Best Birth Control For Helping Acne??

[jennymc41]

hi, im thinking about going on birth control for helping with acne...i seem to break out really bad before and after my period... also i only get my period about 4 times a year...obviously theres something wrong...i think i have a hormonal imbalance maybe..i also get kinda depressed around my period... im 16 too...what kind of birth control pill is best for helping with hormonal acne and could the pill make my skin worse? what kind of results should i expect? like how long does it take to notice a difference? thankyou.

[BorderGirl]

You should definitely talk to your primary care doctor about this if you don't see a gyn yet. There is a definite possibility you have a hormonal imbalance. PCOS is really common and if you have that you have too many androgens. Your doctor could prescribe spironolactone to lower your testosterone level. As far as birth control pills, Yasmin is a good one because the progestin is derived from spiro and is anti-androgenic. Pills with desogestrel (desogen, cyclessa, mircette) have no androgenic activity so that is the second safest choice. Norgestimate (in ortho tri-cyclen) is slightly androgenic. Pills with levornorgestrel generally aren't good for acne prone skin. All of this is theoretical of course. Women have different reactions to different pills and the only way to know is to try.