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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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October 24, 2006

Pros:

I am 22 and have moderate acne. I have been using pro-active for about a yr, it has been minimimally effective. I started taking ortho to prevent pregnancy, but by the beginning of the second month I noticed all my acne was completely gone.

Cons:

My acne was a little worse the first couple weeks on birth control and I don't know if it was b/c of the birth control or not. Also, I noticed my eyes have been a lot more dry, which has not been great since I wear contacts.

Try it. It worked perfect for me and I wasn't even taking it for that reason at all. Take it for two months and see if it doesn't work for you too. Hopefully it will work, but if not you should consider acutane. My sister had really severe acne about 5 years ago and when nothing else worked she took acutane. It cleared her skin up completely. I never see her with acne now and it has been five years, but she did say it gets really bad before it starts to clear up, so keep that in mind and don't give up immediately or get too depressed when it gets worse to start off.
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October 23, 2006

Pros:

worked perfectly! my skin cleared up completely

Cons:

none

i had moderate acne and had tried everything else. I finally was going to try accutane but before i could do that i had to go on bc. They gave me this contraceptive and it worked 100 %...I didn't even need accutane.
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October 16, 2006

Pros:

Not sure yet but should clear up my face cause it did before

Cons:

Really bad mood swings ...

Well I was just wondering if anyone knows how long it takes for the birth control pill to work. I started using orth tri cyclen lo and it wasnt working but i was only on it a month and then i went on tri cyclen and i notice it clearing up but when will i notice it working much more, i have only been using it 1/2 month. Thanks
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October 14, 2006
I have moderate acne. That's why i took OTC, it made me breakout more and gain weight all in one month. If someone had same experience and been curded with different birth control pills please let me know by emailing at [email address removed] Its very upsetting that i'm that odd ball who was not cured.
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October 7, 2006

Pros:

Cleared up my acne, didn't get any side effects, controlled my hormones.

Cons:

none

Absolutely wonderful! I started getting acne when I was 12, got on birth control when I was 16, and my face cleared up! I was on birth control for 2 and a half years, and i got off of it, and unfortunately the acne came back :( i sort of regret getting off it, but oh well!
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October 4, 2006

Pros:

Within 3 months of use it cleared my skin up a great deal.
Any breakouts that I have now are minor and clear up quickly.
Pretty cheap too.

Cons:

The first 3 months of getting used to it are difficult.
You bloat and have mood swings and feel generally gross. But that does go away and things begin to even out.

I was on OTC for about 8 years and then got off for 2 years. When I'm not on it my skin has regular breakouts. Not necessarily awful ones but often my face is red, irritated, and the zits--while sparse--are painful and sometimes large. I went back on birth control about 4 months ago and this time switched to the generic OTC called Tri-Sprintec. After 3 months my skin looks fantastic and I feel much more confident. It takes some time for your body to adjust and for your moods to settle down. But hang in there because when it starts to work it makes a huge difference in how you look and how confident you feel. With insurance my perscription is only $20 for a 3 month supply.
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