Typically, people think of birth control pills to help prevent pregnancy, which is true but in addition, birth control has been used for other treatments to include that of acne. Remember that for many teenagers, acne breakouts occur heavily during puberty, for both men and women. During this time, women’s estrogen and men’s androgens are raging. This burst of hormone production causes higher levels of sebum in the sebaceous gland, which results in acne flare-ups.
Birth control pills are often used to alleviate acne but only in women. When talking to your doctor, you will find a number of different birth control options available. Obviously, birth control is not an option for men and in fact, they could create all types of problems. However, if you are a female, then birth control might be a great solution. Many women, especially teenagers, worry about the more intense medication options but birth control is relatively minor.
With birth control, the out of control hormones can be leveled off and better regulated. This means any acne outbreak is less severe, and/or less frequent. Keep in mind that while birth control has been used for decades, they are not the best option for every woman going through periods of acne. For this reason, it is imperative to work closely with a reputable doctor to ensure you get on the right medication.
Although acne breakouts are embarrassing for anyone, they are especially devastating to teenagers. In most cases, birth control can be highly successful but keep in mind there are side effects to consider. For starters, once you are prescribed birth control, it is vital that you take the correct dosage. Otherwise, you could end up with other problems beyond the acne. The closer you follow the directions the fewer side effects you are likely to suffer.
When taking birth control for acne, you might experience things such as nausea, weight gain, or even irregular bleeding during your monthly menstrual cycle. Generally, these are the most common side effects but in some rare instances, women also have problems more severe to include blood clots, high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke. Therefore, while birth control can be effective for controlling acne, this type of treatment must also be carefully monitored by a doctor.
Now, if you are taking birth control for acne and antibiotics at the same time, you should also talk to your doctor about other means of protection against pregnancy. The reason is that in this case, you will notice cleaner, healthier skin but a significant reduction of protection from the birth control for its original purpose. If you are a man, you too have options for controlling outbreaks of acne besides birth control to include Accutane, a powerful but highly effective medication specifically formulated for acne problems.