KissMeGoodnight
Article Series: Birth Control
What Are My Birth Control Options?
Birth
Control Pills, A Cure For Acne?
At
first glance, taking birth control pills to cure the problematic
acne is totally a ludicrous idea. However, it turns
out that the idea is not as far fetched as we thought.
Birth control pills, depending on the situation, can help teenage
girls handle a terrible acne problem.
For
teenage girls, or even older women, acne problems can be
a source of embarrassment. There are several remedies for
acne. Doctors, of course, can help determine what kind of medication
is necessary and appropriate for each individual in order to
solve their acne problems. Medications can range from acne
creams to antibiotics, and to the occasional birth control
pills.
Birth
control pills seem to work on teenage girls since the pills
contain synthetic hormones that help balance the already
fluctuating hormones inside their body brought about by puberty. These hormonal fluctuations are seen as one of the causes of
acne problems. Doctors have prescribed the use of birth control
pills to control acne for years. Although, the pills are not
labeled to be of such use, the effectiveness of them to some
people is notable. Fortunately, the FDA has begun approving
the use of some birth control pills as alternative medications
to treat acne.
Even though FDA has already approved the use of oral contraceptives
for acne treatments, doctors often prescribe their use only
after several medications and treatments were tried and were
found to be ineffective. It is also common that oral contraceptives
are used alongside other conventional acne medications. This
method has been proven to be more effective than using it alone.
Birth
control pills contain synthetically produced progestin and/or
estrogen hormones. These two are responsible for preventing
the ovulation
of eggs in the woman's ovary. Oral contraceptives
reduce the production of testosterone in the female body. When
the production of testosterone is reduced, the amount of oil
produced by the skin is also reduced. Consequently, the skin
has a lower chance of experiencing pore blockage due to the
decrease of the oil being produced.
Some oral contraceptives, meanwhile, contain progesterone
that helped reduce the androgen hormones in the body. By doing
this, the breakout activity of acne can be reduced.
However, some brands of oral contraceptives actually increases
the levels of testosterone in the body and instead of preventing
acne, it can result to a possible major outbreak. This is why
it is important to consult your doctor before taking matters
into your own hands. There's only so much you can read from
the labels of the drugs and read in the internet. Professional
opinion is still a valued one and should be asked for every
time situations like this arise.
It is common for doctors to prescribe a daily dosage of birth
control pills for a period of three weeks. Afterwards, you
will have to take placebo pills to induce the normal menstruation
cycle. Don't be too impatient and begin taking more pills that
what was prescribed. It is normal to see any noticeable effects
only after the third month that you began taking the pills.
The
use of birth control pills as a cure of acne is not without
side effects. The most common side effect may include weight
gain, nausea, mood swings, breast tenderness, and menstrual
spotting.
There are situations where the side effects are very serious.
Stroke, headaches, gallstones, increase blood pressure, blood
clots, and even depression, are some of the observed serious
effects of using oral contraceptives for acne control, although,
these effects are very uncommon.
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by KissMeGoodnight.com
: 2008
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