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Original poster

Contraceptive pill for acne in young teen?

26 replies

NotAPennyWeightMore · 30/11/2023 17:45

DD is 13, and has had periods for just over a year. She has bad acne, and is asking about the contraceptive pill for acne (not contraception). Is this an option so young, and is it a bad idea to mess with such an early cycle? Any experiences, anyone?

OP posts:
WreckTangled · 30/11/2023 17:50

My dd was younger than yours (by a couple of years). It cleared her acne and she takes it back to back so no periods making her 1000% much happier all round.

Original poster
NotAPennyWeightMore · 30/11/2023 21:51

WreckTangled · 30/11/2023 17:50

My dd was younger than yours (by a couple of years). It cleared her acne and she takes it back to back so no periods making her 1000% much happier all round.

Oh this sounds really hopeful - thank you.
Did you notice any effect on your DD's mood?

OP posts:
WreckTangled · 30/11/2023 21:58

Yes she is no longer miserable for two weeks of the month 😅 she’s been talking it for over two years now and no issues.

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Original poster
NotAPennyWeightMore · 30/11/2023 22:01

WreckTangled · 30/11/2023 21:58

Yes she is no longer miserable for two weeks of the month 😅 she’s been talking it for over two years now and no issues.

Really pleased it's worked so well for your DD :)

Did a GP prescribe it, or dermatologist?

OP posts:
Precipice · 30/11/2023 22:07

Have you tried anything actually aimed at acne with her? Topical prescriptions like Duac gel or azelaic acid, or oral antibiotics for acne?

I would exhaust all other options before even contemplating the pill.

MigGirl · 30/11/2023 22:08

Dd started taking it at 15 the pill is Dianette, she could have probably taken it sooner but I held off a bit her acne wasn't really bad, but she was suffering with very painful periods to.

I asked for this one specifically as I had taken it for acne when younger. Do be aware it is the slightly higher dose estrogen so if DD didn't have acne they wouldn't have let her have it as it's supposed to have a slightly higher risk of blood clots.

It's really helped her, both with her acne and periods.

Original poster
NotAPennyWeightMore · 30/11/2023 22:13

Precipice · 30/11/2023 22:07

Have you tried anything actually aimed at acne with her? Topical prescriptions like Duac gel or azelaic acid, or oral antibiotics for acne?

I would exhaust all other options before even contemplating the pill.

Yes, she's had topical retinoids (Treclin, Aklief), oral antibiotics, etc etc. Nothing has helped very much, and she is scarring. Why do you say that, though - what downsides to the oral contraceptive are you referring to? Many thanks for the post.

OP posts:
Whattodo112222 · 30/11/2023 22:15

I took dianette and yasmin, they were literally the only thing to clear up my skin. Highly recommend.

They don't prescribe either of those now but you could try Rigevedon I think its spelt, it's like a distant cousin of those pills.

Whattodo112222 · 30/11/2023 22:16

The pills that are associated with clearing up acne are historically known for causing blood clots.

AllHunsBlazing · 30/11/2023 22:19

I took Dianette. It caused some really serious psychological issues. It’s a recognised side effect, so something to be aware of and watch out for from the start.

WreckTangled · 30/11/2023 22:25

Dd didn’t/doesn’t take it for acne it was just a side effect and was issued by the GP. I should say that it could also be that the acne cleared up on its own I don’t have any proof that it was the pill, it could just be a coincidence.

Puddle13 · 30/11/2023 22:29

I started taking the pill when I was 14, about 2 years after my period started and later down the line I took Yasmin as I developed adult hormonal acne at the age of 23. It honestly helped me so much. I would honestly say that if you’ve tried everything and your daughters skin is scarring the pill could be a very good option.

Original poster
NotAPennyWeightMore · 30/11/2023 22:47

AllHunsBlazing · 30/11/2023 22:19

I took Dianette. It caused some really serious psychological issues. It’s a recognised side effect, so something to be aware of and watch out for from the start.

Sorry to hear you had this happen. May I ask what kind of issues you mean? Sorry, I realise this is personal. DD already struggles a lot with anxiety. TIA

OP posts:
Original poster
NotAPennyWeightMore · 30/11/2023 22:49

Thank you all very much. This is all really useful to know about

OP posts:
Puddle13 · 30/11/2023 22:53

Also just to say I had anxiety from when I was very young way before I took the pill but it never made any of my mental health issues worse. But for some people it can, like @AllHunsBlazing. It’s definitely worth looking out for but everybody reacts differently. I also took Yasmin which is different.

AllHunsBlazing · 30/11/2023 22:55

NotAPennyWeightMore · 30/11/2023 22:47

Sorry to hear you had this happen. May I ask what kind of issues you mean? Sorry, I realise this is personal. DD already struggles a lot with anxiety. TIA

Show quote history

No problem, I don’t mind talking about it.

