Acne Birth Control

Coming off the pill in my mid twenties changed the way I felt and looked. I first went on the contraceptive pill when I was seventeen years old, and was on it continuously for roughly seven years. In my mid twenties after a bout of problems with migraines and mood swings, I decided to come off hormonal contraception.

The few years that followed were intense to say the least health wise. My periods were long and irregular, often painful, and took years to regulate. My skin was a complete mess, adult acne was at its worst a year after I stopped taking the pill. In my early twenties whilst I was on the pill, I noticed my hair was falling out, my body was bloated and uncomfortable and I was just out of shape despite going to the gym and exercising.

It took a lot of trial and error to get my body back to its natural state and cycle. It took even longer for my mood, skin, weight and period to stabilize.

Hormonal Acne Birth Control Effects Reddit Photos Ellie

Looking back at this whole experience, it was a really confusing time. I had no idea what I was doing, why I felt the way I did and what was actually helping me. It took years of looking after my body to get to the place where I am today where I am happy with my health and how I look.

Although I like to focus on adult acne with my blog posts, I am going to cover a few topics that I think are really important to know when you are coming off the pill, and what that process may be doing to your body, especially if you have been taking a hormonal contraceptive for years like I had. To be clear I am not advising or recommending coming off the pill - this article is purely to support those of you who have already stopped taking the pill and are trying to navigate your way through afterwards.

I love looking at insulin resistance and the link it has to clear skin. Our diets today are filled with processed ingredients and excess sugar, causing our glucose levels and hormones to be all over the place, often leading to insulin resistance.

How Birth Control Affects Acne

Stabilizing insulin levels is an important step in obtaining permanently clear skin, and is the main reason why the Radiance Powder has such a high dose of soluble fibre within (to regulate glucose levels, suppress sugar cravings, eventually causing lower insulin fluctuations over time). 

When our blood sugar is not balanced we get higher spikes in insulin, causing our body to produce higher levels of androgens, which leads to acne. In my blog post ‘Getting to the root cause of acne’ I talk about how higher levels of androgens like testosterone lead to an increase in sebum and hormone fluctuation, which in most cases leads to a bout of adult acne. 

My greatest tip for stabilizing insulin levels is focus on what you consume in terms of food.  Prioritize whole foods, lots of high-quality vegetables, fats, fiber and proteins. Avoid sugar, white flour and alcohol – full disclosure I still have these things occasionally but keep them to a minimum. Exercise also helps to manage blood sugar levels and helps detoxify the body of excess hormones.

Coming Off The Pill With Acne Prone Skin — The Clara Clinic

I have come to believe that in women, hormones really are everything. Understanding what the pill does to your hormones is a good first step.

When you take a hormonal pill, it affects the body’s own ability to produce hormones naturally. This is why people often report having clearer skin after the pill as it works by reducing the amount of androgens circulating in the blood. However women often also report having clearer skin whilst on the pill, this is because you are artificially supplementing your hormones.

After you come off the contraceptive pill you are not consuming artificial hormones anymore, so your ovaries try to return hormone levels back to normal. This can lead to even higher levels of androgens, which causes more sebum production, oily skin, bacteria formation, meaning breakouts.

Do Birth Control Pills Help Cure Acne?

My top tip to counteract this is to supplement effectively for detoxification and increase your levels of cruciferous vegetables which enhance estrogen and testosterone metabolism to promote overall hormone balance.

For an added boost I would also recommend supplementing with DIM (diindolylmethane) as there is some evidence that shows this raw material helps with post-pill acne. Supplementing with Zinc will also help to regulate testosterone, reduce keratin production that blocks pores and reduce the specific bacteria on skin’s surface that causes acne.

In my opinion chronic or continuous stress is one of the most harmful things you can do to your body long term. Coming off the pill causes our natural hormones to go out of balance, however stress causes our natural hormones to go out of balance too. When the body is stressed, it releases cortisol which in turn increases insulin levels. This in conjunction with hormones being irregular from after the pill can lead to sugar levels, insulin resistance, more stress and anxiety, and even a loss of sleep.

Stubborn Acne? Hormonal Therapy May Help

The main takeaway is to centre both your mind and body during this time, be aware of your sleep patterns and make sure you are getting enough exercise, eat better, supplement better, and remember that consistency is better than perfection!A white circle with a black border surrounding a chevron pointing up. It indicates 'click here to go back to the top of the page.'

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Birth Control For Acne: The 4 Best Brands And Benefits

This article was medically reviewed by Olivia P. Myrick, MD, a clinical assistant professor with the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at NYU Langone.

Our stories are reviewed by medical professionals to ensure you get the most accurate and useful information about your health and wellness. For more information, visit our medical review board.

Physicians have been prescribing birth control as a treatment for hormonal acne for many years, says Lavanya Krishnan, MD, FAAD, of Arya Derm in San Francisco. It is one of the standard treatment options for patients who have hormonal acne.

Post Birth Control Acne

A common cause of acne, especially for teens, is an imbalance of androgens. Androgens are types of hormones that both men and women have, but some people may produce in high amounts. A side effect of this is an increase in sebum, a type of oil that your skin produces.

Excess sebum can clog your pores, leading to acne. That's where birth control can help. Hormonal birth control regulates hormones in a way that reduces androgen production, thereby reducing sebum production, and hopefully, acne.

However, not all birth control pills are created equal when it comes to fighting acne. Although other pills may help, the FDA has only approved three types for treating acne: Yaz, Estrostep, and Orth-Tri-Cyclen. These three are prescribed for the types of hormones they contain:

Can Acne Be Caused By Birth Control?

While these three types of birth control are most commonly prescribed for acne, doctors can prescribe other types that can also work for some patients.

Most birth control pills have both an estrogen and a progesterone component, and the types of estrogen and especially progesterone can vary greatly based on the pill, Krishnan says. Every patient is very different and responds to the various birth control options in different ways.

Taking birth control isn't without risks, and various factors should be considered. After your doctor decides you're a good candidate for birth control, you'll have to decide if the possibility of clear skin is worth the potential side effects and risks.

Some Birth Control Pills Can Stop Acne Breakouts

Patients who do not have a personal or family history of clotting disorders or blood clots, fall within a healthy BMI, do not smoke and are under the age of 35 are the best candidates, says Krishnan. If side effects such as weight gain and mood changes are a concern, choosing an option that contains slightly less of the estrogen component makes sense.

Additionally, birth control isn't a surefire way to get rid of acne. It's possible that birth control can make your acne worse. And sometimes, your skin will get worse before it gets better when you start the pill.

The FDA has only approved three types of birth control for treating acne: Yaz, Estrostep, and Orth-Tri-Cyclen. But doctors may prescribe other types.

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Unfortunately, it may take some work to find the right pill that makes your acne better with little to no side effects. There's no way to predict what will or won't work for you.Medically reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, Ph.D., MSN,