Acne Birth Control Control Pill

Medically reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, Ph.D., MSN, R.N., IBCLC, AHN-BC, CHT — By Natalie Silver — Updated on May 9, 2023

Several combination birth control pills are FDA-approved for treating acne. In addition to treating existing acne, birth control pills may also help to reduce the severity of future breakouts.

Acne is a source of skin irritation that can range from mild to severe. It’s often caused by an increase in androgens, which are male sex hormones.

Acne] Is It Common To Purge With Oral Contraceptive Pill ??? Advice Or Experience Help Needed

Androgens are also present in people assigned female at birth (AFAB). They become active in the teenage years for everyone and cause sebaceous glands to produce more sebum, or oil.

If you’re AFAB and you have acne, birth control may help treat it. The synthetic hormones found in some birth control pills can help decrease the secretion of oil from your glands. This can actually lessen breakouts.

Several birth control pills contain synthetic forms of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. These types of pills are known as combination pills. The ratio of the hormones differs in each form of the combination pill.

The Pill, Your Skin, And Hormonal Acne

Birth control pills don’t protect you from sexually transmitted infections (STIs), however. You should consider using a barrier method, such as a condom, to protect against STIs.

The hormones in combination birth control pills can help reduce acne. The pills decrease the circulation of androgens, which decreases the production of sebum.

The pills must contain both estrogen and progestin to be effective against acne. The minipill only contains progestin, so it doesn’t help improve acne.

Birth Control Pills For Acne Worth It? Side Effects & Effectiveness

Many combination birth control pill brands are available. Each contains its own variation of hormones. Pills prescribed for acne should contain progestin with low androgenic possibility. This means the progestin has less androgenic side effects, such as oily skin and acne.

Yaz combines drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol. Each package contains 28 pills. Of these, 24 tablets have 3 mg drospirenone and 0.02 mg of ethinyl estradiol, and 4 tablets are nonhormonal.

Other combination pills that aren’t on this list may still help improve acne. Talk with your healthcare professional to fully explore which option is best for you.

Q&a: Taking Birth Control Pills To Treat Acne

A 2012 review looked at 31 trials involving the use of birth control as an acne treatment. After looking at six new trials, the authors concluded that all combination birth control pills treated noninflammatory and inflammatory acne.

The study also suggested that combination birth control pills containing drospirenone were more effective than those that contained norgestimate or nomegestrol acetate plus 17 beta-estradiol.

Combination pills containing drospirenone were then found to be less effective than those containing cyproterone acetate. This distinction isn’t significant enough to favor one type of combined birth control over another, though.

What Are The Best Birth Control Pills For Acne?

Also reports that oral antibiotics are the first choice to treat acne that’s resistant to topical treatments, and that adding on oral contraceptives that contain both estrogen and progesterone (combination pills) works even more efficiently.

Showed about 80% of women with adult acne failed multiple courses of antibiotic medications. In addition, about 30% of these participants had acne that returned after multiple treatments with isotretinoin.

Taking birth control for acne isn’t the right option for everyone. Before starting treatment, discuss the potential benefits and risks of birth control for acne.

How Birth Control Can Change Your Skin

Your dermatologist or healthcare professional will look for any risk factors that may rule you out as a candidate. It’s usually not recommended to take birth control for acne if you:

It’s best to see a dermatologist if you have persistent acne. This means it doesn’t go away after 4 to 6 weeks of drugstore acne treatments. It’s also a good idea to see a dermatologist for any moderate to severe acne.

A dermatologist can help determine the cause of your acne and recommend the best treatments to try for your skin. Their recommendations could include prescription-strength creams, gels, cleansers, or oral medications like hormonal birth control.

The Effect Of Birth Control On Hormonal Acne

Birth control for acne needs to be prescribed by a medical professional, like a dermatologist, doctor, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner. It can be prescribed following an in-person doctor visit or through an online healthcare service.

There are several companies available that offer online birth control services, like Pill Club or Nurx. With these services, you’ll review options virtually with a medical professional, and the birth control pills are sent to your home.

People who smoke, are older than age 35, and have risk factors for cardiovascular disease are at a higher risk of these severe side effects.

