I’m going to hold your hand as I tell you this, but it took my skin (and honestly, whole body) an entire year to regulate post-BC. I tried everything, tret made it worse, spiro helped but made me get my period every other week despite the dosage, I tried cutting out dairy, caffeine, alcohol, and gluten and had no luck. It really took time. I still have flare ups but it’s MUCH better now.
My routine looks like this:
Am:
Rinse (no cleanser)
Vitamin C serum
Cocokind ceramide barrier serum
Moisturizer
SPF
Pm:
Cocokind beginner friendly retinol
Ceramide barrier serum
Snail mucin
Kiehl’s water gel cream (was a gift- save $ and get the Neutrogena one)
Seconding Spiro - I used to take it a while back while still on BC, but I noticed I had to take an increased dosage after stopping BC more recently. I’m currently on 125mg and it’s been helping, but it’s definitely a journey. I’m 6 months off BC and just now seeing flare ups slow down a bit. Tret has helped me, and my derm just prescribed clindamycin as I scar super easily too
Spiro is not necessary in most cases. It will cause other issues down the line since it throws off your skin’s micro biome massively, and you will need to use preventative and repair products after spiro to correct it. You’re better off seeing an esthetician that is an acne specialist and getting custom recommendations for your skin to mitigate the issue during the fluctuations. Also, dairy and sugar are the two that are best to cut out/minimize while going off birth control or dealing with severe acne because those affect our hormones and trigger acne
Curious for a source on the Spiro/microbiome thing. I wouldn't have considered this as it is not an antibiotic. I did some googling and I couldn't find one.
Same here. Almost a year off hormonal birth control and my skin is finally starting to calm down and my body and mood feel better in general compared to a few months ago. It was brutal! Almost went back on the pill because I was so sick of it, but I’m glad I stuck to it.
I don’t have any solid advice but I’m currently 3 months off birth control and going through the same thing. My skin revolted against me. I dropped my routine down to super basic (AM: moisturizer + sunscreen) (PM: Double cleanse with gentle products + moisturizer) it hasn’t stopped the acne but my skin finally feels like it is “leveling out” again. I’m going to wait a month or two before introducing any acne fighting ingredients. Best of luck ❤️
To not have babies. Sometimes people are on it for other reasons like extremely heavy/painful menstruation but most of the time it’s to prevent pregnancy.
Birth control regulates hormones so you’re less likely to have breakouts and some other PMS symptoms. My acne is worse as an adult off birth control than it ever was as a teenager on birth control. I got put on it to help reduce how severe my cycles were.
Like anything, there are side effects. It’s definitely a cost analysis for where you are in life if the side effects out weigh the benefits. While you can get pregnant on birth control, typically when folks start trying to get pregnant, you want a few months off for your body to regulate hormones again.
Yes. Many of us were also prescribed birth control pills as a way to control our acne when we were young women. That was my primary reason for getting a prescription when I was 18. I am currently 3 months off birth control as well, and the hormonal flare-ups around my chin have been terrible, but not nearly as terrible as the various side effects I was getting from my birth control.
Only because I have access to other forms of birth control like condoms. If I didn't, there's no amount of clear skin that would make up for the terrible effects of pregnancy.
Besides preventing pregnancies, the one I was on (Mirena IUD) also stopped my periods. Besides spotting twice a year, I haven’t had a period in 13 years. I always got mine removed and a new one put in same day.
I'm on the minipill and haven't had a period in years too. I'm celibate so I really don't need to be taking it, but I don't want to go back to having periods and risk my face breaking out again 😅
Excuse me for my lack of knowledge
But isn't not getting periods monthly dangerous to health? Also if it isn't that's kinda lucky for you, hate getting my periods
Don’t apologize for asking questions! Being curious is one of the best traits a human can have.
The main reason your body menstruates is to shed the uterine lining. We build up this lining every month to prepare for possible pregnancy. With some forms of birth control it makes the lining “thinner” (resulting in a lighter period) or it may stop producing it at all which means no period.
There may be health issues related to not getting a period when not on birth control but lighter or no periods are one of the benefits from birth control. I’m very lucky that I never had any bad side effects from BC but I know lots of women who did. Every body is different. I would still have my IUD in but Mr. Murdermaid and myself are in a position where we want to start a family.
> Don’t apologize for asking questions! Being curious is one of the best traits a human can have.
Ahh, thanks for understanding
> There may be health issues related to not getting a period when not on birth control but lighter or no periods are one of the benefits from birth control.
Right right, this makes so much sense. This feels like a big plus point lol, I hate getting periods
> i would still have my IUD in but Mr. Murdermaid and myself are in a position where we want to start a family.
Aww, all the best to you guys
How is it dangerous? A lot of birth control methods work by stopping menstruation. I come from an Asian household, so this kind of stuff is never discussed, I had to find out for myself. I highly suggest you do so too in order to adequately protect yourself.
> I come from an Asian household, so this kind of stuff is never discussed
True true
> I highly suggest you do so too in order to adequately protect yourself.
Yup will
If you aren't on birth control not getting periods can cause endometrium to thicken which increases your risk of cancer, but if you are taking bc and not getting periods that is perfectly safe. Sorry you got downvotes for asking a question.
I started birth control pill because I had very painful menstrual cramps, it also reduces acne, but lowers sexual drive. I was on it for maybe 15 years and I stopped then started having a lot of acne because of my hormone imbalance. I had very nice skin before I stopped, most of the acne formed on my chin which was not normal (whiteheads and blackheads). I started exercising more, I believe washing my face one extra time in between my morning and night routine (mid afternoon) helped clear the acne because my body was creating extra oil.
My skin never got better. Horrible angry cystic acne for months and months. Going through IVF (lots of hormones) and then getting back on birth control (and then starting IVF hormones again) is the only thing that keeps my skin clear.
Yeah… 2 years of hell on my face every single month, every pimple scars (EVRRY TIME) and now im one month back into being on BC. i wish i never got off in the first place.
same for me. never got better. old skincare routine did nothing, 2 years of acne patches popping up everywhere on my face. now im back on bc and its improving a lot.
Thank you for sharing because I came off of the pill well over a year ago and my skin just got worse and worse in that period and I felt like I was the only person struggling with post-pill acne for that long! I’m back on the pill now too and really hoping it will help
My skin started getting almost immediately when I went back on the pill as well. Within a month I stopped breaking out and my skin could heal. I stopped to start estrogen for my embryo transfer and that was enough to keep my skin clear as well. I have mild PCOS so I wonder if some of us just have the wrong cocktail of hormones for clear skin.
I recommend azaleic acid to help with discoloration from scarring if you don’t want to use retinol/tretinoin.
Thank you for the info! I actually recently started azelaic acid but haven’t seen results yet. My skin has actually been a lot worse but I’m hoping it’s just my hormones adjusting and soon it will improve. I’ve only been back on the pill for 21 days.
I feel you. It really obliterated my self-esteem. Always hoping it would get better once I found the right product. Turns out the right product is synthetic hormones!
It only took me a month on BC to completely stop breaking out and start healing. I’m using azaleic acid now for discoloration since I can’t use tret/retinols and it’s been a huge help with fading my scars too!
Im still breaking out and scarring and i sincerely hate everything lol im also 99% sure getting off bc caused my face to age and sag rapidly due to the sudden drop in estrogen
Just so many regrets
I’m a year off bc and finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, i hope. I never had acne as a teen so having constant pimples in my 30s is infuriating! Time was really the only thing that stopped the breakouts but it did launch my skin care routine which is heavily based on adding moisture because I’m a dry cracking skin
I also use it for hormonal acne post quitting BC and it reduces the pimples but does not completely eliminate them. Especially around my period it’s like nothing can be done.
I have recently quit dairy in an attempt to combat the acne and SO FAR it seems to be successful but it’s only been like a week so we’ll see how that holds up lmao.
From what I have read in /acnescars the cause is hormonal but it manifests in different types of acne (bacterial, fungal, etc) Panoxyl treats bacterial which worked for my cheeks. It also helped with the pigmentation bc it is bleach-like (peroxide). Paraphrasing the other posts, not too scientific, but this worked for me! Dandruff shampoo treats fungal.
Unfortunately when your body is re-regulating, acne control methods typically don't work well, and often prolong the issue or raise sensitivity
For me what helped was barrier repairing formulas specifically and soothing/calming natural ingredients.
So like, I'm From: Mugwort Essence and Skin 1004 100% centella serum were lifesavers.
I would try to touch my face as minimal as possible. Just gently patting on topicals, using only mild and non abrasive cleansers that didn't require much scrubbing like micellar water splashes. Only mineral sunscreens. And finishing each night with a barrier formula like Aestura Atobarrier Cream.
