Yasmin, Yaz and acne
Yasmin, and its lower dose sibling Yaz, both contain the same synthetic versions of oestrogen and progesterone - ethinyl estradiol and drospirenone respectively. They’re 4th generation pills, and so may be beneficial for skin problems including acne.
The Yasmin pill may help acne according to one study on the active progestogens found in combined contraceptive pills. You can talk to your doctor about Yasmin and acne if it’s a benefit you would want from a contraceptive pill.
If you’re worried about side effects, the Yaz pill contains the same active ingredients in a lower dosage. You’ll typically experience fewer side effects with lower dose pills, while still being able to benefit from them.
Qlaira and acne
Qlaira is a combined contraceptive pill that can help with heavy or painful periods. But Qlaira may help with acne too. Each Qlaira pill packet contains different types of pills – some contain estradiol valerate (oestrogen), some contain both estradiol valerate and dienogest (progesterone) and some pills contain no hormones at all. These ‘empty’ pills are taken with the intention of helping you get into the habit of taking a pill each day.
Dienogest-based pills like Qlaira may help with skin problems like acne. Certain side effects associated with other contraceptive pills are also less likely when you take Qlaira. This may include vaginal dryness, appetite increase, weight gain, cramps, mood changes and reduced libido.
However, Qlaira can cause more oestrogenic side effects including breast fullness and tenderness, headaches, fluid retention, tiredness, irritability, nausea and bloating.
Femme-Tab and acne
Another contraceptive pill used to treat Acne is Femme-tab. Femme-tab contains 100mg of a progesterone called levonorgestrel, combined with 20mg ethinylestradiol. Researchers from the Cochrane Collaboration have looked into the effectiveness of combined levonorgestrel and ethinylestradiol treatment for acne. They found that in comparison to a placebo, the treatment was found to help reduce both inflammatory and non-inflammatory acne. It’s important to remember that people respond to contraceptive pills in different ways, and what works for someone else might not work for you (or vice versa).
Marvelon and acne
Marvelon is a birth control pill that contains desogestrel, a synthetic progestogen. Desogestrel and ethinylestradiol for acne might be a good combination because they reduce the risk of acne symptoms, but also reduce the chances of developing a series of other oestrogenic side effects also.
Marvelon has been shown to help with acne, with one study finding that women who took Marvelon had significantly reduced symptoms.
NuvaRing and acne
NuvaRing is the brand of contraceptive ring used in Australia. It’s a small ring that’s placed inside the vagina which releases hormones over 21 days.
The type of progestogen found in NuvaRing, called etonogestrel, may help some women with skin problems like acne. According to Clue, an app that tracks your menstruation cycle, in ‘an analysis of three studies, people using the birth control ring for three to 13 months report less acne than people using the pill (P).’
However, in the NuvaRing customer medicine information – acne is listed as a potential side effect. Again, what works for some women might not work for others.