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
February 17, 2009
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Cons:
Skin less oily but looks red and irritated. Grumpy. Broke out in places I never had before
Coming off today. It has made my skin go CRAZY!!!!
February 12, 2009
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
Regulates period, Balances hormones, clearer skin
Cons:
Taking a pill everyday, Not cheap (even with insurance), Takes a while for results, Possible initial break out
When I had my baby over a year ago my face was frightening. My hormones were wacked, and it lasted even longer cause I breastfed. I had never had such terrible skin in my life. I had tried Yasmin in the past for a couple years and remembered that my skin was pretty good while on it. The minute I stopped breastfeeding I got on it and couldn't wait to get help. After a few months I started to break out less and less and now I am clear. It takes time to work and you have to have patience. There is no miracle product that will cure you overnight. Obviously this will only help if your acne is hormonal related. Use this and a good skin care regimen and it should really work for you.
February 1, 2009
Pros:
-skin was crystal clear
- regular periods
- prevented pregnancy
Cons:
- Made breasts larger ( i was already a d cup, i didnt want them any bigger!!)
- weight gain and bloated feeling
- caused skin condition of painful lumps in legs, known as erythema nodosum
worked with out problems for about 3-4 months then i started getting the painful lumps in my legs, which were attributed to birth control but they went away with medication
My skin was literally glowing when i was on this medication, I would just warn those who may have had past inflammatory problems with their skin/body in general. it was ortho tri cyclen lo actually)
January 26, 2009
Pros:
You don't get pregnant, period is regular.
Cons:
You turn into a psycho bitch, bleed the entire first month, cry, get violent and angry, sleep all day, and nothing is fun.
I started taking this after having a baby. The first month i had a heavy period the whole month. I had severe mood swings and was a total bitch. I started slapping my boyfriend and starting fights about nothing. I would cry at the littlest thing. I would lay in bed all day when I had nothing to do trying to sleep. it got less severe over the months but it's been 5 months and those things are still there minus the bleeding. and to top it off I was paying 50 dollars a month with insurance. I used to be a nice person now no one can stand to be around me. I'm stopping it this month and going to my doctor.
January 9, 2009
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
clears up acne/pimples pretty much straight away!
Cons:
my skin is soooo dry now... even my arms, not just my face
it works, but use lots of moisturiser...
December 19, 2008
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
No pregnancies
Cons:
Skin is worse than it has ever been before. Severe acne on my cheeks (never had it there before). Depression (may or may not be attributed to Yaz). Low libido.
Very adverse skin reactions but baby free.
December 2, 2008
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
lighter periods, no pregnancy
Cons:
increased appetite, severe mood swings, gained 17 lbs on YAZ in 8 months, depression,anxiety.. I think this gives you the general idea
I used yasmin for a very long time. It was great at first and then I switched to YAZ to have lighter periods. I had the worst lower abdominal cramping ALL month long. I literally felt like my stuff was going to fall out. The worst part was that my abdomin was cbloating hard core, I had the worst case of water retention all month long and lasted till I stopped taking the pill. People would ask me if I was pregnant because my abdomen was so big.
November 28, 2008
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
My skin has improved dramatically, especially after my first month on Yaz. I had horrible breakouts here and there, especially the week before my period. I had been praying for relief from that and am thankful my prayer has been answered.
Cons:
This pill has a dieuretic, so I quit taking it in the evening and switched to the morning so I wouldn't be peeing getting up to pee all through the night. Otherwise, I haven't noticed any other side effects. Taking it for endo, cramps still bad.
I would reccomend it to my friends who are suffering from PMS symptoms and acne. I am just thrilled with how wonderfully my skin has improved. It's surprising to hear of all the reports on how some have increased moodiness. My moods have improved, especially while I'm PMS'ing. This pill claims to help with that (PMDD). Overall, I'm very satisfied.
November 12, 2008
Pros:
the obvious, not getting pregnant, no nausea, slightly lighter period, no bloating or weight gain, stayed the same.
Cons:
possibility of some acne, possible cause of moodswings, a little more PMS
I don't quite know how to feel about this pill. I'm 21, I have been on it for two months now. I started oral contreceptives two years ago with Yasmin the first year, which gave me very clear skin but severe moodiness. My gyno switched me to reg. ortho tri cyclen a year after that and I felt pretty normal on that pill and had moderately clear skin, but then my periods suddenly got a little heavier over time. A little over a year later I am now on Ortho Low, and right before I switched over i had started getting acne randomly around my chin and jaw. It cleared up a little, and now its back...worse than Ive ever had. I dont know if its from the pill, I hope not. I hate switching things I'm putting into my body around so much. It has been almost two and a half months. Is this normal? I read that it can do that but is supposed to clear up after the first month. But now Im going on two and a half months. Also I feel like i cry over stupid things more. Don't know how I feel about this pill.
November 10, 2008
Pros:
dont get pregnent. regular periods
Cons:
light acne. CRAMPS!!!
i get cramps every now and then. but there light cramps. sometimes the cramps get bad but not longer than 20 minutes.
ive used the pill for two weeks and ive notices acne coming out in my shoulder :( ugh.
Pros:
Er none!