No self-respecting girl will go out without carefully applied thick make-up if her face is "decorated" with acne. What is most unpleasant, no one is immune from such a gift of the body and nature, regardless of age. In this article, we will talk about how effective acne contraceptive pills are, whether their use will help reduce this ailment, and whether it 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 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 you have acne?
When a girl takes this medicine, every day with the help of pills she maintains a certain hormonal background in the body. That is why it is important to take contraceptives at a strictly defined time every day, without skipping or delaying. Of course,The main function of contraceptives is that they protect against unwanted pregnancy. But as soon as they start taking contraception, eight girls out of ten, according to official medical data, notice an overall improvement in the condition of their skin, hair, and nails.
Every three girls in the same sample experience a slight loss of excess weight, and all clearly note that their overall well-being improves. Why is this happening?
Mechanism of action of oral contraceptives
The essence of the “work” of these pills is that the body begins to “think” that you are pregnant. Every day, due to the changed hormonal background, the body is “in firm confidence” that you are pregnant. As you know, pregnancy is an effective and free tool in the fight against many diseases of the female organs, and also has a positive effect on 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. This is why it can be said that acne birth control pills help. But how?
Due to the disturbed hormonal levels, the sebaceous glands work, as they say, at random. In some, they produce too much sebum, while in others they completely cease to function. As a result, most often during adolescence puberty, young people suffer fromoily skin, comedones, acne. There is also a reverse side of the medal of improper functioning of the sebaceous glands - dry, like a leaf, unhydrated skin, which even the most greasy cream is powerless to cope with. Oral contraceptives are able to effectively equalize the hormonal background, and the sebaceous glands will then begin to work properly. But this will happen, of course, not in a day or 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 acne is yes, but not in all cases.
Why contraceptives may not help acne
When won't acne pills 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 in this case. Therefore, before you start taking birth control pills for acne on your face, you should find out the cause of acne.
When will a doctor prescribe contraceptives to treat 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 disrupt anything,ranging from severe stress and ending with a regular wrong lifestyle. Then the doctor has the right to prescribe a comprehensive treatment, including hormonal drugs in the list of recommended 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 medications containing hormones on your own. There are many documented cases when absolutely he althy girls started taking contraceptives after listening to their girlfriends or reading blogs, thereby worsening their he alth.
When should I contact an endocrinologist to get a prescription for contraceptives?
Why should you pay 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 appear in several cases.
The first is malnutrition. The face reacts very quickly to the quality of the food consumed. If you eat fatty and carbohydrate-rich foods, then expect trouble in the form of acne. Even the most advertised contraceptive pills that help with acne, in this case, will be powerless. After all, the cause of the appearance of such acne is not an upset hormonal system, but malnutrition. Taking hormonal drugs will not solve the problem. Analyze in detail what kind of food you eat. Even if you think youeat properly and balanced, try to limit the use of fast food, flour, sweet and dairy products for two weeks. The last item on the list may come as a surprise, since cottage cheese and sour cream are part of a he althy diet. However, some people are allergic to lactose. It may be stronger or less. Give up milk, cottage cheese, sour cream for a while and see how your body reacts to it. These simple steps will allow you to improve your appearance, and you will stop wondering if birth control pills help acne on your face.
The second cause of acne, not associated with a hormonal disorder, is unhe althy facial skin. Most often observed in adolescents, however, in more mature age, your skin can also become too dry or opposite to oily. To correct the situation and get rid of acne, analyze the composition of all cosmetics that you use. Pay attention to the ingredients of creams, makeup products, tonics, whether they contain harmful surfactants. Modern cosmetics mostly contain natural surfactants, however inexpensive cosmetics may contain surfactants derived from petroleum. Such components aggressively act on the skin, as they draw out moisture, dry it out. As a result, even if you take care of your skin with all responsibility, you can create a problem yourself. By the way, another cause of acne can be excessive care. Girls who abuse the use of care products also violatenatural state of the dermis. As you understand, if the cause of acne is the above, then contraceptive pills for acne on the face will not help you. Reviews of those girls who suffer from acne for just such a reason recommend replacing all cosmetics with organic ones.
How do you know if you need oral contraception to treat your acne?
So, if the above two reasons do not suit you, and you understand that you have something else, then you should contact a dermatologist-endocrinologist. This doctor will refer you for a blood test and study 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 boys and girls at puberty, the hormonal system goes wrong. 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 above the upper lip, on the arms, on the legs. Guys, in addition to acne, fat can be deposited in places that are atypical for men - on the hips and fifth point. These are obvious reasons that the hormonal background has changed. But we said above that the disorder of the hormonal system is not always associated with growing up. Sometimes an absolutely he althy, mature person can endure severe stress, which will lead to disruption of this system. If you notice the above signs in yourself, then hurry to visit an endocrinologist. After the doctorwill receive the results of the tests, he will be able to prescribe you a comprehensive treatment. Endocrinologists prescribe contraceptive 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 a prescription.
Why can't you take birth control pills for acne on your own?
As you understand, the main purpose of taking oral contraception is to prevent unwanted pregnancy or to even out 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 levels. 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 tablets with a high content of hormones. They can be prescribed to those who have already given birth, or to 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?
Which birth control pills are most effective for acne?
We continue to urge you not to do stupid things and not self-medicate, so as not to harm the body even more. But still, we will give a rating of drugs that can help cope with acne and at the same time cause the fewest side effects.
What are the most effective birth control pills and which ones are best for acne?
- "Jess". The drug has been confidently holding the brand of "best birth control pills" for many years, including acne. Its features lie in a smaller amount of the hormone content 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 headache that sometimes occurs. The disadvantage of using this drug as a method of treatment is its high cost. "Jess" can be purchased at 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 is sold without a prescription. However, if we consider these contraceptive pills precisely according to the basic principle of their effect, then 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 come no earlier than after 2-3 months of using Yarina.
- "Dimea". Thesecontraceptive pills that help with acne are an analogue of "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 for a month. The disadvantage of taking these oral contraceptives can be considered the fact that during use, many girls become emotional and often cry. And another drawback of this drug is that in the first month after use, acne and acne on the face will become even more pronounced. However, do not be afraid of this, in a couple of months your skin will become much cleaner.
- "Janine". Dienogest has antiandrogenic properties, which is contained in this drug in an amount of 2 mg per dose. You will see the effect of the use of "Janine" a month or two after taking it, and the fact that there are very rare cases of gaining excess mass can also be attributed to the benefits. "Janine" is inexpensive, 300-400 rubles for a monthly course. However, according to reviews, it is worth stopping taking this oral contraceptive, and your skin condition may worsen again.
- "Diana-35". The antiandrogenic effect of these tablets will be an order of magnitude lower than, for example, that of Jess or Dimia. This means that you will have to drink them longer before you see results. It is very important to read carefullyinstructions 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 tablets is affordable for almost any girl - up to 400 rubles.
Side effects of oral contraceptives
Do birth control pills help acne? Reviews indicate that these drugs can not only cleanse the skin and improve the quality of hair, 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, 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 would like to urge you not to listen to the advice of friends or girls on the forums. The best adviser in this case will be an endocrinologist, he will prescribe birth control pills that are suitable for you, depending on the blood test.
Summarizing
As you can see, any contraceptive drug contains different compositions of female and male hormones. Therefore, pointing your 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 by drinking a course of pills, you will not change anything in your own appearance.
