I’ve been on the birth control pill three times in my life, each time for a period of less than ten months, and interestingly each time for the prevention of acne not for the prevention of a baby (but of course it helped with that too!).
So I thought I’d take the time today to write a post about my experiences with what the naturopath recommended to me the last time I went off the pill. I had specifically scheduled in an appointment with my naturopath before I went off the BCP to get some orthomolecular support for the prevention of acne while my body was sorting out its natural hormones again.
Please note however that in my discussions with my naturopath we both agreed that when I personally get acne it’s largely due to emotional “stuff”. So in my case supplements and diet can only help prevent an acne breakout, which means they’re not a complete cure. It’s still so important to treat acne holistically, which means working with EVERY piece of the puzzle – diet, supplements, exercise, skin picking, relaxation & mind stuff. If I’m dealing with some heavy emotional stuff for example, it doesn’t matter how great my diet is or how many supplements I take, that emotional stuff can be the sole reason why I’m getting my acne.
Also note that while these recommended supplements are fairly generic and are likely to be recommended to any woman coming off the pill and worried about getting acne, it’s still a good idea to run this treatment option past your own natural therapist in case they would recommend a variation that’s unique to you. I don’t want you to waste your money on purchasing a heap of supplements that may not work for your individual case. Some of these supplements are also for practitioner dispensing only so you will need to visit your natural therapist if you want to get your hands on the same brands that were recommended to me.
My trip to the naturopath in preparation for getting off the pill
I think my naturopath found it quite difficult to treat me because I was healthy at the time and didn’t have any acne at all. All he could really do was treat me as if I had acne and give me herbs to help balance out my hormones once I was off the pill.
For the prevention of acne, he gave me:
- Arctium & zinc compound by phyto medicine
- His own made up detoxification tea
And to help my hormones naturally balance out, he gave me:
- Premular by flordis herbal medicines, which I’d taken before with great success for the prevention of PMT and regulating my cycle.
The detoxification tea included a combination of burdock root, nettle, oregan grape, baical skullcap, peppermint and licorice. I love herbal teas so this part of the treatment was an absolute pleasure. And this tea in particular I really like so I enjoyed drinking it twice a day.
In my opinion, this gentle treatment option is a good way for women to ease themselves off the pill. Combined with a good diet of whole foods (especially heaps of organic veggies), regular exercise, relaxation, no skin picking and working towards a happy and healthy mind – this to me is the absolute best way to prevent an acne breakout after you go off the pill.
If you’ve had a skin experience (good or bad) after going off the pill, let us all know about it by writing in the response box below. We’d love to hear from you!
28 responses ↓
Birth controls trick the body into thinking it’s pregnant, thus causing cells to form and excess cells, rapid cell growth is how cancer starts.
Having clear skin is great.. but it’s not worth the risk IMO.
Hey Fran, exactly what I requested! info about going off the pill!
I went off the pill this summer because my cystic acne got so bad I didn’t think I could handle it anymore. I was on it for almost 10 years! I went off of it and noticed a huge difference in the way my face felt. I was getting breakouts during my entire cycle while I was on it. Now I’m getting them mostly around my period, so I am still trying to sort that out. I definately think I have a hormonal imbalance so hopefully being off the pill can get me back to normal. I’m on about 4 months I think of being off of it. Do you think it will take longer? I wish I could go to a doctor like yours but I haven’t had health insurance in over a year.
Kaitlin – Wow that’s great your acne is reduced now that you’re off the pill. Being on it for 10 years means that your hormones have a bit of sorting out to do! They need to figure out how to get back into your natural rhythm. The cycle breakouts will stop in its own time. This could be anywhere between 4 months to 18 months from what I’ve learned from other women who’ve experienced breakouts from coming off the pill.
But for now you can consult your naturopath or natural therapist on what to do. They’re likely to point you in the direct of something like vitex agnus castus.
We don’t have medical insurance in Australia for natural therapists either, so I pay full price when I visit my naturopath … but it’s worth it
My acne is purely a result of taking and coming off of the pill. Never had acne in all my life until I stopped taking the pill for the 2nd and 3rd time. The 3rd time I went on it was due to the fact I couldn’t bear having acne. Now that I’ve been off it for 7 months, my acne has gradually subsided slightly but I still get random horrible pustules and inflamed comedones mainly on my chin.
I tried Vitex, EPO and fish oil for a couple of months, all of which had little to no effect. I refuse to touch Benzoyl Peroxide and I think my next resort may be topical antibiotic cream. I have 3-4 spots on my chin at any given time – and they aren’t painful but they do get those massive pussy heads, which no spot treatment seems to have effect on. I’ve tried tea tree oil, manuka oil, manuka honey, clay masks, AHA and BHA and my acne is just so stubborn.