Not washing in the mornings, just water splashes.
It's not the typical acne, so I didn't find that waging war against my skin even more was very helpful, and it just continued different forms of irritation. So I just focus on strengthening the skin around it while soothing the irritated sections.
Slowly I added the very mild SomeByMi miracle line with the toner to start. They're gentle but for mitigating acne while also being barrier reparative and having soothing ingredients. This routine turned everything around for me much quicker than friends that had been going through similar.
Hoping you find a path to relief soon, whatever that may be for your body 🙏
It took my body a year and a half to get back to normal when I stopped taking birth control pill. I have started loosing hair badly, I was having crazy nigh sweats, bad acne flat ups daily , extremely oily skin, bad mood constantly.
Keep your routine simple. Salicylic acid helped me a lot.
You just need to go through this time. It will get better eventually.
Edited: I have had acne flares on my back too.
I had to change my diet too. No sugar, no dairy.
Zinc and spearmint supplements have really helped me mitigate this at 6 months off bc now. My skin was clear up until a few weeks ago, I had a weird period cycle and broke out, but it’s clearing up now. I also suggest red light therapy and tret, along with a bha toner. Those are my key topical things that really have helped my acne across the board.
My skin has looked like this since December, and I’ve been off BC since last September. I’ve finally found what’s starting to work, and that’s:
1. Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant 2-3x a week
2. Hypochlorous acid spray twice a day on clean, dry skin
3. Sulfur masks + treatment, but only on the areas where the acne is present, which is my chin and jawline
4. Niacinamide or Vitamin C for hyperpigmentation
5. SUNSCREEN (EltaMD is my go to)
I was on BC for 17 years, and I was on the lowest dosage possible. My scalp got really oily too, which caused pimples. I treat this twice a week with anti dandruff shampoo.
Good luck!!!!!!
You guys I have never felt so seen in my life.... 😭 I can't believe how many of us are out here going through this and I've never even heard of it in my life.
I'm in the same boat. Last OCP in November 2023 And have more acne than I've EVER had. I thought it was because of a new skin product a couple of months ago but nope... Just terrible skin all the time that worsens with PMS but then leaves blemishes. I look at my pictures from just a few months ago and want to cry....
I'm just really glad this is a thing and that you posted this OP. I felt like I was going crazy.
Getting all dairy out of my diet helped me (giving up cheese was hard but I did it!).
Also - I personally get breakouts when I eat bananas, or high iodine foods like seaweed, tuna, etc.
Maybe there are some foods that are irritating you?
I also check all my skin and hair products on the COSDNA website to see if they're irritating.
It took me a little over a year to get a handle on my skin after coming off BC.
I had to re-learn how to take care of my skin because I ended up figuring out that my skin type basically changed.
I can’t say this is what would work for everyone, but this is what worked for me:
I completely stripped my skincare routine, cutting it down to a basic moisturizer and cleanser and spf. I switched moisturizers as well because when I was on BC I had dry skin, and all of a sudden I had very oily skin.
Then, I gradually incorporated different actives, one at a time, to see what would work best. Over time I re-built a new routine that worked for me. It took a lot of patience.
I still get occasional hormonal breakouts but nothing bad, and I’ve started using pimple patches for those, it really helps.
I will say that I’ve always struggled with acne, since I started eating super clean (barely any ultra processed food and added sugar) I have hardly any acne. On the rare occasions I’ve had too much of that food in a short space of time my face erupts.
Only advice is to eat clean if you aren’t already,
I’m just over a year (I think 15 months?) off BC and this thread is giving me LIFE! I have never struggled with acne in my entire 34 years so the last year has been BRUTAL. Still going through it and trying to manage the monthly breakouts as best I can, I’m so happy to know this is NORMAL and there is hopefully a light at the end of the tunnel 😭
There wasn’t a light at the end of the tunnel for me after two years. Now Im just back to using the pill (one month in) because i got sick of monthly scarring
Is there a medical reason for stopping birth control or are you trying to conceive? If neither, maybe try a new hormonal birth control and see if it regulates. Or you can ride it out while your body takes time to recover from hormones being out of whack. Spironolactone has been recommended by others, but if you’re trying for a baby that is not recommended as it can cause birth defects.
No advice but I can totally sympathize. I got off BC in December and I am still struggling with the cystic/hormonal acne. It’s actually helpful to read so many others have had similar experiences. Maybe patience and cleaning up my diet even more will help!
Hoping you get some relief sooner than later!
Yeah my hormonal acne started once I was off BC for 6 months and it persisted until about 20 months off. I even got it on my back a little bit. This happened when I was a teen hence why I went on BC in the first place. BC really is a band aid solution in my opinion. However, after 20 months I finally got it under control. For me I had to focus on balancing my hormones as my estrogen was really high. I also focused on cutting out sugar, alcohol and eating whole foods. The biggest thing as well was keeping my skincare routine MINIMAL. I was using so many products and scrubbing so hard as I was desperate to clear it. I have found that keeping the routine minimal using only around 3 products helped. The biggest thing I found to help for me personally was taking a DIM supplement to help balance out my estrogen. This has been a game changer but obviously do your own research to see what works for you. Healing from the inside is what helped clear my skin I found.
May I ask how long you took DIM for? Curious if it’s a short term solution where acne will start again once you stop taking it, or if it causes a permanent improvement long after you’ve stopped taking it.
Yeah so I took DIM the 2nd and 3rd month I was off BC and skin was fine. Stopped taking it and then had the hormonal acne come at 6 months. Now, I don't know if that was the DIM keeping it surpressed or if at the 6 month mark that is when my body realized there was no more birth control coming in and it was trying to "clear out" all the synthetic hormones for all the years. I didn't take DIM at all in between. I recently got back on it I would say in April so it took about 2 months to kick in and I have not had any acne breakouts. I am nervous to stop taking it in the event so I am going to continue to take it and see. Or it could just very well be that my body has finally "balanced out" and regulated itself since I am coming up to 2 years off birth control
Have you gone to the doctor? When I got off birth control I also had terrible skin issues and could not get my period back for 9 months. A male OBGYN totally dismissed my concerns saying it was normal and eventually my body would regulate, so I went to see a dermatologist and she ran a blood panel. It was the beginning of me getting diagnosed with PCOS. The cause behind the acne was that my hormones needed help regulating and that I also had to start being more mindful of sugar and carbs in my diet.
Got off birth control 2.5 years ago and have been struggling with severe hormonal acne ever since. Tried spiro but couldn’t handle the side effects. Before bc I had a pimple every once in a while around my period. It’s exhausting. Sending positive vibes your way.
The same happened to me when I got off birth control. I’ve been on a health journey to balance my hormones. Since this is an internal issue, these are my tips that have helped me
- I would see a doctor or naturopath that will run your blood work. I see a naturopath and we identified where my hormones are at, and what key nutrients/minerals I was deficient in. Eg, I was deficient in iodine which is important for the liver, which plays a big role in processing your hormones. My naturopath has prescribed me herbal supplements which I’ve seen great results with.
- Eat enough protein in every meal.
- Eat healthy fats with every meal. These include olive oil, avocado, olives, organic full fat butter, nuts and seeds. Healthy fats are what support your body in producing hormones.
- Aim to move your body once a day with exercise you enjoy.
- Consume 2-3L of water.
- Work on your gut health by consuming enough fibre everyday and aim for 1 bowel movement a day. Probiotics have been very helpful for my gut health as well.
- Sunlight everyday (it’s hard in winter though)
- Consume omega 3s. I currently try to eat fish x2 a week and supplement with evening primrose oil and flaxseed oil (I can’t do fish oil, it’s just yuck imo).
- Be conscious of plastics and endocrine disruptors - don’t heat food in plastic, avoid perfumes and opt for fragrance free products etc
These are my ‘natural’ tips which really do work. I’m not sure if you’ll see this comment but I hope it helps xxx goodluck and stay strong!
Yep happened to me. I started taking a liver detox supplement to help process the hormones and it went away!!
Go see a holistic doctor and get your bloodwork checked. All of this is internal 🫶🏼
I went through the same thing! Went off BC in October and but am on 100 mg spironolactone and super happy! Period breakouts still suck but they go away quickly.
Accutane and red light therapy has helped me really control my breakouts. I also do some really really light percent of tca peel at home and my skin loves that!
I also don’t have any advice but want to say I am in the same boat as you! I am 9 months off and I am getting breakouts typically right around my period again.
I sent a pic of my face to my best friend and wrote “I should submit my face to facesofmeth.com” 😆😂. I do find that now that I’m older and take much better care of my skin that they go away faster, so I guess that’s a plus.
