Birth Control Pills that Help Acne

There are birth control pills that help acne, but you should want to read more about them before you make a decision as to whether to take them or not.

Birth Control (Oral Contraceptives) and Acne

So how do birth control pills help get rid of acne? Well it's sort of a beneficial side effect, because it obviously isn't the main purpose of oral contraceptives. In general, birth control pills that help acne do so by reducing the amount of androgens (male sex hormones) that are created in your body. Androgens are partly responsible for acne formation, as discussed in my hormones and acne page.

Oral contraceptives usually contain estrogen and progestin, two female sex hormones, which work to lower androgen levels by:

1. tell the ovaries and adrenal gland to produce less testosterone
2. inhibit the conversion of free testosterone into dihydrotestosterone

Brands

There are two popular brands of "the pill" to consider:

• Ortho Tri-Cyclen
• Yasmin (also called Yaz)

But there's also:

• Estrostep
• Diane 35 (in Canada)

Different women tend to respond differently to both. I recommend talking with your doctor to determine which one would be best for you.

Results

From my research it appears that results from taking the pill tend to be mixed at best. Some say it worked great, while others say it made their acne worse. At best, it takes about 3 months to start seeing results. There doesn't seem to be much middle ground, women tend to love the pill or hate it.

Suffice it to say I think there are better treatment options available. If I were female, I wouldn't take it just for the sake of preventing acne. It might be a nice bonus though.

Side Effects

There's a whole load of side effects to consider. Here are some common ones:

• high blood pressure
• weight gain
• loss of libido
• mood swings
• dizziness
• breast tenderness
• breakthrough bleeding
• headache
• nausea

These are some of the less common, but also more serious side effects:

• increased cancer risk
• heart problems
• blood clots

I strongly recommend consulting with a doctor before you make up your decision to go on birth control, especially as a justification for acne treatment.

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