I’m trying to resist going back on the pill, but if my skin is still the same in 6months, I’m taking the pill. The stress and depression of waking up every other day to find these horrible pussy heads just isn’t worth trying to be natural and stay off the pill.
By the way, Fran, can I ask from your acquaintances who’ve experienced post-pill breakouts, did they find that their acne gradually tailed off as time wore on, or did it literally just clear up overnight after 6/12/18 months?
hey Joolzy,
I have the same problems. Getting off the pill helped me but now I break out heavily around my period (still not as bad as before though).
I have blackheads, whiteheads, and the pussy headed ones that you speak of. I find that Im very clogged all the time even when not broken out. I find that the best spot treatment for me is salicylic acid. Its brings everything out to the surface rather than drying it out and keeping it for later. I get a “blemish control gel” from a Spa in Los Angeles that I love, it tingles when its working.
Hi there,
I have the same problem. I’ve been off the pill for 8 months now and my skin has been so temperamental. its not full blown acne, but i have a lot of tiny congested spots and every few days i have get a couple of larger inflamed ones that take about a week to clear. I’ve been sticking to a candida diet and using natural products on my skin (hemp hemp hooray cleanser, bee yummy moisturiser) and paula’s choice 1% but nothing is really working. I can have a week of pretty good skin, and the next week its chaos. when i’m on the pill its flawless. I am also seeing a naturopath, but so far i’ve had no real success
Hello,
I have been on the pill for 19 years. I just stopped taking it 3 months ago and my skin is horrible. I’ve tried all sorts of things and I refuse to use anymore chemicals or drugs. I am going to try the candida diet in the New Year and am using natural products like Bee Yummy. I’m also going to find a good naturopath and hopefully get some supplements and a routine that will help me until my hormones sort themselves out. I feel as though it will be a long process as I was on it so long but we’ll see. It’s so depressing as I had relatively acne free skin for so long.
Andi- It really doesn’t have to take that long so please stop telling yourself that! A friend of mine was on the BCP for 16 years, she went off it last November and her skin broke out to moderate acne, especially under her jaw line. She refused to change her diet (she eats a lot of sugar and has a standard Australian diet), made slight modifications to her skin care routine but that was all. It took exactly one year of moderate acne for her skin to clear up, and now her skin is almost 100% clear. So your hormones will sort themselves out even if you do nothing about it holistically.
Simone- What has your naturopath recommended to you? Are you working with your hormones?
Hi there
Well two months after coming off the pill, I broke out badly like never before. It was terrible. I am still enduring break outs a year later. I think its slowly going but I cant wait to be me again.
One day they will find a cure and probably will see the day or not lol
I am tempted to go back on it, for quality of life reason.
Kylie
Hi, I came off a BCP after 16 years. My acne does seem to flare up before my period comes. But not too bad.
I feel much better inside since I came off it. I sleep better and my libido is back up to normal again. I don’t feel as weepy either.
I just feel healthier. Maybe it’s all in my head
But I have found that by cutting down on alcohol, caffeine and sugar, my skin is getting better – very slowly.
Still getting acne, but nowhere near as much!
Hey Kaitlin, whereabouts is your acne? Mine is pretty much just on my chin, although I do get the odd random spot on my cheeks or in between my nose and mouth.
From what I’ve read on acne.org about other people’s experiences (where there is a very long thread just on this topic), it IS a long process to try and clear your skin, and a lot of women who wait over a year still find their skin isn’t back to normal, and the rest tend to resort to going on the pill again because the low self esteem and disruption to the quality of life just isn’t worth waiting to see IF their acne does clear up.
I just wish doctors were more forthcoming about the consequences of taking the BCP. It’s handed out like candy, and it really shouldn’t be any more. I wish I’d never started taking the damn thing all those years ago.
I’ve tried adjusting my diet and even though I eat healthily and allow myself the odd treat, it doesn’t make any difference to my skin.
I’m currently trying zinc tablets, because the BCP can apparently leave you with a zinc deficiency once you stop it.
I’d love to point out again to everyone that it’s NOT guaranteed that you’re going to get bad skin once you come off the pill. When I came off the pill when I was 21 or so I have mild acne at the worst, in fact I can’t even remember getting any acne afterwards. I also have a housemate who has not had any acne at all after being off the pill – and she’s been off it for about a year.
I just went off the pill three weeks ago for menstrual purposes and my acne since then has gone crazy! Although emotions have a huge side to it, I think it was also due to the fact that my body has to adjust without the extra hormones. However, the BCP didn’t help my acne very much at all, but now that I’m off it my acne has gotten increasingly worse.
