Best Birth Control Pill For Acne

Filed under: Benefits of the Pill, Contraceptives and Acne — admin at 2:07 am on Tuesday, April 29, 2008

It is widely known that the birth control pill is often prescribed for the treatment of women’s acne but do you REALLY know what causes acne, WHY the birth control pill is prescribed for this condition and which is the best birth control pill for treating acne? This post will answer the first two questions, tomorrow’s post will help you to answer the third.

The FDA approved the birth control pill for the treatment of acne in 1997. If you are considering asking your doctor for one of the popular brands of birth control pills such as Desogen and Yasmin, there are some facts you should know, especially if you have certain health problems or inherited medical conditions. I’m going to deal with each pill, one post at a time. This post will deal with Desogen, the next one will address Yasmin, which seems to have a bigger following for acne treatment, due to one MAJOR change of ingredient.
What exactly is Desogen and How does Desogen treat acne?

Desogen is an oral birth control pill that contains a combination of synthetic female hormones to stop an egg being released from a woman’s ovary. If an egg is not released, it cannot be fertilized by a male sperm- so the woman cannot become pregnant. Most women take Desogen to prevent them from falling pregnant but others have found it to be extremely effective for clearing up their acne or significantly reducing breakouts.
Desogen does this by controlling the level of androgen (a male hormone) connected with the production of oil in our skin (from our sebaceous glands).

Why does acne occur and what does it look like?

On the surface of our skin are little ‘breathing holes’ or pores and ‘pockets’ (follicles) out of which each hair grows. The sebaceous gland in each follicle produces oil or sebum. When too much sebum is produced, these glands become blocked and inflamed which results in pimples, ‘zits’ and blackheads - a chronic outbreak is known medically as acne. In acute cases, these pustules can result in cysts or abscesses that become infected and scar the skin’s surface. If the production of sebum can be decreased then the acne is usually reduced also.

Why is the amount of oil produced by our sebaceous glands important?

Since the hormone, androgen, controls the release of sebum, it is not surprising that if there is an imbalance in hormone levels, especially during adolescence, then there is going to be an imbalance in the level of sebum produced. Even though contraceptive pills work effectively on acne treatment, they are not ideal for teenagers to take if they are not sexually active (unless they have had a thorough talk to their doctor first).

Desogen and acne is a ‘balancing act’.

Since Desogen affects the level of the androgen hormone within a woman’s body, it follows that every woman’s body will be operating on varying levels of hormone production so, to some degree, it is trial and error with a contraceptive medication such as Desogen for controlling the level of sebum produced and therefore controlling the severity of her acne. It is for this reason that Desogen can be extremely effective or in some cases, just not be compatible with the level of androgen being produced in certain women so their acne seems to get worse. Ethinyl etradiol is the synthetic estrogen in contraceptive pills that affects the level of androgen.

The birth control pill, Desogen, resolves acne conditions in many women

Doctors prescribe Desogen specifically for the treatment of acne in woman they consider suitable for this combination of synthetic hormones. Woman who can take Desogen will find that this birth control pill balances their hormones effectively and is the ideal drug for helping them to manage their acne.

It should be noted though, that no single treatment for acne, including Desogen, should be relied upon to treat this severe skin condition. A dirty skin, make up and bacteria also aggravate acne so topical products, such as lotions, creams and anti bacterial skin cleansers should be considered for use in conjunction with Desogen.

Always consult your doctor if you wish to try Desogen for your acne treatment and tell him which other medications/topical products you are also using.

As with many medications, however, some women find they do experience various side effects when taking Desogen.
Some common side effects include nausea, headaches, slight bleeding, weight gain (less likely with Yasmin) and possible mood changes.
After taking Desogen for three months, many of these effects disappear but you should monitor your body closely and consider a different treatment, maybe switching to Yasmin, if they persist or if they worsen.

The clearly documented risks associated with all contraceptive pills must be noted for Desogen also, whether taken for acne or as your preferred birth control method. These risks include stroke, blood clotting and breast cancer (although the contraceptive pill has positive benefits in reducing ovarian and uterine cancer)

Smoking is bad for you anyway but the risks of developing heart disease increase if you are on the ‘pill’.

If you do take Desogen to prevent acne, take it as prescribed by your doctor - even if you save money by buying it on line

Missing a dose of Desogen or Yasmin will not have such a bad effect on your acne but it will affect your risk of getting pregnant if you are sexually active.
Check the leaflet that comes with the Desogen pack if you miss a pill and of course, if you are unsure as to whether you can two pills on one day, check with your doctor or medical practitioner. To reduce the anxiety or stress further, it would be wise to use additional contraception at this time.