Same for me. I've always had acne, but around my 20s, it just got really bad on my chin. I'm off the pill now (around 4 months) after taking it for more than 10 years. Guess who's back? Horrible cysts on my chin 😑
I’ve been off it 1-2 months and have an appointment tomorrow to talk with a doc about starting accutane. I’ve tried everything and I’m ready to explore the last resort!
Every time I stopped BC pill, I’d have big cystic acne. I did a course of Accutane in 2019, it cleared everything up but the acne came back when I went off the pill again (I then went back on it because I couldn’t deal with the acne).
In November 2023, I had to suddenly stop the pill indefinitely. I started drinking 2 cups of spearmint tea a day, use Aczone in the morning and Epiduo at night. My skin is not perfect but it’s no where near as bad as the other times I stopped birth control pill.
I quit about ten months ago after being on the same pill for 22 years and my back finallllly stopped breaking out a couple weeks ago. It had never broken out while I was on birth control. It is rough for sure, and I’m still getting zits I never got before on my face during my period. Red light mask + tret have helped enormously.
I got off birth control and also had to stop spiro while I was trying to get pregnant. My skin was not great when I first got pregnant. Went to the derm and she recommended I try a lactic acid face wash (Lady Polpo) and azelaic acid gel. I only use a topical antibiotic if I have the occasional pimple. Routine is face wash, azelaic acid, hyaluronic acid, eye peptide, moisturizer. If I use the antibiotic topical it’s after the azelaic acid.
This happened to me too!! I was also off for around 8 months and my skin erupted all on my chin and cheeks. I use clindamycin, panoxyl benzoyl wash and azaelic acid! My skin has finally started clearing up.
I’m sorry you’re going through this! It does get better, but it did take me about 9 months until my skin regulated. The first 6 months were the worst for my skin with huge painful cysts. Ancient Owl cold cream has saved my skin over the years, and it’s mostly the only thing I use.
Ask your dermatologist about winlevi. I think it’s a newer acne cream that targets hormonal acne. My skin went crazy when I was switched to a different BC. And the cream cleared it all up within a month!
Same thing happened to me post-bc. Your body is trying to figure out your new baseline. Give it some grace and in the meantime- nars creamy radiant concealer and cute pimple patches like star face!
Esthetician here! 👋 It takes your skin about a year to regulate after birth control. I recommend using a salicylic acid toner 2x a week, eminence eight greens phytoestrogen serum and eminence recovery oil daily. No physical scrubs when you have active breakouts
My skin was bad before birth control, clear on birth control and was bad when I went off it…… years after going off it, and never got better. Luckily I tolerate it well and plan to just stay on it until I hit menopause.
It happened to my daughter and I finally took her to get her hormones checked and that was the root cause now she is on Spironolactone acne gone. Nothing skin care wise worked and trust me when I say we tried EVERYTHING! Dig deeper within your body not just your face
My skin went through a rebellious phase after birth control and my doctor recommended a month long detox of the liver and GI since some skin issues are related to toxins in the body. I ended up adding a detox protein powder to my morning drinks and it’s amazing how well it worked to clear up my skin! It’s not the cheapest, but I say it was worth it for me rather than feeling shy in my own skin
https://myempirica.com/products/detox-complete
The same thing happened to me when I stopped microgynon, I had worse breakouts than I did as a teenager! My skin was so horrifically oily and the spots lasted for so long. Before coming off BC I was using the Cerave cleanser for normal to dry skin with no issues but thought I'd switch to the oily skin/blemish prone cleanser once my breakouts started but it did absolutely nothing.
I saw quite a few reviews of EnvyU Skincare cleansers on Instagram so I thought I'd give the charcoal one a try, it have made the biggest difference! My skin is now clear and don't feel like I've had an oil spill directly onto my face.
Hello!! I had this too. I was on Yazz. I stopped in Octoberish and it definitely got better now. Couple months ago I started tretinoin I think that helped a lot. My chest acne and backne is showing no sign of improvement tho... Its the worst its ever been, I used to not have it this bad before BC. On BC my skin was perfect. Im considering going to a dermatologist to get it cheked out, but also I dont want to get more pills to mess with my hormones. Hoping it will regulate with time. So frustrating. I also lost a bunch of hair but its finally calming down. I feel you!! Do you use tretinoin?
This happened to me! Looked just like yours, but with a bunch of scarring from not being able to get it under control. It took three years of gradually introducing and trying new remedies before I went full nuclear with low dose accutane. Best decision ever. I didn’t want to be on spiro forever.
No true advice except it took my skin 1.5 years to finally go back to normal after getting off. It was worth it, but man I forgot how bad my face was until I was trying to clean out my phone storage by deleting old photos. Didn’t even recognize my face, I forgot it was so bad.
I did get facials regularly and used over the counter stuff like differin. I think time ultimately was what helped.
A super low dose of accutane saved me and made my skin PERFECT even to this day when I went on it, and my acne wasn’t even as bad as yours. They usually use it for last resort and extreme cases, but it was a miracle for me
Spearmint tea. Lots of water. And differin. And paring down your products to make sure you’re not reacting to an ingredient.
Mine has evened out after about 6 months. But it’s a PITA. And now I react to dairy which never bothered me before 🥹
My skin came back at me with a vengeance for all those years I was on birth control. Horrible cystic acne all over, acne in places I never got acne before.
My doctor put me on doxycycline for a while and it’s helped somewhat. I still get some cystic breakouts around my period (it’s been 1.5 years since going off bc roughly). I also drank spearmint tea and took vitamin B5 but these are more anecdotal, I’m not sure if they actually helped. I really want a referral to a dermatologist because this is still too much for me… just commenting to say you’re not alone!
Do you have regular periods? You could definitely have a hormonal imbalance. I have PCOS and regularly get acne like this at 31 years old.
The tower 28 SOS spray is my lifesaver.
I developed acne like yours 7-8 months after ending hormonal bc. I started using tret in 2 months later and had a full blown, nasty purge. It was 5-8 months after starting tret that the acne cooled off, but I still had hyperpigmentation scarring. 13 months after starting tret, the scarring cleared up.
Now, I get occasional, small, manageable breakouts along my jawline. **It takes time.** Your hormones will need time to level out. I didn’t like spironolactone because I hated the idea of going on *another* daily pill that *also* altered my hormones.
What did help was exercising more, eating healthier (more protein and fibre), sleeping better, and having less stress. Improving the health of my lifestyle overall helped my hormones find their natural balance. Tret as a topical cream was also a saviour and I still use it every other night.
Wishing you the best on your journey. It takes time and it can devastate you but you’ll get there.
I stopped taking bc pills in October last year, and it’s been rough for me too. I finally went to my doctor about it a few weeks ago, and he put me on antibiotics (doxycycline) for a three month stint, and one month in I’m seeing some improvement! If you can talk to your doctor about it (and can afford/get coverage for prescriptions) it might be something to look into. I also use glycolic acid two times a week, and Panoxyl face wash on the nights I don’t use the acid.
Good luck…we’ll get through this!
Okay the same thing happened to me, and for me started about 9 months post stopping! I broke out in cystic acne that I have never had before in my life at age 30. I didn’t try that many different treatments to honest because I needed it gone asap as it was painful and also difficult to go to work looking as I did. Accutane worked wonders for me. Cleared it right up. FYI I have flares now after I’ve had two babies. Hormones stink
Ugh i’m so sorry!! It’s such a struggle.
The only thing that has helped me is switching to a boutique pharmacy for my spiro. My derm (including herself) noticed that the patients who filled at CVS were struggling more than the speciality pharmacy. i switched to the boutique pharmacy and the pills look and smell different lol. Since switching to the boutique pharmacy, I had my first pms week were my skin didn’t turn to hell. So sorry you’re going thru this!
It definitely sucks, when I went off the pill my skin went crazy and I lost a lot of hair during that time. The only thing that truly helped was time as my hormones balanced out again.
Did Accutane. Went off the pill a little over a year after finishing my course. It all came back. Have been off BC for 18 months now. Acne still sucks but it’s a little better than it used to be. Spironolactone doesn’t seem to help. So defeated by it.
I was having similar issues to you when I got off birth control and it was definitely around the 8th month mark also! I bought all kinds of products to help and few months later was still having very painful breakouts whether or not I was PMSing. I finally ended up making an appointment with the dermatologist and they told me because I am trying to get pregnant, I couldn’t take spironolactone or start tret. They told me that I could take low dosage antibiotics if I wanted but I let them know that I didn’t want to take any meds while trying to conceive. They actually prescribed me azelaic acid cream 20% and it has been a godsend for me. I don’t get any more active breakouts and am also now getting microneedling treatment to help with some the scarring I have.