I have horrific acne at the moment, came of the “skin pill” in July and it’s been about 5 months now. Breakouts are mostly all over my cheeks and chin. It’s horrible waking up each morning and clients at work thinking I mustn’t look after myself. I’m also dealing with a breakup – so there’s emotional pain in there too like you Fran. My naturopath also found I’m allergic to citrus and dairy, so i’m off that and alcohol and sugar. Urgh, I wish it would just get better soon. Working with regular facials and AHA, Zinc etc. Can’t wait for this to be over – plotting a liver cleanse next year if nothing else works
I was on the pill from the age of 15 to 24. I went off the pill and it took almost a year for me to get acne and when i got it, it was pretty bad and a very stressful experience. Before going on the pill at 15 i NEVER had a pimple. I didnt last too long and at age 26 I went back on the pill and am now 28 and have finally decided to get off of it, the Yaz commercials are getting to me:) I”m so scared that im going to get my acne back. I will be off of it by the New year and will keep you all updated on my results, im hoping the 2nd time around this wont be the case. If you have any advice id greatly appreciate it. I also am willing to wait it out if i know with in a period of time the acne will go away not that im going to be with it forever or for a LONG period of time.
Hey I decided to go off birth control after thinking long and hard about it and realizing that my acne and candida issues came shortly after being on it. I have switched brands a few times but i would just like to be hormone free.
I bought the lady comp natural contraceptive and am excited to use it.
I am a little scared of breaking out but because I know more about how to better mt emotional and physical health I am optimistic that I will be able to deal with whatever comes.
good luck to everyone else who is getting off of bc or has already and is deaking with the effects fo your hormones stabilizing.
in the end, I think we are doing what is best for our bodies and our minds
hi, I’ve been off the pill a month now. For the 1 month it was fine, no pimples at least not much. I’ve been eating pretty healthy, no sugar or dairy. Yesterday I had a couple of breakouts around my forehead and today I had lots of white heads and couple of huge pimples around my cheeks,
and chin sometimes it feels itchy too. I’m worry it might get worst. Should I give it a few more weeks or go right back to the pill?
I have been on the BCP for 7 years and I have gone off it twice before for a very breif time. I recently got with the program and went vegan for more reasons that my own vanity, but I figured if I was going to be treating my body right I would have to stop the pill. I also started using Aubrey Organics for oily skin which is just fantastic and also vegan, taking vitex and my fish oil. I did have amazingly clear skin for about the first month off, which I believed to be the calm before the storm. I will not go back on the pill, and I know if any of you out there are like me the acne doesn’t just look bad it hurts too. I have a lot of problems with friends and family making comments on how I need to wash my face more because they just don’t understand! We need to realize that for our bodies and our years to come that acne is a small sacrifice we have to make to be the healthiest we can be. I am still trying to convince myself that this is for the better even if I can’t stand the acne. Its hard but with time and patience you will figure it out!
I’m so glad I’ve found this website. Its made me feel better knowing at least that others understand what I’m going through. I was on the pill for a year and I came off a year ago now and for the past 3 months my skin has got progressively worse. I had the occassional breakout (like one spot a month) before going on the pill but generally clear healthy and good skin. I confess to having a horrible picking habit which does not allow me to leave my spots alone particularly at night when my skin feels really itchy and irritated. Its extremely upsetting to have bad skin, I’ve lost confidence and all my best friend and boyfriend can say is that I need to wash my face more and stop wearing makeup, (I did give up wearing makeup for several weeks and my skin condition did not improve). My skin is now extremely oily and thick and a mess of ugly acne scars. Its hard to try and work on reducing the scarring because each day the (very expensive) Elemis skincare products I’ve been using dry up my last round of spots but are replaced by another lot (which end up being more scars). My skin tone and texture are totally uneven which makes wearing makeup now a necessity instead of just to brighten up my face. I take fish oil and a multi-vitamin or 2 everyday. I think this is helping to speed up my hair growth but has done nothing for my skin. From what I’ve read on this site it may take around a year for my hormones to re-regulate themselves (fingers crossed). So in the mean time my plan is to stick to the Elemis skincare until my bottles run out (because its really improved the few good areas on my face) and supplements, any tips on good ones would be appreciated. I plan to buy the Zenmed skin eraser for my scars and I’m thinking of buying a light-emitting machine to help treat and prevent my spots. But it’s all so expensive and theirs no guarantee of what will work.
Hey, everyone!
In a few months, I am planning to go off of the pill. I want to prevent this inevitable breakout I keep reading about, so I’m trying to do everything in my power to keep my skin clean and boost my supplement intake prior to taking the plunge.
