No self-respecting girl will go out without a carefully applied thick makeup if her face is “decorated” with acne. What is most unpleasant, no one is immune from such a gift from the body and nature, regardless of age. In this article, we will talk about how effective birth control pills for acne, whether their use will help reduce this ailment, and whether this is a good way to treat acne.
Why do oral contraceptives treat acne?
Before you rush to the gynecologist or, in the worst case, to the pharmacy for contraception in pills, let's see why this medicine helps in the fight against acne. What is the mechanism of action of birth control pills? Will taking birth control pills help if acne appears?
When a girl takes this medicine, she every day with the help of tablets supports a certain hormonal background in the body. That is why it is important to take contraceptives at a strictly defined time daily, without a pass and delays. Of course, the main function of contraceptives is that they protect against unwanted pregnancy. But as soon as contraception is started, eight out of ten girls, according to official medical data, notice a general improvement in the condition of the skin, hair, and nails.
Every three girls from the same sample observe a slight loss of excess weight, and all clearly say that overall health is improving. Why is this happening?
The mechanism of action of oral contraceptives
The essence of the "work" of these pills is that the body begins to "think" as if you were pregnant. Every day, due to a changed hormonal background, the body is "in the firm belief" that you are pregnant. As you know, pregnancy is an effective and free remedy in the fight against many diseases of female organs, and also positively affects the general well-being of the girl's body. Taking hormones in the form of contraceptives takes the body to a different level, and as a result, acne is treated and hair and nails are healed. That's why it can be said that birth control pills against acne help. But how?
Due to the disturbed hormonal background, the sebaceous glands work, as they say, anyhow. In some, they produce too much sebum, while in others they completely cease to function. As a result, most often during adolescent puberty, young people suffer from oily skin, comedones, acne. There is also the flip side of the medal of improper functioning of the sebaceous glands - dry as a leaf, moist skin, which even the greasy cream is powerless to cope with. Oral contraceptives are able to effectively level the hormonal background, and the sebaceous glands will then begin to work correctly. But this will, of course, not happen in a day or in a week. According to reviews, it will take at least a month or two before you see the result.
So, the answer to the question of whether birth control pills help against acne will be a positive answer, but not in all cases.
Why contraceptives may not help with acne
In which cases, birth control pills for acne will not help? Contraceptives are not a treatment for acne. This is just one of the additional effects of their use. It should be noted that if the cause of acne is malnutrition, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, facial skin problems, as well as permanent mechanical damage to the dermis, then contraception will be powerless. Therefore, before you start taking birth control pills for acne on your face, you must find out the cause of acne.
When does a doctor prescribe contraceptives for acne?
Doctors may well prescribe birth control pills to treat acne. But not in all cases, contraceptives are prescribed in individual cases. The hormonal system of each person is a very subtle tool that can break anything, from severe stress to a regular, incorrect lifestyle. Then the doctor has the right to prescribe a comprehensive treatment, including in the list of recommended drugs and hormonal drugs. Please note that it is very simple to influence the hormonal system with the help of such drugs. Therefore, in no case do not prescribe yourself medicines containing hormones yourself. There are a lot of documented cases when absolutely healthy girls started taking contraceptives, having listened to girlfriends or having read blogs, thereby worsening their health.
In which case is it worth contacting an endocrinologist to get a prescription?
Why is it worth paying attention to the appearance of acne, especially if it occurs in adulthood, and not in adolescence? The fact is that skin problems are a kind of beacon that something is wrong with your body. And acne can occur in several cases.
The first is malnutrition . The person reacts very quickly to the quality of food consumed. If you eat fatty and carbohydrate-rich foods, then expect troubles in the form of acne. Even the most promoted girlfriends birth control pills that help with acne, in this case will be powerless. After all, the cause of the appearance of such acne is not a frustrated hormonal system, but poor nutrition. Taking hormonal medications will not solve the problem. Analyze in detail what kind of food you eat. Even if, in your opinion, you eat correctly and balanced, try to limit the use of fast food, flour, sweet and dairy products within two weeks. The last item on the list may be surprising, since cottage cheese and sour cream are components of a healthy diet. However, some people are allergic to lactose. She may be stronger or less. Refuse for a while from milk, cottage cheese, sour cream and see how your body reacts to it. These simple steps will help you improve your appearance, and you will stop wondering if birth control pills help against acne on your face.
The second cause of acne that is not related to hormonal disorder is unhealthy facial skin . Most often observed in adolescents, however, at a more mature age, your skin may also become too dry or, on the contrary, oily. To correct the situation and get rid of acne, analyze the composition of all the cosmetics that you use. Pay attention to the ingredients of creams, makeup products, tonics, whether they contain harmful surfactants. Modern cosmetics mainly contain natural surfactants, but inexpensive cosmetics may contain surfactants derived from oil. Such components act aggressively on the skin, as they draw moisture, dry it. As a result, even if you care for your skin with all responsibility, you can create a problem yourself. By the way, another reason for the appearance of acne can be excessive care. Girls who abuse the use of care products also violate the natural state of the dermis. As you know, if the cause of acne is the above, then birth control pills for acne on your face will not help you. Reviews of those girls who suffer from acne precisely for such a reason recommend changing all cosmetic products to organic ones.
How do you know that you need oral contraception to treat acne?
