Alesse and Acne: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Bdo...
• December 17, 2015

For Birth Control "I've been on Alesse for 2 months, and my experience with it has been absolutely horrible. Cramps every day, breakthrough bleeding, acne, sore breasts, frequent urination, back pain, nausea, bloating, anxiety, and depression. Probably the worst birth control someone could possibly go on!!"

• Gab...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 8, 2018

For Birth Control "I’ve been on this birth control for just over a year, and while it is a good birth control, the symptoms are not letting up for me. Before starting the pill, I had zero acne, but after starting and to this day, I have cystic acne all over my face, and it left scarring on my skin. I have waited for over a year for this to calm down, but it shows no signs of stopping. I’m getting really fed up. It makes my periods regular and pain-free, which is wonderful, but the acne is really making me insecure. Other than the acne and mood swings, I have no other complaints."

• Aly...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 19, 2016

For Birth Control "NOT WORTH THE SIDE EFFECTS!! Seriously. My GP gave me Alesse because she had some packets that were sent to her for free. I thought, 'Hey, why not' and took them. Well, the second month was the worst. Gained probably 10 lbs because I was constantly hungry. Became lethargic, and it made me more depressed. That went away in the third month. Then the acne started. As someone who was on Accutane and had relatively pimple-less skin, this pill brought up old wounds. Turns out this pill, which is often prescribed to treat acne, is one of the worst BC that causes acne. My skin is now 10x more oily, and I have painful zits on my cheeks, chin, and lips. Also, my boobs have gotten bigger, which I hate. The pill also causes me really bad cramps, and my period was off."

• Aly...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 19, 2016

For Birth Control "NOT WORTH THE SIDE EFFECTS!! Seriously. My GP gave me Alesse because she had some packets that were sent to her for free. I thought, 'Hey, why not' and took them. Well, the second month was the worst. Gained probably 10 lbs because I was constantly hungry. Became lethargic, and it made me more depressed. That went away in the third month. Then the acne started. As someone who was on Accutane and had relatively pimple-less skin, this pill brought up old wounds. Turns out this pill, which is often prescribed to treat acne, is one of the worst BC that causes acne. My skin is now 10x more oily, and I have painful zits on my cheeks, chin, and lips. Also, my boobs have gotten bigger, which I hate. The pill also causes me really bad cramps, and my period was off."

• Adr...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 23, 2019

For Endometriosis "Been on Alesse for 3 years, have a bit more acne but no hair loss. I’ve had a really good experience, no spotting if I take it properly and at the same time every day, was only ever nauseous the first 3 days on it ever, know a lot of people on this pill who have had pretty good experiences!"

• Ale...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 20, 2015

For Polycystic Ovary Syndrome "I've been on Alesse for five months now, and I had every side effect. Crazy acne (I've never had until I started taking Alesse), mood swings, weight gain (I was 120 lb before starting Alesse and not five months later 145 lb - I am a petite woman, and I don't eat very much, my food intake and exercise have not changed, thus, the weight gain is depressing), chest pain, swollen breasts, and no sex drive. The pro about Alesse is that it regulates. I had regular periods for five months. The only reason I was put on birth control was to maintain my polycystic ovarian syndrome. I'm 23 and was diagnosed with PCOS last year. I am now switching to a new birth control (Tri Cyclen Lo), and hopefully, this one is better. Fingers crossed!"

• ann...
• October 31, 2016

For Birth Control "This is my first birth control pill, and I have been using it for 1 year and 3 months. Some info: 5'4, 120 pounds, 22 years old. I started using Alesse 28 on the recommendation of my doctor because I have had irregular periods since I was 12. After several tests, I am confirmed to have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which basically gave me major cystic acne, a mild increase in body hair, and irregular periods (occurring 2-4 times a year). This pill has worked great for me: no pain, no depression/anxiety, no weight gain, light nausea a couple of times a month, no cystic acne (only occasional small pimples, but this is normal for me as I have very oily skin). I get a light period and light discharge sometimes seven days before I stop taking the pill."

• ann...
• October 31, 2016

For Birth Control "This is my first birth control pill, and I have been using it for 1 year and 3 months. Some info: 5'4, 120 pounds, 22 years old. I started using Alesse 28 on the recommendation of my doctor because I have had irregular periods since I was 12. After several tests, I am confirmed to have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which basically gave me major cystic acne, a mild increase in body hair, and irregular periods (occurring 2-4 times a year). This pill has worked great for me: no pain, no depression/anxiety, no weight gain, light nausea a couple of times a month, no cystic acne (only occasional small pimples, but this is normal for me as I have very oily skin). I get a light period and light discharge sometimes seven days before I stop taking the pill."

