Birth control for acne

Many of us have heard of how the pill can potentially help acne. This is true, though only for pills that contain both estrogen and progestin.

These hormones can help reduce acne by decreasing the circulation of androgens, which decreases the production of sebum. Many combination birth control pill brands are available and each contain their own variation of hormones. (The mini pill, however, only contains progestin so it unfortunately does not help acne.) Pills prescribed for acne should contain progestin with low androgenic possibility, meaning the progestin has less androgenic side effects such as oily skin and acne.

Also keep in mind that if you take combination birth control pills to improve acne, it may take anywhere from a few weeks to 2 to 3 months before we notice a visible improvement. This is because the hormones need time to get into our system and recalibrate our levels.