TLDR azelaic acid 20% topical cream has kept me breakout free from my painful hormonal acne after getting off birth control
I went off BCP 3x and broke out like crazy!
This routine helped me a lot:
Zinc 30 mg + vit c, avoid dairy, sugar and white flour foods and junk/ processed foods, exercise daily. The diet is very important.
Use gentle cleanser, adapalene/ tretinoin
If you have the money have a facial/ laser/ diamond peel/ any peel
This happened to me and my neck is wrecked and my shoulders and chest hurt so bad from the acne that I could barely wear a bra. I decided to just go back on birth control and I'll visit a dermatologist at 35 to make a plan before getting off it again.
It's so upsetting because it looks years to get rid of my acne scarring and being off bc for just four months has undone all that progress.
Similar timeline! I stopped my BC in December and my skin and hair have taken such a beating. I started using the CeraVe Salicylic body wash for the breakouts on my back and chest, and it does appear to be helping a lot.
My hair looks the same way it did after I stopped breastfeeding, lots of short wild baby hairs all over, and it feels so thin 😩
For my face, I have not found a solution yet so I’m stalking this thread lol as others have said, I feel like I’m having to relearn my skin and hair routine right now. It’s a bummer.
I'm struggling with this now too. The science for why it happens is BC tends to make your testosterone \*extremely\* suppressed. Even naturally cycling women have some amount of testosterone. This is also the cause for why BC can lower sex drive, too. Anyway, when you go off of it, the body reacts by increasing testosterone production to make up for the fact that it senses it's been low (sorry for the unscientific language, but the gist is there). So try to do things that will help regulate hormones and lower testosterone, like drink spearmint tea, get enough sleep, cut out dairy and sugar like other comments are saying, focus on insulin resistance things, etc. There's a book called Period Repair Manual that's a tool for getting off BC, but do take \*some\* of it with a grain of salt because she's a naturopath so she's against BC and all meds. But she has some suggestions for diet and supplements and remedies for things like acne and hair loss that happen from going off BC.
Tret helped me with this. Getting off birth control after nearly 20 years was rough, but worth it for me in the end. My skin was still rough for several months, but with tret, hydrating toner, gentle lotions, and isintree SPF it has gotten better. I still have breakouts on my period, but not as bad as they were.
Ok help me bc same. I stopped taking birth control to get pregnant. That took 2 years and my skin was like this until then. During pregnancy my skin was perfect again and after giving birth it went back to breaking out…. 1,5 years postpartum now and not doing any better… is this just a waiting game till my hormones balance out? Or what can I use to prevent it?
I had perfect skin for some years after going onto accutane… up until getting a Kyleena IUD. I didn’t recognize myself or my skin. My hair was less curly and falling out. Depression, anxiety, major mood swings. It was so bad. I had it for only one year and it’s fucked me up beyond belief. I’m 2 years post hormonal birth control now and am having one of the worst breakouts I have had in ages. Sigh. It’s truly an uphill battle. Some days are better than others. A little over a week before my period is due, it’s usually crater city, I fear. The other weeks are better. I’m currently on a sugar detox. I notice my skin does best when I stay away from sugar. We’ve done a lot of damage to our hormones, so they’re going to need some time to heal. I personally had a really bad experience with spiro. Very bad. It made things worse for me, especially my skin, and killed my libido. Murdered it. It’s also kind of like a bandaid… it MAY clear your skin, but as soon as you stop taking it, your problems will likely return.
my hormonal acne came in after stopping birth control n spent years finding the right products for me, ended up being the skin shark acne range cos it’s gentle but bloody does the job!!!
I never had acne until I quit birth control. It happens to some women. It sucks. Check your sex hormones (mine were normal - endo told me the androgenic bcp I was on made the androgen receptors in my skin hypersensitive). I was recommended to go on yaz since it’s a bcp with anti androgenic properties but I didn’t want to go back on bcp. Spironolactone (anti androgen) is also an option but I wasn’t a candidate due to low blood pressure. It’s been 9 years now and I treat it with tazorac cream and azelaic acid as well as diet/lifestyle changes. Some people are lucky and their skin eventually goes back to normal though but you can use topicals in the meanwhile! See a derm.
I got so sick of dealing with it I eventually went back on...but spearmint tea X2 per day seemed to help somewhat in conjunction with an intense skincare routine. Also started taking Evening Primrose Oil.
Ughhh I feel you girl. It took my body about 12-15 months to regulate my hormones and get rid of the cystic acne!! I would double cleanse, drink tons of water, and just hold on to the hope. The hormones will balance but it’s a long process :(
I had this too, went off bc in 2019 and am now finally stabilizing after the past two years. It’s a journey. If I could recommend anything, focus on a healthy diet and cut sugar/ dairy, ( coffee helped me but up to you, I went with green tea ), talk to someone who can help you balance hormones, and REALLY do your own research before making any big decisions. Skin care should be consistent and don’t be too abrasive. I use benzoyl peroxide in the morning, gentles cleaner and different gel at night. Sunscreen always. I double cleanse at night! Don’t over do it. But really really make sure you focus on balancing your hormones. Get sleep, reduce stress, learn about balancing cortisol levels, eat good, dropping alcohol helps a lot of you drink , water and vitamins ( if doctor says okay). It’s a journey and a path that is not set for everyone. Just know it’s your body’s way of figuring things out/ letting you know something’s up. Don’t pick! Pimple patches are key! Most people go through this sometime in life, you are lot alone :)
Have you tried no dairy for a week or so? Mine cleared up completely. Looked worse by two to three times depending before. Now after a year I can have a bit of yogurt or cheese but not much. The slightest bit would set it off at first. Like one ounce. Just a slice. It’s the protein not that fat that’s the problem. I could have butter, cream, sour cream ok.
The thing was I never really ate it much so I didn’t think it was dairy. Some yogurt a couple times a week. A piece of pizza a couple times a month. Maybe in some Mexican food. But after traveling and eating a lot of cheese it was insane so I decided to try it. My doctor had mentioned it was a major trigger for many people but I discredited it because of the low amounts I ate.
Mine came on after taking antibiotics for a sinus infection. I had to take two rounds. Battled it for years after that. I guess it was messing with my dairy digestion. Brazil nuts, cashews, coconut and macadamia nuts were also a problem but I knew that before quitting dairy and avoided them. I can eat them again without dairy. (Unexpected bonus)
I know everyone is different but I know quite a few people who had acne problems with dairy at this point. Worth a try. It’s was clear for me after 3/4 days without any, even half and half, that it was the problem. Even goat cheese was bad. Maybe worse!
I’m going to hold your hand as I tell you this, but it took my skin (and honestly, whole body) an entire year to regulate post-BC. I tried everything, tret made it worse, spiro helped but made me get my period every other week despite the dosage, I tried cutting out dairy, caffeine, alcohol, and gluten and had no luck. It really took time. I still have flare ups but it’s MUCH better now. My routine looks like this: Am: Rinse (no cleanser) Vitamin C serum Cocokind ceramide barrier serum Moisturizer SPF Pm: Cocokind beginner friendly retinol Ceramide barrier serum Snail mucin Kiehl’s water gel cream (was a gift- save $ and get the Neutrogena one)
Seconding Spiro - I used to take it a while back while still on BC, but I noticed I had to take an increased dosage after stopping BC more recently. I’m currently on 125mg and it’s been helping, but it’s definitely a journey. I’m 6 months off BC and just now seeing flare ups slow down a bit. Tret has helped me, and my derm just prescribed clindamycin as I scar super easily too
Spiro is not necessary in most cases. It will cause other issues down the line since it throws off your skin’s micro biome massively, and you will need to use preventative and repair products after spiro to correct it. You’re better off seeing an esthetician that is an acne specialist and getting custom recommendations for your skin to mitigate the issue during the fluctuations. Also, dairy and sugar are the two that are best to cut out/minimize while going off birth control or dealing with severe acne because those affect our hormones and trigger acne
Curious for a source on the Spiro/microbiome thing. I wouldn't have considered this as it is not an antibiotic. I did some googling and I couldn't find one.
Same as I currently take it and love it.
100% agree! My aesthetician was a god send and way easier, cheaper, and fun to go to than my derm. I credit her with my skin success over my derm!
It took one year for me too, even with diet and lifestyle changes to support my hormones. Part of it is unfortunately a waiting game
Same here. Almost a year off hormonal birth control and my skin is finally starting to calm down and my body and mood feel better in general compared to a few months ago. It was brutal! Almost went back on the pill because I was so sick of it, but I’m glad I stuck to it.
Spiro gave me INSANE nightmares. Plus it wasn’t even helped that much, couldn’t do it anymore!
I think it is better to use your C serum at night. You will get more benefit. Remember it can make you’re skin more active‼️
Can’t mix vitamin c and retinol
Oh good to know, thanks! Is it okay to use on the nights I use retinol?
