Birth control pills against blemished skin

Having acne, pimples and blemished skin isn't fun! We at Danish Skin Care know what you are going through so click and learn about skincare.

Author Mads Timmermann

Mads has 14+ years of experience as a skin expert and has written/read this article.

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Question: “Birth control pills against blemished skin”

Hi Mads

I have a question about birth control poll and the treatment of acne, which I hope you will answer. The reason is that I have pimples – I really have many pimples, perhaps i suffer from acne – and simultaneously i take birth control pills because I get violently ill during my monthly periods. I get really sick and have headaches where I cant do anything. I have also tried several times where I’ve tried to be up, but I pass out – so the only thing I can do is just to lie down and try to get some sleep, preferably in any dark room.

So to control when I get my period and be able to plan when I get sick, I have to use birth control pills.

I have also heard a rumor that there are some birth control pills, which can help prevent pimples. My question is, is it true? And do you recommend that I start taking these pills – and how well do they work?

Josefine

Answer to: “Birth control pills against blemished skin”

Hello Josephine

SIGH! I am incredibly sorry to hear about your problems when you get your period. It certainly can not be particularly fun to know that once every month you will be sick for some days.

I understand why you want to control when you get your period and you therefore are taking birth control pills. However, I would just like to begin with a recommendation, and that you should have a chat with your – or perhaps a new – gynecologist and doctor. Now you do not write how old you are, but regardless of age – your menstrual problems seems rather violent. And there are much better treatments than just taking birth control pills, where you still are regularly sick for a few days … which also must be really difficult in regards to school or work.

So firstly just talk to your gynecologist and doctor. They can definitely help you to alternative treatments and medications that can help you.

But to answer your question, yes! It is true that some pill manufacturers have developed birth control pills, which while controlling hormones (i.e. stop the menstrual cycle) also helps to inhibit the production of sebum in the body, which can have a positive effect on acne.

This type of pill is called a combination pill. The pill therefore combines two effects, it stops your period and should reduce the occurrence of pimples. One of the most famous brands is named Diane Mite, and are available in Denmark.

The effect of these types of birth control pills, is due to the content of anti-androgen’s, which means that they bring more balance to hormones in the body. Androgen’s are a male hormone found in both women and men. It is instrumental in creating acne, and this especially occurs in puberty, where the level of androgen’s in the body increases. Androgen’s are involved in stimulating the production of sebum, which makes the skin moisturized and oily.

The birth control pills from Diane Mite contains the hormone cyproterone acetate, which is an anti-androgen. Cyproterone acetate makes the body produce fewer androgen’s than normal, and therefore this androgen can help prevent the occurrence of pimples.

With the above knowledge, I understand that many girls tend to choose these types of birth control pills. Like I fully understand that many girls may consider switching to just these types of birth control pills and thus both stop their menstruation and try to fight their acne.

– Have you recently changed your birth control pills, and now experience that you get more acne than before? Read my previous recommendation for blemished skin when changing your birth control pills.

However, I would STRONGLY recommend that you do not choose your birth control pills based on the knowledge that they can help eliminate pimples. Even if you choose one of the brands that contain anti-androgen’s.

Primarily because androgen’s are FAR from being the only cause to pimples. Androgen’s are just one of a great many different reason why we get pimples. So just to treat only this one cause is really not recommendable. Especially not when the market of medicines – and even skin care – treat with far more different causes to pimples. So other treatments and products which can give you a much greater chance of a successful outcome.

My Danish Skin Care skin care line treats the skin on a lot of different levels and helps to remove and stop A LOT of the reasons which cause pimples. Moreover, with the Danish Skin Care skin care line, you get a more general care of you skin, so while you remove and stop your pimples you are also conditioning the skin so you get a beautiful skin – just like you with Danish Skin Care products also get the benefits from removing scars, anti-aging and a general protection of your skin.

Next – compared to your question about treating your acne and pimples with birth control pills – there is absolutely no guarantee that your skin problem will be solved by switching to the another kin of birth control pill, which contains anti-androgen’s.

Furthermore, there is just something crazy about mixing anti-androgen’s – ergo ingredients that stabilize hormones – in a product, which has the task of changing hormones (so that you don’t get your period). It just little like going two steps forward and then taking two steps back again.

As a third reason, which I have to mention that the pill slows and stops only the production of androgen’s. In the sense that the day you no longer want to use birth control pills, the production of androgen’s will continue. And for a great many women the birth control pills cause an “accumulation” of androgen’s, so that the androgen’s suddenly “explode” when you suddenly stop taking the birth control pills – and this will almost guaranteed cause a really violent outbreak of acne.

The point is, that you probably just push the problem some years into the future – rather than solving it right now, which you can with the right skincare (or other medication to treat pimples).

In addition, the point that is really worth taking about is, that people in their teens develop androgen’s – a lot of them, as we have always done – and there must be reason for this. In other words, we do not know the long-term consequences when we stop or slow down the production of androgen’s in the body … So maybe we should try to stop this process, but instead focus on solving other reasons why the pimples may occur. And problems with pimples can actually be solved super easy with a extremely effective skin care routine, right now, right here. Plus, as I mentioned earlier you should focus on products giving good care, protection and treatment for your skin – so if you want to remove your pimples – then start using Danish Skin Care series.

– Get a skin care series that remove pimples – and give a beautiful skin. Click here.

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