Acne Skin Care

How long before birth control pills help acne?

How long does it take from when you start taking birth control pills for acne till the acne starts to clear up? A few months?

Public Comments

1. Could take 1 or 2 cycles of pills. Hang in there. You will see results.
2. Sometimes it might not. Both my sister and I are on the same type of birth control and i never had acne problems and she did, and the birth control didn't help it at all. It releived her cramps but it didn't do anything for the acne. If it will do anything it might take at least 2 months, and if you're unhappy with it, swtich types of birth control.
3. It shouldn't take that long. I'd say you'd start seeing a difference by month 2 and definitely by month 3. If not, consider switching to a different brand. My daughter is on her 4th or 5th different pill in 2 years. She is taking BCP's for PCOS mainly, but she battles acne also. Right now she is taking Yasmine, and the first month she still broke out . . . . probably because of the change in pills, but it's been a whole month now and her face is clearing up. Other things that have helped: Washing with a mild cleanser and following up with astringent with 2% salicilic acid. (Benzoil peroxide makes her face worse) Never wearing make-up to bed - - - - but the make up she does use is Bare Minerals Taking Evening Oil of Primrose capsules (can buy them in the vitamin section at Walmart) Taking Omega-3 Fish Oil Capsules (1 a day, and you can get them coated so they don't have aftertaste) Tanning bed - - - she doesn't overdo it on the tanning bed, but working up to 15 minutes, 3 times a week has helped a lot. I noticed this week that her face looks better than it has in months. So some of the above must have helped.
4. It took me a good month, to a month and a half.