods that were heavy, and extremely painful but now on BC they're about 4 days, light, and rarely do I have cramps. AKA: I'm in love. There was no improvement in my acne due to the pill. I have no idea if it works as a contraception. I also have an increased appetite. I gained about 5 lbs. I don't usually gain weight in my breasts though, so i think the pill made my boobs bigger especially.
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February 22, 2011

Pros:

-Clears up acne well
-Period is slightly lighter
-Haven't gotten pregnant yet

Cons:

-Nausea (for the first 2 months, mainly in the morning)
-Cramping before period after about 2 months
-Constant mood swings

It's a good pill to take, not many physical side effects; protects you from getting pregnant. Only downside is the nausea but that goes away after a while. Another thing is the cramping, it can be bad sometimes...
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January 28, 2011

Pros:

- Better skin
- Lighter & Shorter Periods
- Less & Milder Cramps
- Prevents pregnancy
- No side effects (no bloating, no depression, no weight gain... unfortunately ladies my breast didnt grow, lol that would have been the only side effect i would like!)

Cons:

- Takes a while to see skin benefits

Unfortunately, bc is all about trial and error, and boy does it kill off your selfesteem when its error and you end up with worst skin. I've tried several birth controls and it has been a nightmare! Tri-Cyclen, really has helped my skin, however, it took about 2-3 months, before I saw dramatic results. I haven't experienced ANY side effects on this brand. (Unlike other brands where I felt depressed, was moody, worst periods, worst break outs, no weight gain etc.) *IMPORTANT* I've really learned after trying soo many different bc brands, that unfortunately everyone's body is so different. What works for you may have an opposite effect on your friend vice versa. The first BC I was on, was Cyclen... which was terrible terrrible terrible. Yet 3 of my friends love it and it did miracles for their skin.
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January 22, 2011

Pros:

-Cleared up skin amazingly
-Lost a couple of pounds
-Cramps are long gone
-feel less bloated
-Not prego!

Cons:

-Feel sick in the morning
-Need to drink lots of water while I'm taking it

The main reason I took this pill was for my acne, My skin has never been that bad but there was point in my life my skin was HORRIBLE my doc put me on birth control and I have to say its a miracle I'm on my 2nd month now.
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