I suffered pretty badly with depression. I also behaved appallingly towards my parents who were trying to help.

At the time, the potential link was only really starting to be made and it took at least a year and a lot of research by my mum to recognise it might be a factor.

I stopped taking it and the cloud lifted, though it was harder to break some of the learned behaviours. I’m completely fine now.

Pinocolada · 30/11/2023 23:25

Evidence is showing that the contraceptive pills that are used to control acne are more likely to cause hormonal medicated vulvodynia so I would approach with caution.

ErrolTheDragon · 30/11/2023 23:48

I wish I'd had the pill earlier - bad acne and very painful (but irregular) periods needing a day or two off school each time. Going on the pill when I was a student helped enormously, I was then on various till I was a bit over 50, except when I was TTC/pregnant/BF. The only one which caused me any problems was Dianette, which made me depressed. Fortunately I realised fairly quickly. I think it's rather different to most other pills?
Turned out when I started TTC that I have pcos, perhaps should have had more investigation as a teen.

MrsHughesPinny · 30/11/2023 23:51

Fair old time ago now, but my GP put me on it at 13 for my cystic acne. I also had heavy periods and it helped a lot with that.

Same as @ErrolTheDragon, I was subsequently diagnosed with PCOS when I was about 21.

I was also on Dianette and didn’t have any adverse MH effects (if anything my MH was better when I was on it) but IIRC Dianette isn’t routinely prescribed anymore and is banned in several countries.

MigGirl · 30/11/2023 23:59

Whattodo112222 · 30/11/2023 22:15

I took dianette and yasmin, they were literally the only thing to clear up my skin. Highly recommend.

They don't prescribe either of those now but you could try Rigevedon I think its spelt, it's like a distant cousin of those pills.

Yes they do DD is on Dianette. Yes there is a very slightly higher risk but this is licenced to treat acne. Some combination contecption can make it worse.

notquitesoyoung · 01/12/2023 01:09

DD takes Dianette but has PCOS. It's a higher risk pill and banned in several other countries. We were told it's no longer prescribed for just acne as it was years ago.

TwoShades1 · 01/12/2023 03:05

Speak to a gp. There can be some side affects to the contraceptive pill. Including and increased risk of blood clots. Other side effects I’ve struggled with are headaches, nausea, low sex drive and just generally feeling “down”. Its probably worth trying, but she needs to be aware that even if it improves the acne, the other side effects might not make it worth it.

SolarLightsDoNotWork · 01/12/2023 03:40

I suffered horrendously from acne as an older teenager. It was psychologically damaging for me, I can't actually tell you enough how badly it affected my self esteem. I'd always had absolutely beautiful skin before acne arrived. I used to cry over it so often. Friends made comments about it, which used to hurt my feelings. And no-one talks about how it causes actual pain in your face, and just as one cycle of acne calms down and the pain reduces, within days another new cycle of acne grows and starts hurting again.
My mum was against me going on the pill because of my age, and she tried alternative approaches, and also tried to normalise it by explaining and accepting that some teenagers get acne.
No alternative approaches worked. And no amount of normalising it helped me.
Eventually when I got old enough to go to the GP independently by myself, I was issued Dianette and my skin COMPLETLY cleared up within weeks. After years of suffering, it felt like a wonder drug. Literally everyone I knew was saying "Your skin has suddenly cleared up!!!" which made me feel worse not better, as it highlighted how much everyone had always noticed my acne.
I had zero side effects from Dianette.
My skin has forever more been left scarred by years of untreated acne, with ice pick marks all over my face. There's nothing I can do about this, I've had to live with them. I can't wear foundation, as the foundation goes into the deep pock marks and makes them look even worse. I'm as self conscious about the scars and marks on my face as a woman as I was about the acne as a teenager. Any bright sunlight or bright artificial light magnetises the scars and pitted areas.
It's honestly had a life long impact on my self confidence and I've spent my entire adulthood feeling self-conscious about my face.
I'm 47 now, and I look at my 10 year old DD's dewy, beautiful complexion and think to myself that I hope and pray she doesn't inherit my acne, but if she does I will take her immediately to the GP for a prescription hormone, without delay, regardless of age.
Not taking me was the worst thing my DM could have done. If I'd had it treated straight away, I'd never have gone on to live a life with scarring all over what was once my beautiful face.

ErrolTheDragon · 01/12/2023 08:31

Some combination contecption can make it worse.

I'd forgotten, there was a short time when I was persuaded to try a different type (i can't remember the name now, but iirc there were some different pills throughout the month) which made the acne worse.

ErrolTheDragon · 01/12/2023 08:39

increased risk of blood clots.
When deciding what I should be on instead of Dianette, the gp had some blood tests done to assess clotting risk. Not sure if that's often done - I was about 40 by then.