How Do Birth Control Pills Help With Your Acne? This Is What Experts Say

Treatment for acne depends on its severity and your reaction to different methods. The first line of treatment includes over-the-counter options, such as cleansers, lotions, and other topical treatments.

Birth control can help stop some types of acne by decreasing sebum production. This may get rid of acne while taking the pill. However, acne could return for some people after stopping the pill.

Most people start to see improvements in their acne about 2-3 months after starting oral birth control pills. Birth control doesn’t immediately change acne because it takes time for the hormones to balance and stop causing acne.

Acne] Is This Normal After Starting Oral Contraceptive The Pill?

If your acne doesn’t clear up with basic methods, you should talk with your doctor about what acne treatment might be best for you. A combination birth control pill may be a good option.

According to a 2014 study, birth control can be a first-line alternative to antibiotics in the long-term treatment of acne in women.

If you take combination birth control pills to improve acne, it may take anywhere from a few weeks to 3 months before you notice a visible improvement. This is because the hormones need time to get into your system and recalibrate your levels.

Oral Contraceptive Pill Can Keep Your Acne Still!

If you’re unable to find a suitable birth control pill that meets your needs, your doctor can help you find another treatment option.

Has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.Pimples. Blemishes. Spots. Whatever term you use to describe those painful, persistent bumps on your face or body, one fact remains: Acne is a common problem for many people—up to 50 million Americans —way beyond their teenage years. According to a study published in the

, adult acne affects a wide range of age groups: 50.9% of women in their 20s, 35.2% of women in their 30s, 26.3% of women in their 40s, and 15.3% of women 50 years of age and older. 

Some Birth Control Pills Can Stop Acne Breakouts

Acne is a skin condition that occurs when a hair follicle becomes clogged with dead skin cells or sebum (oil), leading to whiteheads, blackheads, and pimples. For adult women, fluctuating hormone levels (specifically increased levels of androgens, such as testosterone) are often to blame for these breakouts, which are also known as hormonal acne. Women typically experience acne-causing hormonal shifts during puberty, menstruation, menopause, and due to conditions like polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). 

Yaz or its generics, including Jasmiel and Loryna (estradiol/drospirenone), is particularly effective among acne patients, says Morgana Colombo, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist and co-founder of Skintap , a virtual dermatology practice. That’s because the anti-androgenic properties of its progesterone element are beneficial in controlling acne–adult female hormonal acne in particular, Dr. Colombo says. 

Other birth control pills can be helpful to treat acne too, says Cybele Fishman, MD , a dermatologist with Advanced Dermatology PC in New York, New York.. “There are four generations of progestins in combination birth control pills. The third- and fourth-generation pills are better for acne, ” she says. Good options are combination pills that include the third-generation progestins desogestrel and norgestimate, or the fourth-generation drospirenone. 

Post Birth Control Syndrome: Definition And Controversy

If you’re wondering if it’s okay to be on a hormonal IUD and still take a birth control pill to treat acne, it’s not a good idea, Dr. Fishman says. That’s because by combining the two contraceptives, you could be getting too much progesterone, leading to unpleasant side effects . What’s more, it could actually exacerbate your acne. If you are on a hormonal IUD, a better choice may be spironolactone for acne , Dr. Fishman advises. Your healthcare provider can help you choose the best birth control for acne.

According to Dr. Colombo, estrogen/progesterone birth control pills work best for adult females between the ages of 18-35 years old who have adult hormonal acne. It’s characterized by cystic outbreaks on the lower face, chin, jaw, neck and chest areas, and it tends to flare a couple days before the woman’s menstrual period, she says.

Birth control can also be beneficial in pre-menopausal women whose acne flares at certain times during the menstrual cycle, Dr. Fishman adds. “During ovulation, there is a testosterone spike. The week before your period, there is a progesterone spike. These tend to be the times that acne flares if it is correlated with one’s menstrual cycle, ” she explains. Hormonal birth control pills can help to regulate such hormonal fluctuations to keep acne at bay. 

Has Anybody Successfully Managed Their Acne After Going Off Birth Control Pills?

There are a handful of common side effects associated with birth control pills. Headaches, nausea, menstrual irregularities (such as spotting in between periods), weight gain, and breast tenderness are the most common. Although rare, a more serious side effect is