If your hormones cause you to get unsightly acne, there is hope. You might not know that there is a side benefits to regular old birth control - acne relief! Birth control and acne have been studied, and several birth control pills (BCPs) are now approved for the treatment of acne.
For young women with acne, birth control is a logical choice of treatment. Even for older women or women for whom birth control is no longer a concern, this method of relieving acne can be the simplest course for controlling acne and promoting clean, clear skin. Bumps on the face can be as worrisome as a bump in the tummy!
Like an unexpected bonus of birth control, acne can completely disappear within weeks of starting the pill. All you have to do is take your daily pill - forget about creams and skin peels. You can’t get a prescription in a shot or patch yet, and only certain types of BCPs are approved for acne prescription so far, so make sure to check in with your OBGYN for a list of options.
For women who belong to certain religious groups or other organizations that object to the pill, alternate types of treatment are available. Hormone stability without contraceptive effects can be obtained by herbal means, such as Chaste Tree Berry. The fact that birth control and acne are connected makes any type of hormone stabilizer a sensible option.
The reason BCPs work is that they contain a little extra estrogen and progestin to help combat the excess androgens (testosterone) your body is producing. Androgens stimulate sebum production, which is a main cause of acne. Birth control just levels the playing field, providing balance between the different types of hormones.
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.
There are several signs that can let a woman know that she can probably go on birth control and her acne problem will be solved. Since this depends on hormones being the cause, signs to look for include the appearance or worsening of acne shortly before the menstrual cycle begins. Some women also experience a mild acne outbreak at or around the time of ovulation as well.
The best acne treatment is one that targets the root cause of the condition and seeks to rectify it. Because imbalanced hormones are a common cause of acne, birth control often solves the problem. Acne shouldn’t have to be something you just live with, so be sure to check out your options!
Birth control and acne prevention may not work the same for everyone; the best acne treatment will involve finding the lowest possible dose that is effective. Even after you start taking birth control, acne may persist for a cycle or two, so give it a chance to work. Of course, if you are even more worried about a belly bump than ones on your face, BCPs may be part of your plan anyway!
