
Reader Question: Is there a birth control pill that can help acne?
Perhaps you have heard of someone taking birth control and it clearing up their acne problems. While it’s not impossible, most birth controls can also have the reverse effect, which is causing acne.
Because some people experience acne due to hormone imbalances, this can explain why birth control may help or worsen acne, since most birth control solutions use hormones. Unfortunately, no birth control will work on two different people the same way. Some people will get terrible acne, others might find their skin more clear. It’s not surprising: Many women find that they get worse acne right before, after, or during their periods. Women who have been pregnant often find the first few months of pregnancy they have a lot of acne issues, even if they’ve been clear most of their lives before.
If you are thinking about taking birth control to help with your acne, you need to do these things:
1. Have your hormone levels and thyroid checked: The only reason to ever take synthetic hormones (such as birth control pills or others) is if you have an imbalance and your doctor recommends it. Because there are many types of birth control pills, and because they work differently and contain different hormones, the only way to know which one would be right, if any, would be to know exactly which hormones you have that are “out of whack”. Too many doctors are all too eager to just hand you whatever free samples they got from the drug company reps – get a doctor who really cares. If you can 100% say that you have a hormone imbalance or thyroid problem, then maybe it is an option to explore.
2. Realize that Birth Control and Skin Care are Different: If birth control worked as a skin care solution, it would be used and marketed as one. However, it is not. Some people find that it can help, but it’s not really a “solution”, especially because once you go off birth control it can make it even worse than ever! You would not use skin cleanser to prevent getting pregnant, and you should not use birth control for skin care. The two are not interchangeable.
3. Understand the Risks: There are a lot of risks with birth control. It can cause depression, severe mood swings, weight gain, yeast infections, cancer, heart attack, stroke. I knew someone personally who had a stroke due to taking birth control. These drugs are dangerous and should not be used.
4. Realize Acne is a Symptom of an Underlying Problem: Birth control is often just a way to treat a symptom – it does not treat or diagnose the real cause of your acne. More often than not, acne is due to toxins built up in the body or food intolerance. By addressing the true cause, it’s much easier to find a permanent solution.
Birth control pills are not a good solution for treating acne. If you’d like to learn the best way to treat your acne, for free, without buying expensive or dangerous medications or skin care products, see our page here.