• Syr...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 15, 2017

For Birth Control "I have been on Alesse 28 for a year now as of this upcoming March. Big improvement over my other pill, Ministerin 24. Before I took Alesse, I had irregular periods with lots of blood on the 2nd day. After switching to Alesse, my periods are only 4 days, and I have no spotting compared to my other pill. I recommend this pill to any woman, but talk to your gynecologist first, as it is not for everyone. Also, I have no acne!"

• Not...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 16, 2016

For Birth Control "I've been on Alesse for 2 months now, going on my third month. This pill is not so bad, no weight gain, acne, or mood swings. But I'm experiencing chronic fatigue on this pill, when I am on my period week, I feel so much better. Everything else is really great, but I'm not sure how much longer I will stay on this. I can't live my life with exhaustion, it makes me lose desire for things I normally love. Coffee fixes it a little, but it is still there. I would rather have the old me back, or maybe switching my birth control? But it's a good birth control other than that (you will find nothing perfect out there)."

• Ami...
• December 3, 2010

For Birth Control "If you're looking for a birth control that's easy on your body in the sense that you don't get mood swings, no weight gain, good sex drive, etc., you might like Alesse. If you're looking for all that as well as an acne treatment, BEWARE (especially if you have adult acne)! My doctor put me on Alesse because I was looking for a birth control and an acne treatment (I had moderate adult acne on my cheeks). The first three months, I thought I was in heaven. No mood swings, no weight gain, clear skin, etc. Then, approaching my period in the fourth month, I woke up with six acne cysts on my chin, jaw, and lower cheek. I had never had them before. Still getting pre-period cystic breakout, onto Diane 35 next month."

• AJa...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 10, 2021

For Birth Control "I’ve been in this for close to 10 years now. I tried switching to an IUD last year and had to come back to Alesse because my acne got out of control. My skin is super nice on this, my cramping is lessened, my periods are shorter, and I haven’t gotten pregnant thus far. What more could I ask for? I would recommend this but know everyone reacts differently to birth control brands."

• Che...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 12, 2016

For Birth Control "This birth control was the worst experience of my life. It gave me horrible breakouts for an entire week during each month, and I gained a significant amount of weight. I stayed on it hoping it would get better, but it never did. I've finally switched brands and finally seen improvement in my skin."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 23, 2017

For Birth Control "I took Alesse for 1 month and 1 week. After the first week, I broke out with the worst cystic acne I have ever had in my life. I tried to stick it out to the three-month mark to see if it would clear up, but it was so horrible I decided to stop 1 week into my second pack. I'm giving it 5 stars because I didn't experience any other side effects whatsoever, which I have gotten on other pills."

• k09...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 19, 2016

For Birth Control "Alesse is NOT an appropriate birth control choice to help with hormonal acne. One of the main causes of hormonal acne is a rise in androgens (male hormones), which you do NOT need more of if you are experiencing hormonal acne (jawline, chin, cystic). I did not realize that Alesse had added androgens and went on it for just short of a month. Needless to say, my face, back, and chest area have broken out worse than being off birth control altogether. I am sure this is a great birth control option for some, but keep in mind that it is probably not your best bet if your main focus is to decrease your acne. Hope this helps!"

• ky0...
• August 8, 2017

For Birth Control "I was on Alesse for about 4 years. Just going off it now just to see how I feel off birth control (if I feel any different). My experience with it was great. My period cramps became way more manageable, and my periods only ever lasted about 4 days max. For the last 2 years, my boyfriend and I would have sex, no condom, and never had any scares, so it works well! (I was good with it and took it every night before bed). I don't have acne-prone skin, so I didn't experience any problems while on the pill. I've been on Alesse since grade 12, so I'm curious as to how my body might be off the pill, that's the only reason I'm going off it, and I would definitely take it again if/when I go back on the pill."

• ano...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 11, 2017

For Birth Control "I started taking this pill about 3 years ago. At first, I wanted to use it as a birth control and to clear up my acne (which wasn't that bad; I had light to moderate acne with no cysts). However, my acne got a lot worse (severe cystic acne), and I didn't know it was from that pill. I had acne like I never had before, and I started experiencing violent headaches (at least 1 or 2 per week). I tried a lot of treatments for acne, but none of them worked. Due to a breakup with my ex-boyfriend from the last 5 years, I stopped the pill about 3 months ago. Honestly, my face cleared up now, and it's as smooth as a baby's butt! Also, I never experienced headaches again since I stopped that pill. So yeah, that pill did its job as a birth control, but it wasn't the great one for me, and it's too bad that I realized it 3 years later!"

