Birth Control Pills and Acne on Yahoo! Health

By now, you've probably heard that birth control pills can improve acne; perhaps you've even taken them for that reason. But with new pills hitting the market all the time, it can be difficult to know which is best for your needs.

Of course, the decision to begin taking oral contraceptives is one that you need to discuss with your doctor, who will be able to address all elements of your medical history. But to help you get the most out of your next appointment, let's first consider the basic makeup of oral contraceptives: most pills on the market contain both estrogen and progestin (synthetic progesterone), which is added to prevent the undesirable side effects of unopposed estrogen.

Progestins can act either as androgens (that is, they can act like male hormones) or as anti-androgens (which means that they block male hormones); some progestins are essentially neutral and do neither. Androgens trigger oil glands to produce sebum, thus worsening acne. That's why the best birth control pills for acne management are anti-androgenic.

So what does all that mean? Well, not every birth control pill will help with acne; it's important that anyone concerned about their skin look for those that contain progestins with less androgenic activity such as norgestimate, norethindrone, desogestrel, ethynodiol, or levonorgestrel, according to my colleague, Dr. Jonette Keri, Assistant Professor of Dermatology the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine who is an expert on acne.

There are currently four oral contraceptives approved by the FDA for the treatment of acne: Ortho Tri-Cyclen, Estrostep, and Yaz. Another option, Yasmin, is similar to Yaz but not specifically approved for the treatment of acne. Dr. Keri's favorite birth control pills for acne-prone patients are Yasmin and Yaz, likely due to the fact that they both contain drospirenone, another anti-androgen.

So what about estrogen, you may be thinking? In general, estrogen helps acne, as it balances natural levels of male hormones and thereby minimizes your skin's oil production. But fear not: The latest generation of low-estrogen pills, which are often desirable because of their minimal side effects, can still help improve acne.

Like many of my colleagues, I believe that oral contraceptives can be highly effective in controlling oil production and improving acne but that they should not be the first or only treatment method.

Topical ingredients like retinoids, alpha hydroxy acids, and salicylic acid, for example, are also important treatment tools. And remember that even in situations where birth control pills help acne, they typically take three to six months to really start working - another reason that you'll want to use other approaches simultaneously.

Wishing you great skin!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Dr. Baumann is author of the best-selling book," The Skin Type Solution." To learn more about her revolutionary skin typing system, visit her Web site, SkinTypeSolutions.com.

All of Dr. Baumann's recommended skin care products are available online, and a portion of proceeds goes to The Dermatology Foundation.