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
April 5, 2008
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Cons:
I never get angry and I was always angry and upset, and I thought it was supposed to help that? I have never been so angry before. I had severe and painful bloating, severe migraines. Never again.
I called my doctor, Yaz was the third birth control I've been on in a 7 year period. She is switching me to Cyclessa, we'll see how it goes. Everyone's different, but this did NOT work for me.
April 4, 2008
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
Does not make me feel nausea.
Cons:
Break out city on chin and moody, crying.
I am so happy I have read other comments about Yasmin. I have only been taking this for 3 months now but it has giving me bad acne break out on my chin. I used to take Brenda/Dianne but after a couple of years I packed on the pounds and it was making me feel sick when I would take it. Finally I thought I would change it, it has fixed one problem but made another. I think I will risk another 3 months and see if it gets better. I have also been feeling more moody (my poor boyfriend!) and been getting upset and small issues which normally wouldn't bother me. Fingers crossed it will sort out in the next couple of months.
March 4, 2008
Pros:
Cleared up acne, great as birth control, regulated period
Cons:
Expensive every month, hard to remember to take
I was on the pill for almost a year before I was forced to go off for a couple days. Now my period is a week late, and I don't think I'm pregnant...hoping it's just my system getting back to normal. LOVED being on the pill, it was GREAT at completely clearing up skin, regulating periods, and as birth control. It was hard to remember to take and did cause some weight gain, (though I've just recently gained more weight from being off it) Intend to go back on, even if I wasn't using as BC because its so great to use for clearing skin/regulating periods.
March 1, 2008
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
Close to perfect skin
Bigger boobs
lighter periods
Cons:
BLOOD CLOTS!!!
No sex drive
I loved being on Yasmin and it worked for my skin.
But...I almost died from several blood clots in my lungs. Later if found out from my Dr. that Yasmin has a higher risk of blood clots than other birth control pills.
(I dont smoke, I'm not overweight or have clots in my familys medical history) If you've been on birth control for 2 years or more it would probably ok to change to Yasmin but I wouldnt recomend to anyone to use yasmin as their first birth control pill. (As the clinic I go to now wont prescribe Yasmin to first time users due to the risk of blood clots)
February 26, 2008
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
Period only last for 2 days, no cramping, perfect skin, levels my hormones and emotions.
Cons:
Haveing to take it everyday and buying it every month.
Im actually surprised there are not better reviews from what Ive read. I have to say however, I think more people should give it a chance for longer. Your body is going to react strangly to a new hormone being put into your system. I LOVE this product. I have been on it since I was 16 and I am now 23 years old. So I think having been on it for 7 years, I would be a good person to ask questions to. When I first started it, I do remember bleeding more for the first 3 months. After that My period practically stoped, I bleed for maybe 2 days and before I had Severe cramping- Yasmin completely takes any cramping away. Ive never had bad skin problems, but the occasional blemish every now and then- on yasmin my skin is extremely clear and I get compliments on how nice my skin is.
Bottom line is keep this product up for at least 6 months before discarding it. Im glad I stuck with it, it has been a life saver for my horrible cramps.
February 26, 2008
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
lighter periods, no bloating, little cramping and no pms-the first period i had after starting yaz, i didn't get any of my noraml symptoms of cramping, bloating or irritablity. has helped my skin too
Cons:
i spotted for a the entire first month, i had an inital horomone breakout
If you can survive a month of spotting and an initial breakout, it's totally worth it.
February 19, 2008
Pros:
Slight Skin Clearing, No Pregnant.
Cons:
Severe Migraines, Gained weight that wont go away, low sex drive,
Not worth it. although yaz was worse. my skin was decent and now its a wreck.
February 14, 2008
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
Shorter periods, less pain
Cons:
Soreness of breasts
This my 3rd month of using yasmin. I started taking it because i wanted to come off of antibiotics-they keep my skin clear (only the random pimple)but i'm not comfortable with using it on an extended basis. I still use Retin-A though. My friend recommended yasmin. It was supposed to help the oiliness of my skin. I have seen a slight improvement in that, nothing drastic as yet. I'm going to give it 6 months before I decide. What I do not like is the soreness of my breasts. They swell around the second week of the pack and are really sore during that time. They also go back to normsl size the week after my period. I still get the random breakout as well.
February 9, 2008
Product used: Yasmin (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
Lost weight
Cons:
Cystic acne, no sex drive, no appetite, diarrhea
This product was SUPPOSE to help with my complextion. I only took the product for 2 weeks and developed cystic acne on my cheeks. I quit taking it immediatley. Also wasn't able to eat what I normally could without it running through my body in a matter of minutes. I also would like to keep my sex drive. Big mistake for me to get on YAZ. I am going back to using condoms.
February 4, 2008
Product used: YAZ (Oral Contraceptive)
Pros:
None, unless pregnancy is a concern for you. Oh--I have boobs!
Cons:
-Vaginal dryness
-Constant breakthrough bleeding (I think I bleed more days than not)
-Unpredictable periods
OB/Gyn stuck me on this because of my skin. It hasn't done anything yet. No improvement after 7 weeks. I want clear skin for when I finally see my long distance sweetheart--it's possible I might look decent again by our date, but if I do, I'll be too dry to have much fun. I can't pin down my periods anymore. I've had two this month and they last much longer than they should. I also have breakthrough bleeding more days than not. I think it may also be affecting my mood. I am extra grumpy and emotional.
Pros:
I didn't gain weight, period came on time, face cleared