Desogen is ideal for reducing the painful and embarrassing condition of acne in many women but unfortunately it is unsuitable for a certain percentage of woman. It is probably worth trying though as the benefits can be excellent and it is likely that if you keep in contact with your doctor you will eventually find a combination of the ‘pill’ and a topical skin product that will help you through your acne ‘chapter’.

Come back here tomorrow to see what makes YASMIN different from all the other oral contraceptives and why many women would argue that this oral contraceptive, not Desogen, is the best birth control pill for acne.

2 Comments »

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Comment by prudz

October 22, 2008 @ 2:24 am

i am a mother, have two siblings and i want to take birth control but im afraid and have a delimma if what is the best contaceptive i have to take

Thank you for your enquiry

You do not state your age or whether or not acne is also a problem for you so as you have commented under this post perhaps Yasmin may be a pill you could trial initially? A doctor will advise you once your medical history has been determined so do not be afraid to ask.

BUT- If you are looking for long term contraception only or have decided NOT to get pregnant again during your reproductive life, please talk to a health professional about alternatives to a contraception pill such an IUD, an implant or an injection (Depo shot lasts 3 months). You may have ruled one of these out already if you are uncomfortable about the ‘process’ of administration but you can’t beat a face to face conversation with someone who cananswer your specific questions and assess your personal circumstances. These birth control options mentioned will not, however, protect you from sexually transmitted diseases but if you are now with one sex partner and intend to remain with him, this may not be an issue for you. If you intend to have multiple sex partners a condom can be used as well.

The IUD and implant will prevent pregnancy for several years and both have a high success rate. Once fitted you can ‘forget’ these types of contraceptive as they just keep on working without you having to remember to do anything more until you wish to become pregnant or have emerged from menopause!

If you choose an injection, this will have to be administered every 3 months, which is not as often as remembering to take a pill every day and there is less risk of ‘missing’ a pill. There are too many warnings surrounding the ‘patch’ for me to encourage you to consider this particular method of contraception. Good Luck and let me know how you get on.

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Comment by Brandy

June 2, 2009 @ 2:19 pm

I am a mother of a 12 year old soon to be 13 and she has been fighting acne for over a year. I am considering birth control for her. Also she has very heavy periods and cramping that gets so bad she cannot finish a full day of school. She gets so sick and throws up. So I am wondering if I am doing the right thing for her by putting her on birth control? Please give me your input.

Dear Brandy,

I sympathise with your situation, watching your daughter go through this is awful and taking that step to put her on the pill is also a milestone in her life that can attract its own issues. It sounds as though you have tried everything else to relieve your daughter’s cramps and acne and that the ‘pill’ is your last resort. If you have talked to your doctor about this I bet the pill has been one of the first solutions suggested. I understand your reluctance to start your daughter on synthetic hormones at her age though. Many young girls rave about Yasmin for acne and other pills work for many too.

What you eat also affects your skin and diet can be just as sensitive a topic with a teenager as the appearance of their skin. Can you persevere a bit longer with treating two conditions separately while a young body adjusts itself to womanhood?

Dysmenorrhea (the technical name for severe period cramps) is a separate issue from acne, a low dose birth control pill often solves both problems it’s true. If it was my daughter, I would explore every other option before putting her on the pill, which is a mix of artificial hormones that may have its own side effects.

Pain is a sign that something in your daughter’s body is out of balance, no prizes for guessing at her age, that its’ probably her hormones and the fact that she now also ovulating regularly. The earlier periods start, the more common the pain seems to be. Suppressing ovulation with the ‘pill’ can relieve this pain and reduce acne.

Pain killers such as Nurofen may work better than panadol for this type of pain as they stop/reduce the release of prostaglandins, hormones used by the uterus as it contracts to expel its lining.

Natural medicines work really well to correct imbalances in our bodies, they find the CAUSE and address it. If you are open to finding a good naturopath you may be surprised at the results and it may buy your daughter more time off the pill. You’ll have peace of mind that you did try alternatives first.

If nothing works after all this, a low dose birth control pill will probably be recommended by your doctor but again she will go through a period of trial and error until she finds one that suits her metabolism.

Topical acne treatments should be well researched if your doctor has not prescribed a suitable one as many over the counter products can strip oils from the skin causing the glands to secrete even MORE oil to harbour dirt and bacteria and keep the cycle going. Teenagers will do ANYTHING to get rid of those spots and are very vulnerable consumers.

It’s tough growing up but use this ‘opportunity’ to be a ‘good friend’ and talk through all the options with your daughter without any judgement about the ‘pill’ and its implications. This will stand both of you in good stead for those ‘puberty blue’ years ahead of you and lay the foundation for open dialogue between you on your daughter’s sexual health issues.

All the very best Brandy, your daughter is fortunate to have such a caring mum who is willing to get on board and help her,

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