So, if the above two reasons are not suitable for you, and you understand that you have something else, then you should contact a dermatologist-endocrinologist. This doctor will direct you to a blood test and examine the status of the main female and male hormones. Changes in hormonal levels are often associated with growing up. So, in about 15% of modern young men and women at puberty, the hormonal system is disordered. In girls, there is an increase in testosterone levels, in boys - prolactin levels. In both cases, acne appears on the face, neck, and back. Girls can grow dark hair over their upper lip, on their arms, on their legs. In addition to acne, guys can store fat in places that are not typical for men - on the hips and fifth point. These are obvious reasons that the hormonal background has changed. But we said above that the discord of the hormonal system is not always associated with growing up. Sometimes a completely healthy, mature person can endure extreme stress, which will lead to disruption of this system. If you notice the signs described above, then hurry up to visit the endocrinologist. After the doctor receives the test results, he will be able to prescribe you a comprehensive treatment. Endocrinologists prescribe birth control pills for acne quite often, since this remedy is effective with a minimum amount of hormones in the composition. But even an extremely small dose of a hormonal drug can harm the body if used without prescription.
Why can not you take birth control pills for acne on your own?
As you understand, the main purpose of oral contraception is to protect against unwanted pregnancy or even the hormonal levels. Self-administration of birth control pills, if acne appears, can lead to the fact that you not only do not get rid of acne, but also disrupt your hormonal background. This is due to the fact that there are several types of contraceptives. There are pills that are prescribed to young and nulliparous girls. There are pills with a high content of hormones. They can be prescribed to those who have already given birth, or women of age. There is also oral contraception with a minimum content of hormonal substances. How can you know which of these types of drug is right for you?
What are the most effective birth control pills for acne?
We still urge you not to do anything stupid and not to self-medicate, so as not to harm the body even more. But still, we give a rating of drugs that can help cope with acne and at the same time cause the least side effects.
What are the most effective birth control pills and which ones are better for using acne?
- "Jess." For many years now, the drug has been steadily holding the brand of "best birth control pills," including acne. Its features consist in a lower amount of the hormone than in most of those that the modern market offers, and therefore it does not have any pronounced side effects. The only thing that girls who use this drug complain about is the occasional headache. The downside of using this drug as a treatment method is its high cost. "Jess" can be purchased in pharmacies at a price of 1100 rubles.
- "Yarina." These contraceptives are the most widely used in the CIS countries. Yarina tablets are recommended primarily because they have a strong antiandrogenic effect. From their use, the work of the sebaceous glands returns to normal, the skin becomes normal, excess fat and shine disappear, and in the absence of unnecessary fat, acne does not appear on the face and body. "Yarina" is not cheap (700-800 rubles) and sold without a prescription. However, if we consider these birth control pills precisely according to the basic principle of their effect, it should be noted that they are less weak than combined oral contraceptives, which will be discussed a little further. Another disadvantage of this oral contraceptive can be considered that the effect will occur no earlier than after 2-3 months of drinking “Yarina”.
- "Dimea." These birth control pills, which help against acne, are similar to Jess and work in a similar way. However, the packaging is not so presentable, there is no convenient calendar inside, but they are also cheaper - about 600-700 rubles per package.
- Chloe. The antiandrogenic effect in this drug is provided by cyproterone. The drug is inexpensive, up to 300-400 rubles per pack of tablets per month. The downside of taking oral contraceptives is the fact that during use, many girls become emotional and often cry. And another disadvantage of this drug is that in the first month after eating acne and acne on the face will become even more pronounced. However, this should not be scared, after a couple of months your skin will become much cleaner.
- "Janine." Antiandrogenic properties have a dienogest, which is contained in this drug in an amount of 2 mg per dose. You will see the effect of the use of “Janine” after a month or two after administration, also the fact that cases of gaining excess weight are very rare. "Janine" is inexpensive, 300-400 rubles per month. However, according to reviews, you should stop taking this oral contraceptive, and your skin condition may deteriorate again.
- "Diane-35." The anti-androgenic effect of these pills will be an order of magnitude lower than, for example, “Jess” or “Dimia”. This means that you have to drink them longer before you see the results. It is very important to read carefully the instructions for use before you start taking these oral contraceptives. Due to the high content of ethinyl estradiol, instead of getting rid of acne, you can get significant side effects. But the price of these pills is affordable for almost any girl - up to 400 rubles.
Side effects of oral contraceptives
Do birth control pills help with acne? Reviews indicate that these drugs can not only cleanse the skin and improve hair quality, but also significantly worsen your life with various side effects. Among them are migraines, headaches, a feeling of apathy, depression. Some experience indigestion and diarrhea, and worsening sleep. However, it is difficult to predict what exactly you will suffer from, and whether you will suffer at all, since each organism is individual. Once again, I want to urge you not to listen to the advice of friends or girls on the forums. In this case, the endocrinologist will be the best adviser; he will prescribe birth control pills suitable for you, depending on the blood test.
Summarizing
As you can see, any contraceptive contains various formulations of female and male hormones. Therefore, poking a finger at the sky, it is not likely that you will guess which contraceptives you need. In addition, you need to remember that birth control pills are not a panacea in the fight against acne. If the cause of acne lies in the wrong lifestyle, then, having drunk a course of pills, you will not change anything in your own appearance.