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.
Post Pill Acne
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.
Can Birth Control Cause 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.
How Birth Control Can Change Your Skin
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.
Lifehack: Avoid Acne On Picture Day Using Birth Control!
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.
Birth Control Pills Can Help Reduce Acne
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!Acne is complicated. Not only are there many different causes, but there are many different treatments as well. Adding to the confusion are the mixed messages surrounding hormones and acne: Do they cause the problem, or solve it?
Dr. Robert B. Topham and our experienced team of skin experts at Holladay Dermatology & Aesthetics in Holladay, Utah, are here to set the record straight, explore the link between hormones and acne, and discuss hormonal birth control as a treatment option.
Acne occurs when the hair follicles in your skin become clogged with oil, dirt, and dead skin cells. While diet, certain products, the environment, and some medications can contribute to the problem, the underlying culprit is often a hormonal issue — here’s why.
I Ditched The Contraceptive Pill And Broke Out With Acne
Although commonly called male hormones, both men and women have androgens in their bodies. Since androgens (especially testosterone) are responsible for sebum production, and sebum (a waxy, oily substance) is responsible for clogging pores and causing breakouts — high levels of androgens often lead to acne.
Young teens going through puberty often suffer from hormone-related acne because this is a stage of life characterized by an increase in androgens. But girls and women experience hormone fluctuations every month before, during, and after their menstrual periods that can cause or exacerbate acne well into adulthood.
If you’re like most women, your highest androgen level occurs about a week before your period — so, if you tend to break out just before you menstruate, this may be why. Then, during your period, your estrogen level goes up and your progesterone level goes down.
The Reality Of Post Birth Control Symptoms
But menstruation isn’t the only thing that affects your hormones. Stress, medications, and pregnancy can all shake up your “normal” and leave you with a pimply face, chest, or back.
In general, hormonal birth control pills are considered an effective treatment for acne in some women. In fact, using the pill to treat acne has been an accepted FDA-approved practice for many decades. Here’s why it works.
As we mentioned, all women need androgens for their overall health (including bone and muscle development), but when they have too much coursing through their veins, their skin gets too oily, their pores clog, and they develop acne.
Has Anybody Successfully Managed Their Acne After Going Off Birth Control Pills?
If you’ve heard that the pill can actually cause acne or make it worse, here’s why. Any time a woman begins to take an oral contraceptive, it takes a while for the regulating effects to kick in. Until it does, your hormones continue to fluctuate, which means that androgens may still rise and lead to acne. Over time, your birth control pill will do its job and stabilize your hormones and your acne.
Another possible link between an oral birth control pill and an increase in acne is when the pill contains progesterone only, commonly called the “mini pill.” In some cases, the lack of estrogen in the pill may allow for higher levels of androgens and, therefore, the potential for hormonal acne.
There are several ways to fight acne, and finding the right one depends on the underlying cause of your breakouts. Dr. Topham expertly analyzes your skin and diagnoses the type and source of your acne, so he can customize a treatment plan that addresses your unique symptoms.
Woman Developed Severe Acne Due To The Synthetic Hormone In The Birth Control Pill
If you've tried every product on the shelf and every internet hack out there, but you still can’t get rid of your acne, it’s time to turn to a medical specialist. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Topham, call our friendly staff today at 801-272-4408.
You didn’t ask for acne, and you certainly had no say about the scars it left — but you can reclaim control over your complexion with a combo of two innovative technologies. Here’s how to swap your acne scars for smoother, clearer, brighter skin.
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