Skin Care

Everything You Need to Know About Birth Control and Acne

Can the pill make every day a good skin day? We found out how birth control can totally change your skin

by Emily Woodruff | COMMENT

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If you've got adult acne, you've probably tried every product imaginable, along with altering your diet, drinking more water, and every other voodoo-like trick on the internet. (Raise your hand if you, too, have rubbed banana peels on angry, inflamed skin.)

Here's a little not-so-secret insider tip: For some, the most valuable skin care product isn't a skin care product at all. It's a pill. THE pill, to be exact. The same birth control pill that eases cramps and keeps your cycle on schedule is also linked to clear skin.

But according to Dr. David Lortscher, MD, dermatologist and founder of Curology, an online prescription service for dermatologist-level skin care, not all birth control is created equal. A recent study authored by Lortscher found that while some methods do significantly quell acne, others actually make it worse. We got the nitty-gritty on the link between acne and the pill (and its medical device counterpart, the IUD) from Lortscher and Dr. Shehla Admani, MD, a dermatologist at University of California, San Diego. Here's everything you need to know about going on the pill for acne -- and what happens when you go off.

SEE NEXT PAGE: Is the Pill Magical Fairy Dust for Acne?

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