Did birth control wreak havok on your skin?
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free skin care · Sat May 26, 2007 6:04 am

Can someone explain exactly how BCPs affect your skin and weight? Personal experiences? I'm terrified of the side effects Smile

free skin care · Sat May 26, 2007 7:09 am

This is definitely not something to be terrified about. Tell your doctor your concerns; they can prescribe something that won't affect your skin. Most bcp these days don't affect weight either.

The only bcp I had a problem with (skin wise) was Lutera (it's a generic). It has levongestrel (sp?) as progestin and it led to some cystic acne on my chin.

free skin care · Sat May 26, 2007 8:24 am

I was on BCP's for years and had no side effects from them at all. As a plus, they minimized my monthly cramping and regulated my periods so that I knew down to the day when to expect it.

free skin care · Sat May 26, 2007 8:54 am

Thanks for the replies.......I did hear though that going off BCPs really does make your skin freak out?

free skin care · Sat May 26, 2007 10:14 am

FaithTruth wrote:

Thanks for the replies.......I did hear though that going off BCPs really does make your skin freak out?

Oh it does.

free skin care · Sat May 26, 2007 10:21 am

Harmonster wrote:

FaithTruth wrote:

Thanks for the replies.......I did hear though that going off BCPs really does make your skin freak out?

Oh it does.

I second that.

free skin care · Sat May 26, 2007 10:24 am

My skin only went bonkers AFTER I got off it. Bleh...it was naaaasty. I couldn't control it at all.

free skin care · Sat May 26, 2007 10:39 am

I'm sure going off it was the cause of this big patch of hyperpigmentation I have one my face. I had been on it for afew years, went off for about a year or so and then went back on. As soon as I had gone off it, I developed this big patch of darker skin. I worry what will happen when I go off it again (which I'm not planning to any time soon). I wonder if it makes you more prone to hyperpigmentation? I never was one much to sit outside in the sun, but these past few years I am getting more and more brown spots even though I'm being very good about using sunscreen, etc. I'm very fair though which makes me more prone to them though. Anyway, I'm not sure about breakouts while on it since I've been breaking out for years, although I never really did when I was younger and started probably mid 20's which is around the time I went on the pill. Hmmmmmmm. But ... knowing when your period is coming and having it shortened, plus low risk of pregnancy is worth it for me.

free skin care · Sat May 26, 2007 10:47 am

Is it possible for birth control pills to cause skin dryness?

free skin care · Sat May 26, 2007 11:15 am

I had perfect skin as a teenager, and when I went on the pill at 16 it made no difference in my skin or weight. I had a baby at 18 so I went off the pill for a couple years. I have had problems with acne (sometimes cystic) ever since the pregnancy so I went off the pill about 5 years ago to see if that would help clear it up and it never did. I had another baby last year and my skin has been really good ever since. Of course I have also made alot of changes to my skin care regime which has helped also. But in my case I think it all had to do with my pregnancies and hormones. I was afraid when I got pregnant again that it would just make it twice as bad, knowing what happened in the first pregnancy, but it was the opposite. First pregnancy created the skin problems, second cleared it up. If I had known that I wouldn't have put off having another baby for so long. Laughing

free skin care · Sat May 26, 2007 12:56 pm

I use the Nuvaring. I love it...as much as one can love a BCD. Smile

It is one of the lowest doses of BC on the market (which I like) and I don't have to think about it for 3 weeks. It works wonderful with my Diva and Moon cups too! (For those interested).

Hope that helps.

Oh, I'm acne prone and have had no reactions using the Nuvaring. I haven't gained any weight that I can tell. I honestly forget I'm using BC.

Sidenote: My husband doesn't notice it during...well, ummm, I'll say, naked twister. Laughing

Edit: For those who don't know. The NuvaRing is literally a silicone type ring that goes in your ba-jingo. You put it in right after your period and leave it there for 3 weeks. It releases the meds slowly. When you are ready, pop it out, throw it away, and get ready to use your Mooncup by day three. You put a new one in at the end of your cycle.

Hope that expains it a bit.

free skin care · Sat May 26, 2007 1:19 pm

everybody is different and one birth control pill can not work for every woman, that is why there are so many brands on BC pills out there. I have tried Diane 35 when i was a teenager since it was prescribed by my derm. to clear up my acne... instead of helping my acne it made my acne worsen. With that i had also gained weight as well. Then i went on Allese and it was even worse! My acne got sooo bad, my face looked aweful and it caused major water retention so i gained about 10 pounds from just water retention even though i was working out everyday. I went off Allese and now i am on Yasmine and yasmine has been really good to me. no weight gain and it hasnt caused my skin to worsen. Although i havent really seen a significant improvement in my acne w/ yasmine, but at least my skin didnt get worse like my other experience w/ other brands of BC pills.

free skin care · Sat May 26, 2007 2:58 pm

deanne123 wrote:

ba-jingo.

Ooh, just laughed myself silly.
Thank you.

