Acne when going off the pill

LindsaymR · April 2012

I've been on the pill for 7 years and thinking about going off soon. My face was really bad in high school right before I got on it. I didn't notice my face clearing up right away, but once I got on it I felt like I started taking a lot better care of my skin anyway. I still break out time to time around my chin and I'm wondering if it will go to sh*t once I get off the pill. I think that will just make me stress out more. I have some refills left so could always go back on, but we are going to TTC later this year so need to go off it at some point. Did anyones get worse right away when going off?

goldgold · April 2012

urgh... yes.

I just stopped about 2 months ago. I never really had an issue with acne when I was younger, but my chest and scalp broke out pretty bad coming off (some pimples on face, not crazy). Not fun, so just be prepared.

TheyCalledHerKate · April 2012

i was okay for my first couple of months off the pill but now my skin is more oily and i am getting more breakouts than usual and even a tiny amount of breakouts on my back (minorl, but still)

T&A08 · April 2012

If possible, I would recommend starting a monthly visit to an esthetician. Even before you come off the pill. Starting some professional exfoliation treatments will help reduce the amount of breakouts and if it were to get bad allow you to manage it better before it were to get out of hand. If you find that it isn't so bad, than you can keep with a good skin care routine but limit or eliminate seeing the esthetician. Hopefully it will be fine. Best of luck!

ExpatPumpkin · April 2012

You might consider a non-inflammatory diet as a preemptive measure. Dr. Perricone's The Clear Skin Prescription (book) has been a godsend for my hormonal acne.

If I follow the diet, the results are incredible. Of course it's hard to eschew dairy and breads, among other foods, but it's worth it. I do cheat and have goat's milk lattes a few times a week

oneofmanyjens · April 2012

I came off the pill (after being on for 7 years) last June and my face has been a mess ever since. While I was on the pill, I was also using Proactive and had good results with the combination. I would still get a pimple here or there but not any of the deep sore ones or ones with white heads. After going off the pill my face really started breaking out (even with the Proactive). I tried the Olay Prox system for acne, the Aveeno acne products, and the Alloette three step system for acne with no improvement. I am thinking about going dairy-free to see if that helps any. I hope you have better luck than I did. I am desperate to find something that works!

CarrotsMakeMeFat · April 2012

I went off ( back on now ). When I went off my skin didn't freak out as much as I expected. Exfoliate! Use a three step system with cleanser, toner, and moisturizer....add a pretika or clarisonic.

If it gets bad, go see a derm.

missywong · April 2012

I went off 2 months ago after 12 years on the pill and my skin is really bad. I didn't even have acne this bad as a teenager. I have little bumps all over my face but especially on my chin and around the forehead. I have tried exfoliating, masks, and Proactive. The Proactive burned my face like crazy and I developed this horrible red rash that was so itchy. I used it sometimes for spot treatment before without this bad reaction. If anyone has anymore recs, that would be helpful.

SSM&JLM · April 2012

When I went off BCP to my mirena my face freaked. I ended up at the derm and added the antibiotic doxycycline hyclate 2x a day for the first 3 months and now once a day. I also use retin-a, but was on that before I went off BCP.

Now that I don't have my mirena, I'm just doing the same thing until we ttc, when I'll have to go med free.

I've heard good things about using a clarisonic, so I'll probably splurge on one this summer to get used to it before, since your face can purge initially.

Acne when going off the pill

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