Alesse and Acne: What Users Say (Page 3)

• 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."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 11, 2021

For Birth Control "My doctor put me on Generic Alesse after I had experienced some bad side effects on YAZ (low sex drive, low mood). I have been on it for 9 months, and my skin has gotten really bad. I have zero other side effects, but my acne is horrible to the point where I am embarrassed to leave the house. I tried every topical treatment for the acne to no avail. I am engaged to be married, and now I have to find another pill to try and clear my skin. This is not something I thought I'd be dealing with at 28. :("

• kat...
• November 2, 2018

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I was prescribed this pill by my primary care physician. I complained to her about heavy, painful periods and bad acne, and just in general wanted to be on a birth control pill. Because Alesse is such a low dosage, she thought it would be good to start me on. If you have a history of bad acne or are wanting a pill to help with clearing up acne, do not take this pill. It is not good for acne. I have a history of acne and mine worsened a lot (tons of breakouts). However, I didn’t experience any other negative side effects; my periods were light and virtually painless. My friend is currently on this pill and she loves it—though she’s always had clear skin and has no complaints. I think it largely depends on the person. In all other ways, it’s good, with minimal side effects. Just remember to give it a fair try; side effects may subside after 3-6 months, and 1 month or less isn’t enough time to determine your body’s response to a BC pill."

• A23...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 1, 2018

For Birth Control "This is the worst pill ever! It made my skin terrible. The doctor gave me the generic pill that was covered by insurance. I started in October 2016. A week later, I started breaking out all over my forehead. Then I gave the pill 3 months and saw no improvement, then gave it another 3 months and saw nothing. So, 9 months in, I read online the generic pill does not work as well as the brand pill. I stayed on the pill for another 6 months. If your skin does not improve in 3 months, get off the pill! I got off the pill in October 2017 and it’s March 2018, and I still am getting over the symptoms. This is a disgusting pill and, trust me, I read reviews on every site and they say the same."

• RiW...
• November 13, 2017

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "This garbage pill turned me into a robot. I seriously had zero emotions and cared about nothing. I was only on it for a month, but I'm still dealing with the acne it gave me all over my cheeks. I regret taking this pill so much. If you don't want extra body hair or deal with acne, choose a less androgenic pill. Otherwise, it didn't have any side effects besides body hair growth in places men usually have it and acne all over the lower part of my face."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 21, 2017

For Birth Control "I'm just finishing up my 3rd pack of Alesse! Before starting Alesse, I read a lot of reviews to know what to expect, but for me, it's been really good! I'm 18, about 105 lb, and the most I was concerned about was getting bad acne on this pill. For me, I've had clear skin my whole life and didn't want to make it worse. The first week of taking this birth control, I broke out on my forehead and it really freaked me out. It all cleared up within a few days, though, and I haven't had worse acne than before taking the pill. My only side effect is my sex drive has gone down quite a bit, I didn't really think about this one until I had it for myself. Also, I'm very dry, but nothing that lube can't fix! My boobs have grown about a cup size too, haha."

• Sha...
• October 25, 2018

For Ovarian Cysts "I've been taking this birth control for over a year now. I have experienced breaking out, having major anxiety that I can't even go out in public anymore because it's that bad! Major depression and having a lack of confidence because of anxiety. This birth control is no good, it feels like it's wrecking my life!"

• Pri...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 26, 2017

For Birth Control "I've been on and off the generic version of Alesse for around 2 years now. I love this pill because I don't get many side effects, and it has worked perfectly for the duration of my usage. But the downside is that it made my skin break out. I've always had acne-prone skin, but on this pill, I get large under-the-skin bumps and clogged pores all over my chin - which is an area I NEVER experienced problems with (and how I pinpointed it to the pill). My forehead gets clogged pores as well, which is unflattering. I've tried to ride it out and hoped that it would go away, but it never does, even with a great skincare regimen. Although I don't experience other side effects, the acne never goes away and seems to be getting worse - not worth it."

