Ladies! Great news! Now you are able to use birth control pills to manage your acne. We’re going to talk about the best birth control for acne. If the acne you are experiencing doesn’t respond to treatment, very likely it is hormonal. Birth control pills change the balance of your body’s hormones. What you need is to use your birth control pills to manage your acne. Call it killing two birds with one stone, but read on to learn more about recent discoveries that will ensure you have smooth zit-free skin and don’t have children before you’re ready.

Best Birth Control for Acne

As the saying goes, this is your lucky day! Scientific developments have progressed to address both birth control and the acne that results for too many women. Yes, your birth control pills can help to clear the acne as well. The pills that address both contraceptive needs and manage acne are gaining worldwide popularity. While this dual solution is effective for some women they are not used only for to treat acne. These dual purpose pills are generally limited to situations where all other  acne treatments have proven unsuccessful or for women who will be using an oral contraceptive regardless of their other benefits. Most frequently they are used alongside topical remedies like retinoids, azelaic acid, benzoyl peroxide, etc. Let’s look at some of the better contraceptive pills that help with acne.

The Effects of Contraceptives on Acne

Birth control pills are made of some combination of estrogen and progestin. They alter the internal hormonal patterns changing the woman’s natural reproductive cycles. They reduce the amounts of testosterone in the body which reduces the acne caused by the hormonal changes. Less testosterone results in less oil production by the sebaceous glands, which in turn results in fewer pores being blocked. A minimum of two – three months will pass before there is noticeable improvement on the acne front. Before it gets better it may seem to worsen. We need to note here that some pills actually increase testosterone production which can make your acne situation worse.  Make sure your doctor understands you need the birth control pills that control acne so that he / she will give you the right prescription.

Birth control pills are very effective at curing acne for PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) women. Some types contain progesterone, limiting androgen hormones which cause oil glands to generate more sebum, which in turn causes acne. Progestins are able to act as adrogens as well as anti-androgens. Those that act like androgens make the acne worse. Those that are best for acne are anti-androgenic. The birth control pills that are lower in androgenic activity include norethindrone, norgestimate, desogestrol, levonorgestrel or ethynoldial.

Birth Control Pills Approved for Acne

As of August, 2009 certain pills have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as acne treatments. Those are:

-    Ortho Tri Cyclen
-    Estrostep
-    Yaz

Obviously there are always others under review by the FDA so interest in other products should be investigated. An excellent resource is Drugs.com. While these birth control pills are a help in controlling acne, they also have some potential side effects, some of which are listed below.

Potential Side Effects of Birth Control Pills for Acne

Whether the pills are taken for their dual purpose or for the primary purpose of birth control, the potential side effects are the same. Those side effects include:

-    Nausea                                      – Weight Gain             – Breast Tenderness
-    Menstrual Spotting                       – Mood Swings           – Blood Clots
-    Strokes                                      – Headaches              – Gallstones
-    High Blood Pressure                      – Depression

As the body adjusts to the modified hormonal balance, some side effects may disappear after using for a few months. Side effects of progestin only pills varies from the combined (containing both progestin and estrogen) tablets.

It takes from 3 to 6  months for the pills to show some visible improvement, however, they have a definite impact on the acne that gets worse during menstruation and ovulation. In the best possible scenario, the combined pills reduces pregnancy incidents to 1 or fewer women out of 100 only in cases where acne control capabilities are slower and a little lesser. By contrast the progestin-only have an increased risk of pregnancy, 2 out of 100, while they are superior in controlling acne. Make wise choices in utilizing these amazing drugs to chart plans for motherhood while managing the related incidents of acne. You know your body best and hopefully with this information will be able to make the right decision on the best birth control for acne for YOU!

This article is intended to be informative and not professional medical advice. Please discuss your unique design and the best birth control for acne with your physician and jointly make an informed decision.

Technorati Tags: Birth Control Pills for Acne, Estrostep, FDA approved, Food and Drug Administration, Ortho Tri Cyclen, Yaz

Tags: Birth Control Pills for Acne, Estrostep, FDA approved, Food and Drug Administration, Ortho Tri Cyclen, Yaz

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 25th, 2009 at 9:38 pm and is filed under Women. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.