Alesse-28 and Acne: What Users Say

• Dan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 25, 2020

For Birth Control "I’ve only been on Alesse-28 for a month now, and I’ve already decided to stop. Literally, it has been the worst month of my life. Extreme moodiness, acne, borderline depression, and a non-existent sex drive are just the tip of the iceberg! I understand that everyone’s body is different, and pills won’t have the same effects for everyone, but honestly, save yourself the trouble and don’t use Alesse."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 21, 2022

For Birth Control "This birth control was awful. It’s day 16 of my period this month, and it’s heavier than ever. My period has never been this bad, and usually my periods are extremely bad due to endometriosis. I gained so much weight in less than a month and gained some acne, which I never get. I’ve also heard that many people get pregnant while on this birth control, and there’s a lawsuit against it. Look for another birth control."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 18, 2018

For Birth Control "Within the first month, my skin became horrible. I’ve never had an acne or pimple problem, just the occasional pimple here and there, but after I started taking Alesse, the acne came out. Currently, my chin is covered in cystic-like acne, which never occurred before, and I have various pimples on my cheeks and forehead. I also ended up having my period for a full 2 weeks, and I’m pretty sure it’s still kind of going on. Not sure if that’s normal, but it has never happened before. Then came the mood swings. I've never been a really angry person, but since starting on this, I’m constantly either extremely happy or extremely upset, and it’s awful. I’ve experienced really bad cramps too. Thought the pill was supposed to help with that too. Going to talk to my doctor about switching pills to see if my side effects clear up."

• yay...
• February 26, 2020

For Birth Control "I've been on this pill, Alesse-28, since I was 17, and I am 21 now. At first, it was really good. I had bad acne on my cheeks and long, heavy periods. I think now that my body is changing, I am getting acne on my chin, and I get bad headaches before my period, none-rarely any sex drive, and I cry literally at everything (especially the week before my period). I did love this birth control at first, but now I don't think it's working for me anymore."

• Fir...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 17, 2013

For Birth Control "I started taking Alesse as soon as I turned 19. This is my 4th month on it. I never got any side effects such as nausea, headaches, and spotting like I was warned. :) But right after I finished my first batch, I got bad PMS symptoms (cravings, breast tenderness, and mood swings) until my first period arrived a couple of days later. The following batches after that were fine. My periods came on time every month, flow was lighter, no cramps, less PMS symptoms, and the duration of my period was noticeably shorter too. Slowly gained an insignificant 5 pounds over the last four months. I rarely get breakouts but got a few big annoying pimples on my face at first. Alesse does its job as a contraceptive, and I recommend it."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 6, 2020

For Birth Control "I've been taking this pill for about 8 months now. My periods have been noticeably different. They almost always come on time, they are heavy for 1-2 days and then are extremely light for the rest of the week. My cramps are not painful anymore, and my acne on my back cleared up nicely (I didn't have much acne anywhere else in the first place). However, I have been having abnormal discharge that I've associated with the pill. I'm not 100% sure, but the timing adds up. Otherwise, it's been a good experience."

• Est...
• December 16, 2017

For Birth Control "I am currently starting my placebo pills on my second month, and let me tell you that my acne is worse than it has ever been in my life. I regret taking this pill so much because now I have painful, large, red cysts in random places all over my cheeks, chin, and jaw area. I have had acne before, but never to such a degree. My face literally flared up around the 10th day. I guess all the hormones kicked in that day because my skin was fine and the next day I flared up. The worst is that they are all staying as bright red scars. I have never had such low self-esteem. I don't even want to leave the house right now (even with makeup). The only two good things are that my boobs grew a lot, and after the first month of horrible mood swings, it goes away."

• Kat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 19, 2022

For Birth Control "I love this birth control! I have been on Alesse for over a month and have experienced absolutely no negative side effects. My mood is normal, I have no abnormal bleeding, no weight gain, no increase in appetite. My breasts feel much fuller now, which I love! My first period was normal, and I only had cramps on the first day of my period. I have very acne-prone skin and tend to break out with hormonal acne. Since taking this birth control, my acne has not gotten worse. It has stayed mostly the same, but my skin is always better in the summer. But I have not had any large cystic acne breakouts so far, so I'm fine with it. I was previously on Yasmin for acne management, however, that birth control made my acne far worse, and I had other negative side effects. Alesse is definitely worth trying because it has a lower dosage of hormones, so you are less likely to experience negative side effects like in other birth controls. I would recommend Alesse to anyone!"

• Emm...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 4, 2023

For Birth Control "It did what it was supposed to, in the way of not allowing pregnancy, however, it caused horrible side effects. Coming onto it, I had acne for months, which went away but returned for months when I came off. I would have random mental breakdowns, weight gain, depression, and anxiety."

• So ...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 28, 2019

For Birth Control "Basically, every time I took the pink pill an hour late, I would get my period until I finished the white. So, I would sometimes have my period for 15 days, which was absolutely awful. It fixed my acne a bit and reduced my cramps slightly, but I’m so sick of having my period for half the month."