Nuva Ring CAUSING acne??!! - Birth Control Message Board

lady346 · 08-22-2005, 01:48 PM

I posted a little while back about some side effects from the Nuva Ring and a few of you mentioned acne. Well, I love the ring- EXCEPT my skin has broken out like crazy since being on it (only a month so far). To be more specific, I have white bumps that are deep under my skin that never seem to surface. From my horrible picking habit (sigh), these are now red scars that don't seem to ever heal. Before b.c., when I used to get breakouts, they would usually heal within a few days and go away. Its really starting to frustrate/depress me because this birth control works well with my body, but my face looks like a pizza. My face has never been flawless, but its definitely at its worst. So, Im wondering if anyone else has this problem, how long it lasts (did your body adjust to the b.c. and did it go away then?), and have you found a way to make it better? I am planning to stick it out to see if my body/complexion adapts. I would hate to go off the Ring b/c of this.

Thanks!!

GLSheridan · 08-22-2005, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by citygirl23

I posted a little while back about some side effects from the Nuva Ring and a few of you mentioned acne. Well, I love the ring- EXCEPT my skin has broken out like crazy since being on it (only a month so far). To be more specific, I have white bumps that are deep under my skin that never seem to surface. From my horrible picking habit (sigh), these are now red scars that don't seem to ever heal. Before b.c., when I used to get breakouts, they would usually heal within a few days and go away. Its really starting to frustrate/depress me because this birth control works well with my body, but my face looks like a pizza. My face has never been flawless, but its definitely at its worst. So, Im wondering if anyone else has this problem, how long it lasts (did your body adjust to the b.c. and did it go away then?), and have you found a way to make it better? I am planning to stick it out to see if my body/complexion adapts. I would hate to go off the Ring b/c of this.

Thanks!!

Every hormonal method of birth control has the potential to cause breakouts, especially when initially used. Hormones can cause breakouts. Normally, the acne goes away or at least subsides.

Use a good facial cleanser in the morning and at bedtime, and quit picking at your face-- you risk scarring by doing that. In time, it should go away, you just need to give it time (a few cycles).

michellesarah · 08-23-2005, 09:57 AM

I used the Ring for about 5 or 6 months and I began developing severe acne...but they weren't like regular zits...they were the way you described, deep below the skin...and I also have a squeezing habit

I tried using Proactiv and it helped calm it down, but now that I'm not on the ring I don't need to use it anymore and I just get a zit every now and then. So, if you can't stand it I would get off of the ring. Just so you know, Proactiv sells a cream to reduce redness and scarring from acne...if that's too pricey...I switched to the Oil of Olay cleansing cloths and they seemed to help my complexion a lot! Good luck!

lady346 · 08-23-2005, 10:25 AM

Yeah...that is what I am afraid of. Which is a shame because Ive been on about 4 or 5 birth control pills over the last 7 years or so (Im 23 now) & Ive had horrible reactions to all of them. The zits seem to have gone away for now (fingers crossed). Maybe like one below the surface that is small- and im NOT touching it. But its the marks theyve left behind- these flaky, scarring red things that just ARENT healing. Usually in my past, if I had a breakout, itd just flake off eventually, but these are just becoming a part of my life!! Its been about 4 weeks now!!
Thanks for letting me know. I'll give it a few months- the idea of severe acne freaks me out, but this is just the only one that's worked with my body (besides the skin).

emmegirl85 · 08-23-2005, 11:07 AM

I just finished my first month of NuvaRing today, took it out a little earlier for my week off. My acne got really bad a few days into it, stayed bad and just in the last 5 days, huge improvement on my face and chest. I'm still breaking out on my shoulders and back, but hopefully next month that will go away. I would stay on it, it should get better. I still have red marks on my face but overall it's a lot better, hopefully it stays that way. I'll keep you posted. Oh and ya I had the same white bumps under the skin.