Women can manage to treat their acne problems successfully by using birth control medications. This was discovered many years ago and, since then, many doctors have been prescribing birth control pills as acne medications. However, FDA approves only of three different brands of contraceptives to be used for this purpose.
Birth Control Pills vs Acne
Ortho Tri-Cyclen, Estrostep and YAZ are the three contraceptives which can be used for treatment of acne. What is more, these are an excellent choice for women who desire to get rid of acne and get proper birth control technique at the same time. Usually, the pills are taken as a part of a broader treatment which also involves topical creams, benzoyl peroxide or some other topical medications.
The Logic Behind Absurdity
However strange the very notion of taking contraceptive pills in order to treat acne may be, it makes sense. Namely, most contraceptive pills are a combination of progestin and estrogen. These hormones alter the natural female reproductive cycle and certain hormonal activities in the body. Testosterone and low estrogen levels are the main triggers of hormonal acne in females. Due to the fact that these pills reduce testosterone levels and increase estrogen levels, acne are reduced and removed as well. Also, less testosterone means lesser production of sebaceous oils, which are known to clog the pores. So, these pills will clear out one's skin pores as well.
Polycystic ovarian syndrome is a condition which has serious acne as a side effect. Birth control pills can help women suffering from this condition get rid of their acne effectively. Nevertheless, women should be careful when they are choosing adequate birth control pills for these purposes since some types can raise testosterone levels, making things worse. Thus, the best way of getting adequate treatment of this type is to pay your doctor a visit and seek professional medical opinion on the subject as well as recommendations regarding the brand of these pills.
Usage and Potential Side Effects
These pills are taken daily, at the same time each day, for three weeks. Then, you are to spend one week taking placebo pills, allowing menstruation to occur. Once you start this therapy, it can take up to three weeks for the real, visible changes to take place. Also, your acne might get worse before getting better, so be prepared for this as well.
As for the possible side effects, there are quite a few. One might experience nausea, gain weight or feel tenderness in the breasts. Menstrual spotting and mood swings are also considered to be typical side effects. Nevertheless, there are cases when negative symptoms may get serious. Then, you might suffer from blood clots, a stroke, headaches, gallstones, hypertension or depression. But, these rarely occur.
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