Birth Control and Acne

by Jim Bolding

Hormone variations are the number one cause of acne in women of childbearing age. Often if the hormones are stabilized through the use of birth control, acne will completely disappear. This connection between birth control and acne has been extensively studied and proven to work, and several oral BCPs (birth control pills) are now specified as being available for prescription for acne.

If your PMS comes around each month and brings along an outbreak of acne, birth control might help. Women of childbearing age can enjoy the fact that they get contraception and clear skin in a daily pill, and women without the worry of becoming pregnant can still benefit. Whether you are looking for a zit free face or a bump free belly, BCPs offer one stop shopping.

Once you opt for the method of birth control, acne may rapidly become a thing of the past. After you find the right dosage and brand of birth control that relieves your symptoms you just remember to take your pill each day! BCPs are the only form approved for acne prescription; shots or the patch have not yet been approved.

When people figured out that birth control and acne relief were connected, research began to find alternate forms of treatment for women who can’t or won’t take the pill. Religious beliefs sometimes interfere with concepts like birth control, but herbal remedies are usually acceptable. Chaste Tree Berry is a hormonal regulator that can help relieve acne although it doesn’t function as a contraceptive.

The estrogen and progestin present in BCPs can combat excess androgens (testosterone levels). Testosterone triggers the body’s normal reaction to produce extra sebum, often causing acne. Birth control can provide balance between the hormone levels, making acne disappear.

If your outbreaks are hormone related and you start taking birth control, acne should disappear in less than three months. If it doesn’t, chances are that your acne is being caused by something else. At that point you can expand your search to consider other possible causes for your acne.

The possibility that birth control and acne relief are compatible is usually shown by a few tell tale signs. If hormones are fluctuating wildly enough to produce acne the outbreaks will usually coincide with PMS, preceding the beginning of the menstrual cycle. Hormone surges due to ovulation may also bring on an acne outbreak.

Determining the real cause of the outbreaks is key to finding the best acne treatment. When hormones are causing acne, birth control is often the easiest way to control it. Living with acne is something no one should have to do, especially when the cure could be so simple as a daily pill!

When you are deciding on the best birth control and acne prevention pill, pick the lowest dose that still controls all your symptoms. If you are in-between cycles when you start birth control, acne may still flare up a time or two as your body adjusts. Don’t worry – odds are it will settle down and you face as well as your stomach will be happy and bump free!

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