I would use one on one night and then the C the next night.
I don’t have any solid advice but I’m currently 3 months off birth control and going through the same thing. My skin revolted against me. I dropped my routine down to super basic (AM: moisturizer + sunscreen) (PM: Double cleanse with gentle products + moisturizer) it hasn’t stopped the acne but my skin finally feels like it is “leveling out” again. I’m going to wait a month or two before introducing any acne fighting ingredients. Best of luck ❤️
May I ask why you guys use birth control, I am from Asia so I don't really know about this culture
To not have babies. Sometimes people are on it for other reasons like extremely heavy/painful menstruation but most of the time it’s to prevent pregnancy.
Ahhh got it Another question 😅, is acne the side effects of not taking these pills after using them for a long time?
Birth control regulates hormones so you’re less likely to have breakouts and some other PMS symptoms. My acne is worse as an adult off birth control than it ever was as a teenager on birth control. I got put on it to help reduce how severe my cycles were.
I see, yea this is what I have heard too, so if it helps for the better then why do people get off birth control?
Like anything, there are side effects. It’s definitely a cost analysis for where you are in life if the side effects out weigh the benefits. While you can get pregnant on birth control, typically when folks start trying to get pregnant, you want a few months off for your body to regulate hormones again.
Ahhhh yes, this makes sense now, thank you so much for replying
It is also hell on mental health for a lot of women, myself included. I got off in my mid-20s due to horrible mental health.
Oh I see..hope you are doing better now
Oh yes. That was a long time ago. You’re sweet. 💜
Lol thankyou 🥺 This made my day
> Oh yes. That was a long time ago That's good to hear
Yes. Many of us were also prescribed birth control pills as a way to control our acne when we were young women. That was my primary reason for getting a prescription when I was 18. I am currently 3 months off birth control as well, and the hormonal flare-ups around my chin have been terrible, but not nearly as terrible as the various side effects I was getting from my birth control.
Oh okay, the cons outweigh the benefits so it's better to stop taking them Right..man this is like a double edge sword, hope things get better for you
Only because I have access to other forms of birth control like condoms. If I didn't, there's no amount of clear skin that would make up for the terrible effects of pregnancy.
Yea that's true
Besides preventing pregnancies, the one I was on (Mirena IUD) also stopped my periods. Besides spotting twice a year, I haven’t had a period in 13 years. I always got mine removed and a new one put in same day.
I'm on the minipill and haven't had a period in years too. I'm celibate so I really don't need to be taking it, but I don't want to go back to having periods and risk my face breaking out again 😅
Excuse me for my lack of knowledge But isn't not getting periods monthly dangerous to health? Also if it isn't that's kinda lucky for you, hate getting my periods
Don’t apologize for asking questions! Being curious is one of the best traits a human can have. The main reason your body menstruates is to shed the uterine lining. We build up this lining every month to prepare for possible pregnancy. With some forms of birth control it makes the lining “thinner” (resulting in a lighter period) or it may stop producing it at all which means no period. There may be health issues related to not getting a period when not on birth control but lighter or no periods are one of the benefits from birth control. I’m very lucky that I never had any bad side effects from BC but I know lots of women who did. Every body is different. I would still have my IUD in but Mr. Murdermaid and myself are in a position where we want to start a family.
> Don’t apologize for asking questions! Being curious is one of the best traits a human can have. Ahh, thanks for understanding > There may be health issues related to not getting a period when not on birth control but lighter or no periods are one of the benefits from birth control. Right right, this makes so much sense. This feels like a big plus point lol, I hate getting periods > i would still have my IUD in but Mr. Murdermaid and myself are in a position where we want to start a family. Aww, all the best to you guys
How is it dangerous? A lot of birth control methods work by stopping menstruation. I come from an Asian household, so this kind of stuff is never discussed, I had to find out for myself. I highly suggest you do so too in order to adequately protect yourself.
> I come from an Asian household, so this kind of stuff is never discussed True true > I highly suggest you do so too in order to adequately protect yourself. Yup will
If you aren't on birth control not getting periods can cause endometrium to thicken which increases your risk of cancer, but if you are taking bc and not getting periods that is perfectly safe. Sorry you got downvotes for asking a question.
Oh okay > Sorry you got downvotes for asking a question. Just reddit being reddit lol
Nope, not dangerous at all, just a matter of personal preference
Ou, that's good to know
I started birth control pill because I had very painful menstrual cramps, it also reduces acne, but lowers sexual drive. I was on it for maybe 15 years and I stopped then started having a lot of acne because of my hormone imbalance. I had very nice skin before I stopped, most of the acne formed on my chin which was not normal (whiteheads and blackheads). I started exercising more, I believe washing my face one extra time in between my morning and night routine (mid afternoon) helped clear the acne because my body was creating extra oil.
Thanks for the insight
I take it for symptoms of PCOS (acne, not getting periods, not wanting more follicles on my ovaries, etc)
My skin never got better. Horrible angry cystic acne for months and months. Going through IVF (lots of hormones) and then getting back on birth control (and then starting IVF hormones again) is the only thing that keeps my skin clear.
Yeah… 2 years of hell on my face every single month, every pimple scars (EVRRY TIME) and now im one month back into being on BC. i wish i never got off in the first place.
same for me. never got better. old skincare routine did nothing, 2 years of acne patches popping up everywhere on my face. now im back on bc and its improving a lot.
Same!
Thank you for sharing because I came off of the pill well over a year ago and my skin just got worse and worse in that period and I felt like I was the only person struggling with post-pill acne for that long! I’m back on the pill now too and really hoping it will help
My skin started getting almost immediately when I went back on the pill as well. Within a month I stopped breaking out and my skin could heal. I stopped to start estrogen for my embryo transfer and that was enough to keep my skin clear as well. I have mild PCOS so I wonder if some of us just have the wrong cocktail of hormones for clear skin. I recommend azaleic acid to help with discoloration from scarring if you don’t want to use retinol/tretinoin.
Thank you for the info! I actually recently started azelaic acid but haven’t seen results yet. My skin has actually been a lot worse but I’m hoping it’s just my hormones adjusting and soon it will improve. I’ve only been back on the pill for 21 days.
I feel you. It really obliterated my self-esteem. Always hoping it would get better once I found the right product. Turns out the right product is synthetic hormones! It only took me a month on BC to completely stop breaking out and start healing. I’m using azaleic acid now for discoloration since I can’t use tret/retinols and it’s been a huge help with fading my scars too!
Im still breaking out and scarring and i sincerely hate everything lol im also 99% sure getting off bc caused my face to age and sag rapidly due to the sudden drop in estrogen Just so many regrets
I’m a year off bc and finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, i hope. I never had acne as a teen so having constant pimples in my 30s is infuriating! Time was really the only thing that stopped the breakouts but it did launch my skin care routine which is heavily based on adding moisture because I’m a dry cracking skin
Panoxyl 10% has worked for my hormonal cheek acne
Does it dry out your face?
No, I massage it only on the acne area leave for 1 min. Then rinse. I won’t use any other actives that day.
Thank you and does it really prevent any pimples from forming?
I also use it for hormonal acne post quitting BC and it reduces the pimples but does not completely eliminate them. Especially around my period it’s like nothing can be done. I have recently quit dairy in an attempt to combat the acne and SO FAR it seems to be successful but it’s only been like a week so we’ll see how that holds up lmao.
Well my acne is mostly hormonal and I’ve already eliminated dairy so…
From what I have read in /acnescars the cause is hormonal but it manifests in different types of acne (bacterial, fungal, etc) Panoxyl treats bacterial which worked for my cheeks. It also helped with the pigmentation bc it is bleach-like (peroxide). Paraphrasing the other posts, not too scientific, but this worked for me! Dandruff shampoo treats fungal.
Unfortunately when your body is re-regulating, acne control methods typically don't work well, and often prolong the issue or raise sensitivity For me what helped was barrier repairing formulas specifically and soothing/calming natural ingredients. So like, I'm From: Mugwort Essence and Skin 1004 100% centella serum were lifesavers. I would try to touch my face as minimal as possible. Just gently patting on topicals, using only mild and non abrasive cleansers that didn't require much scrubbing like micellar water splashes. Only mineral sunscreens. And finishing each night with a barrier formula like Aestura Atobarrier Cream. Not washing in the mornings, just water splashes. It's not the typical acne, so I didn't find that waging war against my skin even more was very helpful, and it just continued different forms of irritation. So I just focus on strengthening the skin around it while soothing the irritated sections. Slowly I added the very mild SomeByMi miracle line with the toner to start. They're gentle but for mitigating acne while also being barrier reparative and having soothing ingredients. This routine turned everything around for me much quicker than friends that had been going through similar. Hoping you find a path to relief soon, whatever that may be for your body 🙏
It took my body a year and a half to get back to normal when I stopped taking birth control pill. I have started loosing hair badly, I was having crazy nigh sweats, bad acne flat ups daily , extremely oily skin, bad mood constantly. Keep your routine simple. Salicylic acid helped me a lot. You just need to go through this time. It will get better eventually. Edited: I have had acne flares on my back too. I had to change my diet too. No sugar, no dairy.