• Pri...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 26, 2017

For Birth Control "I've been on and off the generic version of Alesse for around 2 years now. I love this pill because I don't get many side effects, and it has worked perfectly for the duration of my usage. But the downside is that it made my skin break out. I've always had acne-prone skin, but on this pill, I get large under-the-skin bumps and clogged pores all over my chin - which is an area I NEVER experienced problems with (and how I pinpointed it to the pill). My forehead gets clogged pores as well, which is unflattering. I've tried to ride it out and hoped that it would go away, but it never does, even with a great skincare regimen. Although I don't experience other side effects, the acne never goes away and seems to be getting worse - not worth it."

• Sid...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 4, 2016

For Birth Control "I've been on Alesse for over a year and a half. Side effects hit me hard. (I'm 21 years old.) I had perfect skin my entire life (even through puberty), and after I commenced the pill, the acne hit me like a ton of bricks. All forms of acne are on my face, and I've been using dermatologist products and services, and they said it's a hormonal issue as to why the acne has gotten so horrible. The high androgen actually causes skin to get worse. So when people say birth control doesn't cause acne, they are WRONG, because this birth control DOES CAUSE ACNE. Not only did I get acne, I gained 15 pounds, breasts got larger (only plus side), severe nausea the week before my period, and began suffering depression. It's time to switch to another birth control."

• Ale...
• January 18, 2018

For Birth Control "I had very mild acne until I switched to Alesse, my skin broke out in cystic acne along my jaw and cheeks. I'm still recovering my skin from the acne and hoping that none of this leaves me with scars. I would not recommend this BC to anyone. I switched to Tricyclen recently, and my skin is slowly starting to calm down. Other than the acne, there's nothing really bad or good about Alesse birth control, I just think there's a lot of other better options out there."

• Ali...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 15, 2017

For Birth Control "I switched to this pill after taking progesterone only, and I almost immediately regretted it. I was moody and nasty, gained 10-15 pounds within the first two weeks of taking it, started to become depressed, and it completely reduced my sex drive. I also had mild acne before I started taking it, and it developed into cystic acne within a week and didn’t clear up. I’ve been off it for over a month now, still have the cystic acne, but my mood and sex drive came back up. I hated what happened to me on it so much that I stopped taking it after the first month because, to me, trying to finish the 3-month trial wasn’t worth it. There are other options."

• Ali...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 15, 2017

For Birth Control "I switched to this pill after taking progesterone only, and I almost immediately regretted it. I was moody and nasty, gained 10-15 pounds within the first two weeks of taking it, started to become depressed, and it completely reduced my sex drive. I also had mild acne before I started taking it, and it developed into cystic acne within a week and didn’t clear up. I’ve been off it for over a month now, still have the cystic acne, but my mood and sex drive came back up. I hated what happened to me on it so much that I stopped taking it after the first month because, to me, trying to finish the 3-month trial wasn’t worth it. There are other options."

• Vai...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 20, 2016

For Birth Control "I took Alesse as birth control as well as to stop my acne. I used to get bad acne before my period, and it recently started because before I didn't used to get acne. I'm 19, by the way, and just before the beginning of the school year, I started getting this, and the doctors suggested birth control because it could be hormones. My acne wasn't that bad, just a few on my forehead and cheeks, but after I started taking Alesse, it got really bad, and I have super bad hyperpigmentation now that I didn't have before. I took it for about 5 months and stopped, and now my acne is gone, but the hyperpigmentation remains."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 13, 2017

For Birth Control "This birth control made me break out so much because of its low estrogen to high androgen ratio. I was also very moody and irritable. I was told to wait for my body to get used to it, but I ended up giving up around the 4-month mark. I switched to Ortho Tri-Cyclen because it has a higher estrogen to lower androgen ratio."

• jna...
• September 12, 2017

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I just started this birth control to help my heavy flow and period cramps, and when I began my pack, I was happy with the results because I had less acne and I never felt achy or crampy. As soon as I started the sugar pills, I got my period, and my cramps continued to be as bad as they were before. Although my flow wasn't as heavy, my cramps were bad enough that I had to miss school and my extracurricular activities."

