Oral Contraceptive Pill can Keep Your Acne Still!

Advertisement

Acne and Oral Contraceptive Pills

Acne is a most frequent skin issue among teenagers and sometimes it is not an easy condition to treat. The majority of boys and girls will suffer from acne during adolescence. The main reason for acne to develop is due to the surge of androgens (the male sex hormone) during puberty and this happens among the girls too (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Which birth control pills can help reduce acne?

Go to source). Teenagers who have obvious, persistent acne may feel depressed and have low self-esteem. Many youngsters especially girls feel frustrated when treatment is ineffective or if there is recurrence. One way to combat the androgen surge is to use oral contraceptive pills and this seems to have emerged as a simpler solution for treatment of some of these resistant acne.

Advertisement

Birth Control Pills that can be used to Treat Acne

Three different birth control pill have been given the go-ahead by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat acne. All have demonstrated comparable efficacy in treating mild acne. The types of progesterone vary, despite the fact that they all contain the same sort of oestrogen.

Three prescription drugs for Acne

• Ortho Tri-Cyclen combines oestrogen with a progestin, a man-made version of progesterone. This pill contains the progestin norgestimate, which comes in various dosages.
• Norethindrone, a progestin, and oestrogen are combined to form estrostep. It comes in a variety of oestrogen dosages.
• YAZ combines drospirenone, a progestin, with oestrogen (4^✔ ✔Trusted Source
  Certain oral contraceptives are approved for acne treatment
  
  Go to source).

Advertisement

When should Birth Control Pills be Avoided ?

Avoid these pills in women if -

• Smoker and are older than 30 years
• Are breastfeeding or pregnant
• Are obese
• Have a history of blood clots, high blood pressure, or heart problems
• Possess a history of liver, uterine, or breast cancer
• A history of migraines that included aural or visual symptoms (4^✔ ✔Trusted Source
  Certain oral contraceptives are approved for acne treatment
  
  Go to source)

Additional precautions are required if there is history of the following conditions -

• High and uncontrolled blood pressure
• history of stroke or heart attack
• Migraines
• Liver malfunction
• Strong family history of gynaecological cancers

Fluctuations of the Hormone During Menstruation

On an average a women will have about 35 to 40 years of menstruation with an average of 13 cycles in a year and about 450 to 500 cycles in a lifetime (2^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Lifetime cumulative number of menstrual cycles and serum sex hormone levels in postmenopausal women

Go to source).

Understanding a woman's hormonal system is necessary to understand how oral contraceptives function and how it can help with acne.

Periods are caused by a woman's hormonal system, which operates on a strict schedule. The hormone that tells the ovaries to begin producing eggs is released by the pituitary gland in the brain. The female hormone oestrogen is then secreted by these eggs, preparing the uterine lining or bed for a potential pregnancy. The ovary then secretes the hormone progesterone, which reinforces this uterine bed, after one of these developing eggs ovulates. When you aren't pregnant, the hormone levels drop and uterine lining sheds and this leads to menstruation. Birth control pills also aid in reducing the issue of menstrual cramps.

The fluctuations of the hormonal system during these cycles have a significant impact on the health of the skin too. Around the time of ovulation, oestrogen will cause the skin to glow. The hormones stop the brain's impulses to the ovaries to produce eggs, which prevents ovulation and hence there is prevention of pregnancy occurring. Additionally, the pre-period breakouts of acne are a result of waning hormone levels.

Androgens Surge Increases Acne Breakouts

About Birth Control Pills helps with lowering the amounts of free androgens, which in turn aids in regulating acne breakouts and reducing facial hair growth.

Synthetic hormone (Oestrogen or progesterone) present in birth control pills lowers the amount of sebaceous gland oil excretion. Normally women secrete some amount of male hormones too and when these masculine hormones predominate over the feminine hormones it can cause acne.
While there are numerous ways to treat acne, including the use of skin ointments and antibiotics to reduce excessive oil and sebum production, it may occasionally be essential to address the underlying cause of acne by lowering free androgens (3^✔ ✔Trusted Source
How do birth control pills help with your acne? This is what experts say

Go to source). Acne treatment starts with simple measures and if these don’t work in teenage girls only then should a hormonal treatment be considered. A crucial rule is to never self-medicate. Once the gynaecologist has evaluated the health-related factors, they may help in taking the decision if birth control pills should be started. And while they might assist in preventing acne, maintaining that healthy glow from the inside out requires conscious lifestyle changes like healthy eating, getting enough sleep, and exercising regularly.

References:

1. Which birth control pills can help reduce acne? - (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279209/)
2. Lifetime cumulative number of menstrual cycles and serum sex hormone levels in postmenopausal women - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18274909/)
3. How do birth control pills help with your acne? This is what experts say - (https://www.vogue.in/beauty/content/how-do-birth-control-pills-help-with-your-acne-this-is-what-experts-say)
4. Certain oral contraceptives are approved for acne treatment - (https://www.scripps.org/news_items/7002-how-do-birth-control-pills-help-with-acne)

Source-Medindia