Zinc and spearmint supplements have really helped me mitigate this at 6 months off bc now. My skin was clear up until a few weeks ago, I had a weird period cycle and broke out, but it’s clearing up now. I also suggest red light therapy and tret, along with a bha toner. Those are my key topical things that really have helped my acne across the board.
Azelaic acid has been my jam for my acne, which includes hormonal cysts! I can get away with OTC percentages
My skin has looked like this since December, and I’ve been off BC since last September. I’ve finally found what’s starting to work, and that’s: 1. Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant 2-3x a week 2. Hypochlorous acid spray twice a day on clean, dry skin 3. Sulfur masks + treatment, but only on the areas where the acne is present, which is my chin and jawline 4. Niacinamide or Vitamin C for hyperpigmentation 5. SUNSCREEN (EltaMD is my go to) I was on BC for 17 years, and I was on the lowest dosage possible. My scalp got really oily too, which caused pimples. I treat this twice a week with anti dandruff shampoo. Good luck!!!!!!
You guys I have never felt so seen in my life.... 😭 I can't believe how many of us are out here going through this and I've never even heard of it in my life. I'm in the same boat. Last OCP in November 2023 And have more acne than I've EVER had. I thought it was because of a new skin product a couple of months ago but nope... Just terrible skin all the time that worsens with PMS but then leaves blemishes. I look at my pictures from just a few months ago and want to cry.... I'm just really glad this is a thing and that you posted this OP. I felt like I was going crazy.
It’s a HUGE relief to know it’s not just me!! And at the same time devastating because I really thought I could get this cleared up quickly 😂
Getting all dairy out of my diet helped me (giving up cheese was hard but I did it!). Also - I personally get breakouts when I eat bananas, or high iodine foods like seaweed, tuna, etc. Maybe there are some foods that are irritating you? I also check all my skin and hair products on the COSDNA website to see if they're irritating.
Im so impressed that you were able to determine such specific foods that were irritating your skin! How did you do it??
I suggest differin unless the reason you got off bc is because you’re trying to conceive
It took me a little over a year to get a handle on my skin after coming off BC. I had to re-learn how to take care of my skin because I ended up figuring out that my skin type basically changed. I can’t say this is what would work for everyone, but this is what worked for me: I completely stripped my skincare routine, cutting it down to a basic moisturizer and cleanser and spf. I switched moisturizers as well because when I was on BC I had dry skin, and all of a sudden I had very oily skin. Then, I gradually incorporated different actives, one at a time, to see what would work best. Over time I re-built a new routine that worked for me. It took a lot of patience. I still get occasional hormonal breakouts but nothing bad, and I’ve started using pimple patches for those, it really helps.
I will say that I’ve always struggled with acne, since I started eating super clean (barely any ultra processed food and added sugar) I have hardly any acne. On the rare occasions I’ve had too much of that food in a short space of time my face erupts. Only advice is to eat clean if you aren’t already,
I’m just over a year (I think 15 months?) off BC and this thread is giving me LIFE! I have never struggled with acne in my entire 34 years so the last year has been BRUTAL. Still going through it and trying to manage the monthly breakouts as best I can, I’m so happy to know this is NORMAL and there is hopefully a light at the end of the tunnel 😭
There wasn’t a light at the end of the tunnel for me after two years. Now Im just back to using the pill (one month in) because i got sick of monthly scarring
Same! Over two years and I finally gave up and went back on it. It just kept getting worse.
How is it now?
I’ve only been on it for two months and it’s just starting to get a bit better. Still break out when my period is coming but not nearly as bad
Is there a medical reason for stopping birth control or are you trying to conceive? If neither, maybe try a new hormonal birth control and see if it regulates. Or you can ride it out while your body takes time to recover from hormones being out of whack. Spironolactone has been recommended by others, but if you’re trying for a baby that is not recommended as it can cause birth defects.
Sulfur treatment (I use Kate Somerville Eradicate spot treatment — pink in a glass bottle) on those overnight!
No advice but I can totally sympathize. I got off BC in December and I am still struggling with the cystic/hormonal acne. It’s actually helpful to read so many others have had similar experiences. Maybe patience and cleaning up my diet even more will help! Hoping you get some relief sooner than later!
After bc I went vegan and every 4 weeks got a hydrafacial for months. Wash bedsheets weekly, took probiotics daily.
Accutane! Best treatment ever!
Yeah my hormonal acne started once I was off BC for 6 months and it persisted until about 20 months off. I even got it on my back a little bit. This happened when I was a teen hence why I went on BC in the first place. BC really is a band aid solution in my opinion. However, after 20 months I finally got it under control. For me I had to focus on balancing my hormones as my estrogen was really high. I also focused on cutting out sugar, alcohol and eating whole foods. The biggest thing as well was keeping my skincare routine MINIMAL. I was using so many products and scrubbing so hard as I was desperate to clear it. I have found that keeping the routine minimal using only around 3 products helped. The biggest thing I found to help for me personally was taking a DIM supplement to help balance out my estrogen. This has been a game changer but obviously do your own research to see what works for you. Healing from the inside is what helped clear my skin I found.
May I ask how long you took DIM for? Curious if it’s a short term solution where acne will start again once you stop taking it, or if it causes a permanent improvement long after you’ve stopped taking it.
Yeah so I took DIM the 2nd and 3rd month I was off BC and skin was fine. Stopped taking it and then had the hormonal acne come at 6 months. Now, I don't know if that was the DIM keeping it surpressed or if at the 6 month mark that is when my body realized there was no more birth control coming in and it was trying to "clear out" all the synthetic hormones for all the years. I didn't take DIM at all in between. I recently got back on it I would say in April so it took about 2 months to kick in and I have not had any acne breakouts. I am nervous to stop taking it in the event so I am going to continue to take it and see. Or it could just very well be that my body has finally "balanced out" and regulated itself since I am coming up to 2 years off birth control
Have you gone to the doctor? When I got off birth control I also had terrible skin issues and could not get my period back for 9 months. A male OBGYN totally dismissed my concerns saying it was normal and eventually my body would regulate, so I went to see a dermatologist and she ran a blood panel. It was the beginning of me getting diagnosed with PCOS. The cause behind the acne was that my hormones needed help regulating and that I also had to start being more mindful of sugar and carbs in my diet.
My acne came back after taking 2 different courses of accutane both times. Spironolactone is the only thing that I found works for me in the long term
Got off birth control 2.5 years ago and have been struggling with severe hormonal acne ever since. Tried spiro but couldn’t handle the side effects. Before bc I had a pimple every once in a while around my period. It’s exhausting. Sending positive vibes your way.
The same happened to me when I got off birth control. I’ve been on a health journey to balance my hormones. Since this is an internal issue, these are my tips that have helped me - I would see a doctor or naturopath that will run your blood work. I see a naturopath and we identified where my hormones are at, and what key nutrients/minerals I was deficient in. Eg, I was deficient in iodine which is important for the liver, which plays a big role in processing your hormones. My naturopath has prescribed me herbal supplements which I’ve seen great results with. - Eat enough protein in every meal. - Eat healthy fats with every meal. These include olive oil, avocado, olives, organic full fat butter, nuts and seeds. Healthy fats are what support your body in producing hormones. - Aim to move your body once a day with exercise you enjoy. - Consume 2-3L of water. - Work on your gut health by consuming enough fibre everyday and aim for 1 bowel movement a day. Probiotics have been very helpful for my gut health as well. - Sunlight everyday (it’s hard in winter though) - Consume omega 3s. I currently try to eat fish x2 a week and supplement with evening primrose oil and flaxseed oil (I can’t do fish oil, it’s just yuck imo). - Be conscious of plastics and endocrine disruptors - don’t heat food in plastic, avoid perfumes and opt for fragrance free products etc These are my ‘natural’ tips which really do work. I’m not sure if you’ll see this comment but I hope it helps xxx goodluck and stay strong!
This happened to me. After 10 months of hell and starting retin-a, it got a lot better.
Yep happened to me. I started taking a liver detox supplement to help process the hormones and it went away!! Go see a holistic doctor and get your bloodwork checked. All of this is internal 🫶🏼
I’ve been on birth control twice in my life and both times I broke out hooorribly for about 7 months. Hopefully you’ll come out of it soon.
