If you’re a woman with chronic acne, you’ve likely been prescribed the birth control pill as a solution.
And the question is: Does it work? Should you use it to clear your skin from acne?
And if you are going to use it, are there certain ones that clear acne better than others?
So let’s start with the first question.
Does the Birth Control Pill Stop Acne?
In a lot of cases, yes. I will attest that when I was a teenager, I was on the slow release hormonal birth control shot (Depo Provera) for two years. And my skin was awesome.
But of course, clear skin came with an expense. Other side effects of the Depo Provera shot that I experienced included ravenous hunger and weight gain, possibly some bone loss, and a rare side effect where my vagina felt like it was being stabbed with knives if you touched it.
So that kind of turned me off a bit.
I went off it, and thats when my acne started to creep back in. On the bright side, at least my vagina didn’t feel like knives anymore.
It doesn’t mean the birth control shot had cured the acne. No, it just suppressed it while I was on it.
Hormonal birth control does this by completely over-riding your natural hormones with its synthetic versions. This forces your hormone system into a straight line, often preventing the cyclical breakouts we can experience.
Cycle of your natural estrogen and progesterone
Your hormones on birth control pills
Note that in the above photo, the straight lines are that of the fake estrogen and progestin from the pill. Your natural hormones will actually register as close to 0 on a test. So it’s important to note that it’s pointless to test your hormones while on the pill.
Birth Control Pills Can Clear Acne, But with Side Effects
What I’m saying is that yes, often birth control will work to clear and prevent acne and other hormonal symptoms. [Read more…]