My plan is to go off the pill in April (after my period) to try to conceive. Since early January, I have been doing the following:
-Wash face twice a day with Burts Bees
-Use Benzoyl Peroxide (2.5) on any blemishes I have (which are always minor thanks to ortho-cyclen)
-Use oil free foundation and powder from Neutrogena
Take once a day:
-Zinc (50 mg)
-Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E
-B-6
-B-complex
-Acidophilus
-Folic Acid
Take once a week:
-Vitamin A (8000 IU)
-Omega 3-6-9
Once I go off the pill, I plan to immediately supplement with Evening Primrose Oil. I’m staying away from Vitex because I’ve heard it encourages the progesterone hormone, which I think (from previous experience) causes my hormonal acne.
How does this sound? I know that I may still encounter a breakout after being off of the pill for a while, but I’m hopeful that my preventative measures will have helped at least somewhat.
I had been on the oral contraceptive for 2 1/2 years when I decided to get off of it at the end of August this year. At first my skin stayed pretty clear. Now 5 1/2 months later my skin has gotten progressively worse. I had hoped that my skin wouldn’t break out while getting off the pill, and planned a strict regimen. I wash my face and shower morning and night. I use a toner morning and night. I use an oil-free facial lotion and an acne treatment. Also I have gone without foundation on my face for several months. I drink water regularly haven’t had ANY pop, alcohol, or processed foods. I take a daily multi-vitamin. I walk for 30 minutes a day. Also I don’t pick at my acne. Yet none of this helped. My skin was horribly broken out around the mouth area and the jaw line. 3 days ago I started to dreaded pill again and yet just 3 days later I see a significant difference. However I really don’t want to start the pill again as after taking it I also started to get cellulite. I don’t know what to do. Should I stop or continue? Should I just take the pills for a couple days near my periods? Is that safe to do?
I believe the birth control pill messes up our internal cell structures, that is why we have a hard time when us girls get off the pill, we suffer the consequences of breakouts. I rather have endured the bad period pain then to ever go onto the pill. I know WOULD OF, SHOULD OF, COULD OF.
I can totally relate to this! I am 31 yrs old. I started using BCP about 3 years ago. I started taking them because my heavy periods were causing me to become anemic. I mainly took Ortho Tricyclen and some months due to my forgetfulness i would stop taking them. But whenever i stopped i never experienced bad acne. Last year i started taking the generic of Ortho and again a few months ago I stopped taking them because I was concerned about the amount of hormones going into my body. And now 3 months later my face looks really bad. Forehead, chin, jawline. I work in cosmetics and I’ve never experienced this and have never had acne issues before. I’ve been trying all different skincare products nothing is working. After reading all these comments, I realize that its because of getting off the pills.
Thats really upsetting because I didn’t have this problem when i got off the pill before. I will be getting back on the pill next week, not only because of the acne but to prevent pregnancy. I want to go natural but I just can’t find any method that would be realistic for my lifestyle.
I am concerned about the post BCP acne in the future but for now I hope once I start taking the pill again it will get better.
I had really bad acne before I went on the pill. My doctor said that birth control would fix it, so I started using it for about 7 months, (on and off for 2 months) and my skin did clear up. I’m off the pill now and I’m thinking of staying that way, but I am so scared that it will break out again, I don’t know what to do. Should I continue to be on the pill of just deal with the acne while using Clinique products on my face (which I was also using when I was on the pill).
i went of the pill for about 3 weeks after being on for about a year
now my face is braking out like crazy and i have not been in such great mooods, if i go back on the pill will these problems go away?
So just thought I would add a post after reading so many…
So I am now 27, and have been on the pill for 3.5 years…..Never liking being on it, i stopped in November of last year and now its July, and I can say for the first 6 months it was all good….got my period again and felt way better, less moody and irritated, not as emotional….Now after the first 6 months my skin has gone to absoloute crap…..I have not had skin like this ever, not even highschool…Does anyone have any ideas how long this generally takes to clear out of your system…I am hoping a year max……..ideas on good cleansers,vitamins,anything, as my skin is a nightmare, and I am freaking out….
please suggestions
Hey guys I’ve posted on this thread several times but wanted to update. I am 25 and i was on BC pills for 10 years from age 14-24. I went off them last August because I was breaking out so bad that it was interfering with my life. It was painful, cystic and everywhere. Nothing helped. I have tried everything i have cut wheat/gluten, soy, and dairy before. I have done a brief candida diet but when I realized none of this worked I stopped depriving myself.
My skin has been slightly better but still is a huge inconvienence in my life. Lately, a year after being off the pill i decided to go back on one with the advice of my gyno who said this one would help balance me out rather than spike my hormones like the last one. So far, its been okay. Brief breakouts but not too bad. In response to NYCKY, yes I think it takes a year or over a year to get the pill out of your system. It was a rough year but im glad i did it.
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