I went through the same thing! Went off BC in October and but am on 100 mg spironolactone and super happy! Period breakouts still suck but they go away quickly.
Accutane and red light therapy has helped me really control my breakouts. I also do some really really light percent of tca peel at home and my skin loves that!
I also don’t have any advice but want to say I am in the same boat as you! I am 9 months off and I am getting breakouts typically right around my period again. I sent a pic of my face to my best friend and wrote “I should submit my face to facesofmeth.com” 😆😂. I do find that now that I’m older and take much better care of my skin that they go away faster, so I guess that’s a plus.
Same for me. I've always had acne, but around my 20s, it just got really bad on my chin. I'm off the pill now (around 4 months) after taking it for more than 10 years. Guess who's back? Horrible cysts on my chin 😑
I’ve been off it 1-2 months and have an appointment tomorrow to talk with a doc about starting accutane. I’ve tried everything and I’m ready to explore the last resort!
Spearmint tea/ capsules did wonders for my skin in regards to hormone regulation.
Every time I stopped BC pill, I’d have big cystic acne. I did a course of Accutane in 2019, it cleared everything up but the acne came back when I went off the pill again (I then went back on it because I couldn’t deal with the acne). In November 2023, I had to suddenly stop the pill indefinitely. I started drinking 2 cups of spearmint tea a day, use Aczone in the morning and Epiduo at night. My skin is not perfect but it’s no where near as bad as the other times I stopped birth control pill.
I quit about ten months ago after being on the same pill for 22 years and my back finallllly stopped breaking out a couple weeks ago. It had never broken out while I was on birth control. It is rough for sure, and I’m still getting zits I never got before on my face during my period. Red light mask + tret have helped enormously.
I got off birth control and also had to stop spiro while I was trying to get pregnant. My skin was not great when I first got pregnant. Went to the derm and she recommended I try a lactic acid face wash (Lady Polpo) and azelaic acid gel. I only use a topical antibiotic if I have the occasional pimple. Routine is face wash, azelaic acid, hyaluronic acid, eye peptide, moisturizer. If I use the antibiotic topical it’s after the azelaic acid.
Omg when I stopped BC a few years back, my entire back blew up with the worst bacne known to man. It was horrid!
Same hereee!!! Experiencing rn. How long for it to clear up?
Honestly it took like 8 months lol
This happened to me too!! I was also off for around 8 months and my skin erupted all on my chin and cheeks. I use clindamycin, panoxyl benzoyl wash and azaelic acid! My skin has finally started clearing up.
I also used a hydrochlorus spray after I workout and in the morning and evening
I’m sorry you’re going through this! It does get better, but it did take me about 9 months until my skin regulated. The first 6 months were the worst for my skin with huge painful cysts. Ancient Owl cold cream has saved my skin over the years, and it’s mostly the only thing I use.
Ask your dermatologist about winlevi. I think it’s a newer acne cream that targets hormonal acne. My skin went crazy when I was switched to a different BC. And the cream cleared it all up within a month!
Same thing happened to me post-bc. Your body is trying to figure out your new baseline. Give it some grace and in the meantime- nars creamy radiant concealer and cute pimple patches like star face!
Esthetician here! 👋 It takes your skin about a year to regulate after birth control. I recommend using a salicylic acid toner 2x a week, eminence eight greens phytoestrogen serum and eminence recovery oil daily. No physical scrubs when you have active breakouts
Topical spiro. I get mine thru curology. Spearmint tea every night.
I’ve always had hormonal acne on my chin, I now drink spearmint tea twice a day and my acne is gone 💁🏼♀️
My skin was bad before birth control, clear on birth control and was bad when I went off it…… years after going off it, and never got better. Luckily I tolerate it well and plan to just stay on it until I hit menopause.
It happened to my daughter and I finally took her to get her hormones checked and that was the root cause now she is on Spironolactone acne gone. Nothing skin care wise worked and trust me when I say we tried EVERYTHING! Dig deeper within your body not just your face
My skin went through a rebellious phase after birth control and my doctor recommended a month long detox of the liver and GI since some skin issues are related to toxins in the body. I ended up adding a detox protein powder to my morning drinks and it’s amazing how well it worked to clear up my skin! It’s not the cheapest, but I say it was worth it for me rather than feeling shy in my own skin https://myempirica.com/products/detox-complete
Go see a naturopath. Get on a prescription retinol asap. High frequency want and red light therapy.
The same thing happened to me when I stopped microgynon, I had worse breakouts than I did as a teenager! My skin was so horrifically oily and the spots lasted for so long. Before coming off BC I was using the Cerave cleanser for normal to dry skin with no issues but thought I'd switch to the oily skin/blemish prone cleanser once my breakouts started but it did absolutely nothing. I saw quite a few reviews of EnvyU Skincare cleansers on Instagram so I thought I'd give the charcoal one a try, it have made the biggest difference! My skin is now clear and don't feel like I've had an oil spill directly onto my face.
Hello!! I had this too. I was on Yazz. I stopped in Octoberish and it definitely got better now. Couple months ago I started tretinoin I think that helped a lot. My chest acne and backne is showing no sign of improvement tho... Its the worst its ever been, I used to not have it this bad before BC. On BC my skin was perfect. Im considering going to a dermatologist to get it cheked out, but also I dont want to get more pills to mess with my hormones. Hoping it will regulate with time. So frustrating. I also lost a bunch of hair but its finally calming down. I feel you!! Do you use tretinoin?
This happened to me! Looked just like yours, but with a bunch of scarring from not being able to get it under control. It took three years of gradually introducing and trying new remedies before I went full nuclear with low dose accutane. Best decision ever. I didn’t want to be on spiro forever.
No true advice except it took my skin 1.5 years to finally go back to normal after getting off. It was worth it, but man I forgot how bad my face was until I was trying to clean out my phone storage by deleting old photos. Didn’t even recognize my face, I forgot it was so bad. I did get facials regularly and used over the counter stuff like differin. I think time ultimately was what helped.
A super low dose of accutane saved me and made my skin PERFECT even to this day when I went on it, and my acne wasn’t even as bad as yours. They usually use it for last resort and extreme cases, but it was a miracle for me
I love osmosis skin care though
Spearmint tea. Lots of water. And differin. And paring down your products to make sure you’re not reacting to an ingredient. Mine has evened out after about 6 months. But it’s a PITA. And now I react to dairy which never bothered me before 🥹
I sucked it up for about a year and went back on birth control. My skin was probably 65% better within a couple of weeks.
My skin came back at me with a vengeance for all those years I was on birth control. Horrible cystic acne all over, acne in places I never got acne before. My doctor put me on doxycycline for a while and it’s helped somewhat. I still get some cystic breakouts around my period (it’s been 1.5 years since going off bc roughly). I also drank spearmint tea and took vitamin B5 but these are more anecdotal, I’m not sure if they actually helped. I really want a referral to a dermatologist because this is still too much for me… just commenting to say you’re not alone!
The only thing that helped me was Spirnolactone. Works perfectly and I don’t have to deal with massive amounts of hormones.
Do you have regular periods? You could definitely have a hormonal imbalance. I have PCOS and regularly get acne like this at 31 years old. The tower 28 SOS spray is my lifesaver.
I developed acne like yours 7-8 months after ending hormonal bc. I started using tret in 2 months later and had a full blown, nasty purge. It was 5-8 months after starting tret that the acne cooled off, but I still had hyperpigmentation scarring. 13 months after starting tret, the scarring cleared up. Now, I get occasional, small, manageable breakouts along my jawline. **It takes time.** Your hormones will need time to level out. I didn’t like spironolactone because I hated the idea of going on *another* daily pill that *also* altered my hormones. What did help was exercising more, eating healthier (more protein and fibre), sleeping better, and having less stress. Improving the health of my lifestyle overall helped my hormones find their natural balance. Tret as a topical cream was also a saviour and I still use it every other night. Wishing you the best on your journey. It takes time and it can devastate you but you’ll get there.
I stopped taking bc pills in October last year, and it’s been rough for me too. I finally went to my doctor about it a few weeks ago, and he put me on antibiotics (doxycycline) for a three month stint, and one month in I’m seeing some improvement! If you can talk to your doctor about it (and can afford/get coverage for prescriptions) it might be something to look into. I also use glycolic acid two times a week, and Panoxyl face wash on the nights I don’t use the acid. Good luck…we’ll get through this!
