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Acne and birth control pills
Dr. Bethany
Taylor
Doctors often suggest birth control pills as means of regulating menstrual cycle and alleviating an acne
problem. Should woman try this? Could it be just a myth? To explain this, we should learn first what
birth control pills are, and how they work.
Do I take the pill or not?
The decision about whether or not to take birth control pills to regulate your period and control your acne is both
medical and personal. From your doctor, you need all the facts you can get. It is true that birth control pills can
regulate periods, and some are effective in controlling acne. But what are the pros of taking birth control pills, and
what are the cons? Think about your options, make a decision, and then let your doctor know what you decided.
You do not have to decide right away, but your doctor may also understand your concerns, and may be able to
reassure you as well. If your doctor does not have the patience to answer your questions, then seek a second opinion
immediately.
If you are a woman looking for a way to reduce acne breakouts, you might want to discuss your skin problem with a
gynecologist instead of a dermatologist. The FDA has approved low-dosage birth-control pills such as Ortho TriCyclen and generic norgestimate/ethinyl estradiol for use in the treatment of acne. In Canada, doctors approve
Diane-35, a combination of cyproterone acetate and ethinyl estradiol for the treatment of acne. Depending on your
lifestyle and medical history, you could solve two problems with one birth control pill prescription.
How does the birth control pill work for acne?
Increased oil production is a common problem for women if they have excess androgen production. This production
can be highest just before menstruation starts. It appears that low-dosage birth control pills can decrease the
presence of excess androgen, thereby decreasing breakouts and alleviating an acne problem. They work particularly
well when used in conjunction with other therapies such as topical antibacterial agents or tretinoins. For many women
this is no surprise, because many have noticed an improvement in their skin after they started taking birth control
pills.
According to a double blind, placebo-controlled study published in Fertility and Sterility, low-dose birth control pills
can be an effective and safe treatment for moderate acne. The clinical trial found that the birth-control pill containing
levonorgestrel actually reduced the appearance of acne. Low-dose oral contraceptives also result in a low occurrence
of estrogen-related side effects such as nausea, headaches, and breast tenderness, in addition to causing low, if any,
weight gain.
Is taking birth control pills to control acne the right option for you?
You must know there are risks associated with taking birth control pills. That is why you should take some things into
account before making a final decision. The risks include increased chances of heart attack, strokes, blood clots, and
breast cancer. All these side effects are compounded if you smoke. Some other side effects are vaginal bleeding, fluid
retention, melasma (dark-brown skin patches), and depression. Not all that may be a worthwhile trade-off for a skin
clear of acne. However, if you are already using or considering usage of the pill for birth control, this remedy may be
worth looking into.
Reducing acne with birth control pills
You must consider many issues before choosing birth control pills as an acne reducing treatment. Most important is
whether you’ve used any other treatment before making this choice. There are many pros and cons about taking birth
control pills, even without considering them for acne. In some cases birth control pills reduce the affects of acne, but it
is not always the case. Whether or not birth control pills will help depends largely on the skin type, hygiene habits,
and heredity factors.
Possible positives of birth control pill use are that they will alleviate some of the acne problems due to the amount of
hormones that keeps the body in hormonal balance. Beside this, birth control pills may regulate periods and prevent
pregnancy. Birth control pills may relieve PMS and cramps as well.
Negatives of birth control pill use are that smokers have more chance of getting cancer if they take them. It is also
important to know that the pill does not prevent sexually transmitted disease, and does not always prevent pregnancy.
If you are too young, you may be setting yourself up for acne yeast infections. These infections are difficult to cure
completely. Moreover, you may gain weight; most commonly girls report gaining up to 12 pounds in weight. Birth
control pill may also cause cysts in the breasts, and cause them to become tender and painful. Blood clots are
possible side effects as well. Other side effects are headache, irregular periods, fatigue, and abdominal pain.
Are there medical benefits of birth control pills?
Birth control pills not only prevent pregnancy, but they also have quite a few medical benefits. Many possible side
effects might worry you, as well as many other young girls are worried. However, most women who used birth control
pills did not experience any side effects, only benefits. In fact, many teen girls take the birth control pill just for its
medical benefits and not for its protection against pregnancy. There are many other medical benefits of birth control
pills, and acne solving is just one of those.
Acne: Until now, you’ve probably learned that birth control pills are able to improve an acne situation. For moderate to
severe acne, which over-the-counter and prescription medications cannot cure, your doctor might prescribe birth
control pills. The hormones in the birth control pill can help stop acne from forming. It does not usually matter which
type of birth control pills you take, since most of them could help treat acne. You should be patient though, since it
takes several months for the birth control pills to work.
Read More: Side Effects of Birth Control Pills
Other medical benefits of birth control pills
Finally, you must know that birth control pills that contain estrogen and progestin hormones with higher androgen
male hormone activity are more likely to make acne worse. Birth control pills that contain hormones with lower
androgen activity are less likely to do so, and may actually help clear it.
Birth control pills that may help improve acne include Desogen, Demulen, Brevicon, Ortho Tri-Cyclen, Ovcon 35,
Ortho Novum 7/7/7 and Nelova 1/35, so talk to your doctor and choose one of those. If you are having trouble with
acne after using one of these for several months, talk to your health care provider about switching to another pill.