Laughing

I'm on ortho tricyclen, it significantly cleared up my skin. I have been off of it before and got a major acne breakout. It sometimes makes me ill to my stomach, but otherwise no other side effects.

free skin care · Sat May 26, 2007 5:51 pm

andaman_gypsy wrote:

Is it possible for birth control pills to cause skin dryness?

i do not hear that, but i hear that will make person fat.

free skin care · Sat May 26, 2007 9:28 pm

My OB gave me Nuvaring. I must say that after using the pill for several years, I couldn't get used to the ring. I switched back to the pill just recently, and I guess I just feel more comfortable with it.

free skin care · Sun May 27, 2007 12:17 am

I think this question is something to discuss with your doctor. Technically BCP should make your skin better (or do nothing at all) but everyone reacts different to different BCPs as our hormone levels and body types are all different from the start. Some gain weight but I have not had this issue with BCP, some get nauseous. BCP is supposed to regulate your periods as well but I also know those who had really odd timing periods after the start of BCP. If you are afraid you can ask your doctor to recommend a low-dose BCP. I used to be on Alesse which is pretty low-dose and I had no side effects whatsoever on skin or body. However I switched to something higher dose (Diane 35) because I wanted something to help my skin as well but on the new pill I have not found it to affect my body weight or periods either, just less hormonal breakouts.

And as you can see from what I have written and BCgirl's experience it REALLY depends on your own individual body chemistry. So take what is here with a grain of salt and discuss these issues your doctor.

free skin care · Sun May 27, 2007 3:28 am

Thanks guys!

free skin care · Sun May 27, 2007 5:15 pm

My skin was wonderfully clear while i was on the pill. I quit and i was plagued with 5 huge cysts on my chin per week. That was last summer, and i was devastated...i locked myself at home and refused to go out with friends. It has taken a full year before my skin finally calmed down and I would NOT ever go back on the pill even if you paid me to; i do not want another repeat experience.

free skin care · Wed May 30, 2007 3:51 pm

I've been seeing a naturopath at Bastyr (in Seattle), and when my body suddenly decided to start rejecting hormonal birth control methods in my early twenties (after having been on the pill pretty much consistently since age 16), she started rotating me through a bunch of different varieties.

What most doctors don't tell you (and drug companies DEFINITELY don't tell you) is that different BC pills are EXTREMELY different. Even the generic vs. namebrand pills are different - they have the same active ingredients, but the absorption rates are not the same.

If you ever experience spotting or bleeding when it's not your period-time, it means you aren't reacting well to the hormone balance in your pill. My ND had me go through and test a zillion different hormone levels and types - I bled during days 1-9 with certain ones, which was a sign of too low an estrogen content. I bled during a different part of my cycle with another - turned out the progesterone was too high. Etc, etc. In the end, my skin freaked out and I gained 10 pounds in about a month from the last one, plus I was all kinds of crazy mood-swing-wise, and we finally decided the pill just wasn't for me anymore. I'm sure if I'd kept trying there might have been a good balance out there, but I was exhausted (and each "trial" needs three months to really determine your reaction to any given pill). I now have an IUD, and happy skin and no more mood swings or weight gain, though I DO have much more bleeding and cramping. A tradeoff, for sure.

All in all, I recommend going to a good naturopath who can analyze the specific hormonal breakdown, how it's affecting you and your skin, and your needs and lifestyle. A typical doc is just not going to look at those details. Good luck!

free skin care · Thu May 31, 2007 6:38 am

my dermatologist said that BCPs affect your skin differently because of the differing levels of estrogen and androgens in the pills. A lot of derms in Asia recommend a very low dosage pill for taking care of acne, called Diane. It is also an old formula and I'm sure there's much better stuff out there.

free skin care · Thu May 31, 2007 8:00 am

I took ortho-novum BCP for years - didn't have to worry about getting pregnant and didn't even know the MEANING of PMS or cystic acne until I had to stop taking them at 35 because I still smoked and it was too risky.

Within a few years, I finally understood what PMS and painful periods really were. My skin broke out horribly and took me a couple years to get under control.

At this point, my skin looks better than it did while I was taking BCP, but it's definitely been a learning process and I've since learned to be very leery about taking anything with hormones.

free skin care · Thu May 31, 2007 8:15 am

Moonstarr wrote:

I'm sure going off it was the cause of this big patch of hyperpigmentation I have one my face. I had been on it for afew years, went off for about a year or so and then went back on. As soon as I had gone off it, I developed this big patch of darker skin. I worry what will happen when I go off it again (which I'm not planning to any time soon). I wonder if it makes you more prone to hyperpigmentation? I never was one much to sit outside in the sun, but these past few years I am getting more and more brown spots even though I'm being very good about using sunscreen, etc. I'm very fair though which makes me more prone to them though. Anyway, I'm not sure about breakouts while on it since I've been breaking out for years, although I never really did when I was younger and started probably mid 20's which is around the time I went on the pill. Hmmmmmmm. But ... knowing when your period is coming and having it shortened, plus low risk of pregnancy is worth it for me.

I had the opposite experience of Moonstarr. I got really bad hyperpigmentation on my forehead when I was on the pill. I just turned 44 yesterday! (Feeling good about that surprisingly!) I'm also very fair, and used moisturizer w/sunscreen since I was in my early 20's, and pretty much stayed out of the sun. I have fewer wrinkles than most women my age, but still have a LOT of sundamage (got a picture taken at my Med Spa, and was freaked out! My pore size and wrinkles were in the 90% for women my age, but my sundamage was about 18%...yikes!) I'm currently using Obagi Nu-derm to address this. I've also done some research, and what I've learned is that moisturizer w/sunscreen doesn't really give you enough. Plus, you need to reapply sunscreen every 2 hours if you will be in the sun. I'm putting some more sunblock on in the afternoon before I leave work, because I get a lot of sun during my drive home. Take care!

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