• Ano...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 19, 2015

For Birth Control "I started the birth control last summer in August and stopped it this April. For the first 6 months of taking the pill, I had no problems at all, I felt normal except I did get acne, which went away after about 1-3 months. It shortened my period to about 4-5 days instead of my normal week-long and a half periods. But after 6 months of taking the pill, I would sometimes get my period early by about 8 days, and then the next month it would be back to normal. Also, I would get bad cramps and back aches, which appeared after 6 months. This was bothersome to me, especially after the pill worked great for about 6 months. The early periods, cramps, and backaches were doable, but I decided to switch off it to Loestrin 1.5/30."

• Nic...
• December 29, 2018

For Birth Control "I used Alesse for about two years, and it was effective as far as birth control goes. I got this to help my acne and irregular periods plus cramps. For the acne, I didn’t notice any difference in my skin, and since it’s always been bad, I couldn’t tell if Alesse was making it better or worse. For the irregular periods, this helped tremendously! My periods were so light, only lasted 2-3 days with light spotting on the last day, and I was cramp-free for two years! I would’ve stayed on it, but I wanted to try something different for the acne, so I’m now on Cyred. I didn’t notice any other symptoms besides what I mentioned. When I got off Alesse for a few months, my period was its usual weird, heavy, painful period as soon as I got off it. Overall, I would recommend it if your main concerns are irregular periods and cramps."

• Min...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 21, 2018

For Birth Control "I’m a first-time user, and my doctor prescribed me Alesse. I’ve been on it for 5 months, debating on switching pills for the last 2. This pill caused me acne when my skin was basically almost perfect before, and a little bit of weight gain. The only good it gave was some less bad cramps. But overall, would not recommend."

• Run...
• June 29, 2017

For Birth Control "There were many positives to Alesse (I was on the generic - Aviane). This was about my 4th or 5th kind of BC pill, as I tend to have issues and side effects with most others. The only side effects I had on this were spotty, random periods, and acne. I can handle the breakthrough bleeding, but the acne was just awful. I have acne-prone skin, and Yaz totally cleared it up, but made me gain weight. When I switched to Alesse, I lost weight (not entirely due to changing the pill), but my acne came back horribly. I am going to switch soon. I didn't have any mood swings. I have some cramps during my period. It didn't mess with my sex drive (Yaz killed it). I would recommend this ONLY if you don't have issues with acne."

• Gir...
• September 16, 2017

For Birth Control "I've been taking Alesse for 3 months now, and my experience was very poor. There's a number of problems I had with this birth control pill. Number one is the nausea. Every day for the last couple of months, I would feel slight nausea to the point where I thought maybe I was pregnant. I took pregnancy tests a number of times because I was worried if maybe I was really pregnant. I did some research that the pills give you nausea, so I waited and continued taking it with food before taking it, and still, nothing worked. On top of that, I've gotten severe acne. I don't usually get acne, my skin is clear, but once I started taking the pill, my acne grew worse. It's really bad now. Lastly, the mood swings and period cramps, which were terrible."

• min...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 4, 2019

"I was put on Alesse-28 after experiencing excruciating pain during my PMS stage and in hopes of making my skin clear (I don’t have serious acne, but I do get problem spots often on my forehead). After using Alesse for a month, I started to realize that I had been getting awful acne on my cheeks and chin, which I'd never had before. After ruling out all my makeup and skincare products, the only thing left was my birth control to be the culprit. Now, after two months, my skin is worse every day. I am switching to Yasmin. Alesse did help with my PMS symptoms but made my skin worse than it’s ever been."

• Tif...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 12, 2018

For Birth Control "Worst birth control I have ever taken by far. Took it for 3 months (gave it a fair shot). Broke out in the worst cystic acne of my entire life. Zero sex drive. Prone to sadness. Can't wait to start a new pack of something else. Not for me."

• Jan...
• February 4, 2021

For Birth Control "I’ve been taking Alesse close to a year now. I noticed that my acne was starting to get really bad... the worst it had been in years. I’m 27, and it reminded me of being in high school again. I’ve had a major appetite lately, and I’m not sure if that’s related to the birth control or not. I was getting a lot of breakthrough bleeding between my periods as well. Struggling with exhaustion and occasional nausea... but on the plus side, my mood had significantly improved and leveled out. I was way less emotional. I tried to stick this out and see if my body would balance out, but my acne just keeps getting worse. The other day I saw my mom, and she looked at my skin and said, “What happened? I haven’t seen that in a long time.” Between that and the breakthrough bleeding, I knew I needed to give something else a try."