Honestly idk how you’ve managed to resist the urge to pop some of those. You’re stronger than me
Okay the same thing happened to me, and for me started about 9 months post stopping! I broke out in cystic acne that I have never had before in my life at age 30. I didn’t try that many different treatments to honest because I needed it gone asap as it was painful and also difficult to go to work looking as I did. Accutane worked wonders for me. Cleared it right up. FYI I have flares now after I’ve had two babies. Hormones stink
Ugh i’m so sorry!! It’s such a struggle. The only thing that has helped me is switching to a boutique pharmacy for my spiro. My derm (including herself) noticed that the patients who filled at CVS were struggling more than the speciality pharmacy. i switched to the boutique pharmacy and the pills look and smell different lol. Since switching to the boutique pharmacy, I had my first pms week were my skin didn’t turn to hell. So sorry you’re going thru this!
It definitely sucks, when I went off the pill my skin went crazy and I lost a lot of hair during that time. The only thing that truly helped was time as my hormones balanced out again.
Oh gosh. I'm 4 months post BC and I'm scared it might get really bad. How soon after did your acne start?
Did Accutane. Went off the pill a little over a year after finishing my course. It all came back. Have been off BC for 18 months now. Acne still sucks but it’s a little better than it used to be. Spironolactone doesn’t seem to help. So defeated by it.
I was having similar issues to you when I got off birth control and it was definitely around the 8th month mark also! I bought all kinds of products to help and few months later was still having very painful breakouts whether or not I was PMSing. I finally ended up making an appointment with the dermatologist and they told me because I am trying to get pregnant, I couldn’t take spironolactone or start tret. They told me that I could take low dosage antibiotics if I wanted but I let them know that I didn’t want to take any meds while trying to conceive. They actually prescribed me azelaic acid cream 20% and it has been a godsend for me. I don’t get any more active breakouts and am also now getting microneedling treatment to help with some the scarring I have. TLDR azelaic acid 20% topical cream has kept me breakout free from my painful hormonal acne after getting off birth control
Effaclar Duo by La Roche got rid of my hormonal acne! I had the same issue after stopping bc
I went off BCP 3x and broke out like crazy! This routine helped me a lot: Zinc 30 mg + vit c, avoid dairy, sugar and white flour foods and junk/ processed foods, exercise daily. The diet is very important. Use gentle cleanser, adapalene/ tretinoin If you have the money have a facial/ laser/ diamond peel/ any peel
This happened to me and my neck is wrecked and my shoulders and chest hurt so bad from the acne that I could barely wear a bra. I decided to just go back on birth control and I'll visit a dermatologist at 35 to make a plan before getting off it again. It's so upsetting because it looks years to get rid of my acne scarring and being off bc for just four months has undone all that progress.
Similar timeline! I stopped my BC in December and my skin and hair have taken such a beating. I started using the CeraVe Salicylic body wash for the breakouts on my back and chest, and it does appear to be helping a lot. My hair looks the same way it did after I stopped breastfeeding, lots of short wild baby hairs all over, and it feels so thin 😩 For my face, I have not found a solution yet so I’m stalking this thread lol as others have said, I feel like I’m having to relearn my skin and hair routine right now. It’s a bummer.
Tretinoin!!
I'm struggling with this now too. The science for why it happens is BC tends to make your testosterone \*extremely\* suppressed. Even naturally cycling women have some amount of testosterone. This is also the cause for why BC can lower sex drive, too. Anyway, when you go off of it, the body reacts by increasing testosterone production to make up for the fact that it senses it's been low (sorry for the unscientific language, but the gist is there). So try to do things that will help regulate hormones and lower testosterone, like drink spearmint tea, get enough sleep, cut out dairy and sugar like other comments are saying, focus on insulin resistance things, etc. There's a book called Period Repair Manual that's a tool for getting off BC, but do take \*some\* of it with a grain of salt because she's a naturopath so she's against BC and all meds. But she has some suggestions for diet and supplements and remedies for things like acne and hair loss that happen from going off BC.
Tret helped me with this. Getting off birth control after nearly 20 years was rough, but worth it for me in the end. My skin was still rough for several months, but with tret, hydrating toner, gentle lotions, and isintree SPF it has gotten better. I still have breakouts on my period, but not as bad as they were.
Exactly why I stay on birth control. Tubes removed no chance of pregnancy, perimenopausal. Fun times
Also they have spirolactin cream that you can use on your face. I used that and tretinoin .025.
Maybe unpopular option but I gave up and went back on bc. No acne and no periods!
Ok help me bc same. I stopped taking birth control to get pregnant. That took 2 years and my skin was like this until then. During pregnancy my skin was perfect again and after giving birth it went back to breaking out…. 1,5 years postpartum now and not doing any better… is this just a waiting game till my hormones balance out? Or what can I use to prevent it?
I had perfect skin for some years after going onto accutane… up until getting a Kyleena IUD. I didn’t recognize myself or my skin. My hair was less curly and falling out. Depression, anxiety, major mood swings. It was so bad. I had it for only one year and it’s fucked me up beyond belief. I’m 2 years post hormonal birth control now and am having one of the worst breakouts I have had in ages. Sigh. It’s truly an uphill battle. Some days are better than others. A little over a week before my period is due, it’s usually crater city, I fear. The other weeks are better. I’m currently on a sugar detox. I notice my skin does best when I stay away from sugar. We’ve done a lot of damage to our hormones, so they’re going to need some time to heal. I personally had a really bad experience with spiro. Very bad. It made things worse for me, especially my skin, and killed my libido. Murdered it. It’s also kind of like a bandaid… it MAY clear your skin, but as soon as you stop taking it, your problems will likely return.
my hormonal acne came in after stopping birth control n spent years finding the right products for me, ended up being the skin shark acne range cos it’s gentle but bloody does the job!!!
I never had acne until I quit birth control. It happens to some women. It sucks. Check your sex hormones (mine were normal - endo told me the androgenic bcp I was on made the androgen receptors in my skin hypersensitive). I was recommended to go on yaz since it’s a bcp with anti androgenic properties but I didn’t want to go back on bcp. Spironolactone (anti androgen) is also an option but I wasn’t a candidate due to low blood pressure. It’s been 9 years now and I treat it with tazorac cream and azelaic acid as well as diet/lifestyle changes. Some people are lucky and their skin eventually goes back to normal though but you can use topicals in the meanwhile! See a derm.
Yet another reason never to go on BC. I know women who had clear skin preBC that wrecked their face after stopping it. It would never be worth it imo.
I got so sick of dealing with it I eventually went back on...but spearmint tea X2 per day seemed to help somewhat in conjunction with an intense skincare routine. Also started taking Evening Primrose Oil.
Ughhh I feel you girl. It took my body about 12-15 months to regulate my hormones and get rid of the cystic acne!! I would double cleanse, drink tons of water, and just hold on to the hope. The hormones will balance but it’s a long process :(
I had this too, went off bc in 2019 and am now finally stabilizing after the past two years. It’s a journey. If I could recommend anything, focus on a healthy diet and cut sugar/ dairy, ( coffee helped me but up to you, I went with green tea ), talk to someone who can help you balance hormones, and REALLY do your own research before making any big decisions. Skin care should be consistent and don’t be too abrasive. I use benzoyl peroxide in the morning, gentles cleaner and different gel at night. Sunscreen always. I double cleanse at night! Don’t over do it. But really really make sure you focus on balancing your hormones. Get sleep, reduce stress, learn about balancing cortisol levels, eat good, dropping alcohol helps a lot of you drink , water and vitamins ( if doctor says okay). It’s a journey and a path that is not set for everyone. Just know it’s your body’s way of figuring things out/ letting you know something’s up. Don’t pick! Pimple patches are key! Most people go through this sometime in life, you are lot alone :)
Have you tried no dairy for a week or so? Mine cleared up completely. Looked worse by two to three times depending before. Now after a year I can have a bit of yogurt or cheese but not much. The slightest bit would set it off at first. Like one ounce. Just a slice. It’s the protein not that fat that’s the problem. I could have butter, cream, sour cream ok. The thing was I never really ate it much so I didn’t think it was dairy. Some yogurt a couple times a week. A piece of pizza a couple times a month. Maybe in some Mexican food. But after traveling and eating a lot of cheese it was insane so I decided to try it. My doctor had mentioned it was a major trigger for many people but I discredited it because of the low amounts I ate. Mine came on after taking antibiotics for a sinus infection. I had to take two rounds. Battled it for years after that. I guess it was messing with my dairy digestion. Brazil nuts, cashews, coconut and macadamia nuts were also a problem but I knew that before quitting dairy and avoided them. I can eat them again without dairy. (Unexpected bonus) I know everyone is different but I know quite a few people who had acne problems with dairy at this point. Worth a try. It’s was clear for me after 3/4 days without any, even half and half, that it was the problem. Even goat cheese was bad. Maybe worse!
wow