Does birth control help clear up acne?

May 3, 2016

Casey T.

Is it true that birth control helps clear acne??

May 3, 2016

Melanie T.

I think it depends on the type and dosage. I know my friend is taking birth control for her irregular periods but it did nothing for her acne. Also I think they usually prescribe it for people who suffer from hormonal breakouts.

May 3, 2016

Anna J.

It can depending on which kind you get.

May 3, 2016

Aleena P.

It can. or it can cause acne, like depo has for me. most birth control interacts with your hormones and effects everyone very differently. some people gain weight, some people lose it, some get moodier and some feel less anxiety, some stop getting a period and some get heavier cramps, etc. Etc. I wouldn't use it as a first option just because there are things that more specifically target acne and are more likely to work without affecting you in other ways. But I mean, as long as you get all the info you can from credible sources (like doctors) about it it is your body to manage.

May 3, 2016

Alyx T.

It helped me. I never had big breakouts but on my period I'd break out. I got on it for heavy cramps but I don't break out on my period anymore

May 3, 2016

Sarah W.

It depends on the kind and how your hormones react to it. Each peraon is different so say 2 girls can each have the same exact birth control but one reacts to it differently than the other. When I ised to be on the pill it helped clear my face but other gitls would break out. Your always able to ask your doctor about getting a different one if a bad breakout does happen.

May 3, 2016

Ema C.

It did not clear my face unfortunately :(

May 3, 2016

Sarah O.

It depends on what type and dosage. I had one type before and it made some breakouts go away but not all, I switched and now I hardly have breakouts.

May 3, 2016

Dana E.

Same as Shannie. I never had acne besides a breakout here and there and once I went on the pill I had TERRIBLE cystic acne everywhere and it lasted like 8 months.

May 3, 2016

Shelby M.

Like everyone else has said, it depends on the person. But for me, it worked wonders!

May 3, 2016

Kelly H.

Like Kitty I took Ortho Tri Cyclen for about 10 years and never had acne till I stopped taking it.

May 5, 2016

Marleen B.

Everyone reacts differently to bc pills. Some people clear up and some break out even more. But a beware of bc pills because they can also cause melasma later on in life. Even if you stop taking them, you could still develop melasma later during pregnancy or in your 30s and 40s. And it's one of the most difficult things to get rid of. Those especially prone to melasma are those of Hispanic & Asian descents. Although, Caucasian descents can also and do develop melasma also.

Apr 23, 2017

Nancy P.

Using birth control pills as a form of contraception can improve the complexion of girls and women who have acne. Certain types of pills might be somewhat more effective in treating acne than others. But the differences are small.

The main reason acne develops is because the male sex hormone androgen is made in larger amounts during puberty – in girls too. Inflammatory and non-inflammatory acne can improve in girls and women who use contraceptive pills as birth control. The pills that help against acne have the hormones estrogen and progestin in them. But most contraceptive pills have not been specifically approved for the treatment of acne. There are also non-hormonal therapies which can help against acne, some of which have fewer side effects.