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 17, 2025

For Birth Control "I started Alesse birth control in December of 2024. It is now almost March of 2025. So far I’ve had a pretty wonderful experience, no acne, no weight gain, and no terrible side effects. I am 16 years old and under 100 lbs and have not put on any weight, and even if anyone were to, it’s usually due to fluid retention and will eventually subside. (My doctor told me the only potential amount of weight would be 2-5 lbs, and it usually goes to the breasts or bum.) I find it scary and quite misleading reading reviews on this birth control, hearing that some women gained like 30 pounds. This is quite unrealistic and may not be caused by the birth control itself, that could’ve been caused by other factors (the pill itself shouldn’t be blamed!) Also, disclaimer: I started the pill to help awful period cramps, and it has already started helping them significantly! (Also gives me a regular period - I know when to expect it. DON’T let bad reviews scare you, everyone is different :))"

• Anonymous
• March 22, 2016

For Birth Control "I started Alesse near the end of November, and within the first week, I noticed red, itchy dots on my face. At first, my doctor told me it was because of the foundation I was using. But once I got about two months into using this birth control, I noticed a cycle with my face: terrible acne, itchy bumps, and one of my eyes very red and swollen. I had very nice skin before this birth control, but the whole time using Alesse, my skin was filled with acne. Although it was very effective at preventing pregnancy, I wouldn't recommend this to anyone with sensitive skin. Once I stopped taking it a little over a week ago, I've had no problems with my skin."

• TDO...
• September 28, 2016

For Birth Control "I've been on this pill for less than a month, and it's been awful - I wanted to see if it would help lessen the duration and heaviness of my period, but I'm terrified that it's going to make it worse - my acne has been out of control this past month. On my other pill, I would get the occasional pimple around the start of my period, but this is just ridiculous. I've been experiencing cramps and digestive problems all month and didn't think it would be the pill, but I'm switching back to Yaz. This stuff sucks."

• con...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 21, 2016

For Birth Control "I have been on Alesse for 5 months now, and at the beginning it seemed to work effectively - regulating my periods, preventing pregnancy, as well as partially helping my acne. Although by the 3rd month, I started getting my period before the placebo pills, and it became irregular again, coming any time throughout the month... I'm now switching to a different pill, but all in all, the pill was okay when it was working. Although my periods were irregular, it still prevented pregnancy, so that's great. Only thing is that I gained around 5 lbs, and it didn't help with cramps or lightening my period, which is one of the reasons I went on it in the first place."

• Lau...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 3, 2019

"Unfortunately, this pill is not working out for me. I have been having heavy bleeding for 3 weeks straight now, am an emotional wreck, have no energy, nausea, unending appetite, edema, and acne. I’m trying to score an engineering co-op right now and do not have time to “wait it out” because the side effects (mood swings especially) are affecting my ability to be a functional human being. I don’t want to find out how that translates into the interview process. Because of my limited time on this, you should take my review with a grain of salt. However, even if I didn’t have co-op interviews coming up, I would probably discontinue this before the recommended 3-month period anyway. These side effects are pretty disturbing for something I don’t need to be on."

• Oli...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 23, 2017

For Birth Control "I was on Alesse 28 since I was 17 (2012) and never missed a day for 3 years. It made me extremely moody, I had horrible acne, it didn't help relieve pain for my periods at all and lost my appetite altogether because it always felt like it was stuck in my throat. Although my boobs came in when I started this, I hated it. In the summer of 2015, I became pregnant while on this BCP for 3 years, and my partner wore a condom. After I stopped taking it, my skin cleared completely, I was no longer psychotic, and I was actually happy! My periods are still horrible, but I don't ever want to go back!! I'm still looking for a new type of BCP, but I'm never going back to Alesse 28."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 4, 2015

For Birth Control "I have been on Alesse for 6 years now, and I have never had any issues. No cramping, no acne, no weight gain. I highly recommend this birth control. 24 yr old."

• Lau...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 30, 2014

For Birth Control "I've been on Alesse for about 3 months, and my acne is terrible, and I feel depressed often. I've had no spotting and very light periods, though."

• Asi...
• January 3, 2017

For Birth Control "I hated this BCP. I gained 15 pounds in two weeks, and I was depressed and crying all the time. It also gave me chin acne, which I never have."