Implanon and Acne: What Users Say

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 5, 2015

For Birth Control "I thought this birth control would be the perfect fit for me since I always forgot to take the pill. I had it inserted in October 2014. Since then, I have already gained 20 pounds. Nothing about my life or the way I eat has changed, so I knew it was the Implanon. When it was first put in my arm, it was bruised for a week and very sensitive to touch. I have had very clear skin before using this and my face has begun to break out. I'm only 20, so I'm very insecure to go to the beach this summer with my face and body looking like this. Also, my sex drive has gone down tremendously, which is hurting my relationship. The only plus side is not having a period at all. I would spot here and there in the beginning, but it went away and I do not spot anymore."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 8, 2015

For Birth Control "I have had the Implanon for about 5 months now, and it's great! I only spot for about a day or two each month, and that's it. I have actually lost weight since then as well. Nothing has really changed with me since I got it. No mood swings or acne."

• nik...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 7, 2015

For Birth Control "I have been on for almost six years. I've had it replaced once. This upcoming October, I'll probably have it replaced again. For me, the first one, my periods were random. No period for 3 months, then spotting for one month. After having it replaced the second time, it's been less period all around, light spotting. Again, considering it again in October, just wanted to see the effects others have had. No weight gain or acne for me. I have a slight temper already, so wouldn't have noticed mood swings."

• Mor...
• December 19, 2015

For Birth Control "Okay, so I got the implant for two reasons: I was terrible at remembering to take birth control, and my menstrual cycle every month used to be awful (heavy bleeding, terrible cramps, vomiting, and headaches). I absolutely love Implanon. My monthly symptoms stopped, and I only bled three times this past year for only a few days. I can't speak highly enough of this! It stopped my mood swings caused by hormones, and this past year has been amazing. I was so worried about getting it because there are some bad reviews of this. I was worried about weight gain, mood swings, and breakouts because I used to have severe acne. I did not experience any of those symptoms."

• Mor...
• December 19, 2015

For Birth Control "Okay, so I got the implant for two reasons: I was terrible at remembering to take birth control, and my menstrual cycle every month used to be awful (heavy bleeding, terrible cramps, vomiting, and headaches). I absolutely love Implanon. My monthly symptoms stopped, and I only bled three times this past year for only a few days. I can't speak highly enough of this! It stopped my mood swings caused by hormones, and this past year has been amazing. I was so worried about getting it because there are some bad reviews of this. I was worried about weight gain, mood swings, and breakouts because I used to have severe acne. I did not experience any of those symptoms."

• Hyd...
• November 15, 2013

For Birth Control "I got my Implanon in May 2011 after my son was born. I didn't have a period for a month after that like normal. Then the spontaneous bleeding began (like I expected, the doctor told me it would happen), but then 2 months passed, then 3, then 6! With almost constant bleeding, I called my doctor, and she said to give it 6 more months, and at the year mark, my periods would stop altogether. That day came and went, but the problem continued. Along with that, I have had a nonexistent sex drive, severe weight gain, acne, depression, anxiety, hormonal issues, and hair loss, getting it out in 2 hours!"

• Tin...
• January 31, 2015

For Birth Control "I have been on the Implanon a little over a year now. I have not had any periods besides a little spotting the first couple of months. (Yay for not having to pay for tampons & chocolate!) I love the fact of not having a period and not getting pregnant right now, but there are a few downsides to it. My downsides: I never had acne previously, and I now have it really bad. I gained about 45 lbs, and I have horrible mood swings. It has its good and its bad to it, just be cautious of the side effects."

• Civ...
• May 2, 2019

For Birth Control "I feel a civic duty to share my experience because this is really the 'Evil Stick.' It all started great! The insertion was easy, had some mild spasms in the arm, and I didn't have my period for 5 months, which is cool! 8 months later, random spotting and had some serious heavy periods lasting more than two weeks! *Warning, this part will be very graphic.* I found myself sitting in the bathtub, I was bleeding out. I sat there for about an hour, and huge blood clots streamed out of me. I was horrified, as I have never seen anything like this in my life! Basically, I had two weeks of heavy periods and two weeks with no period. The period was so heavy I was iron deficient. I gained 25 - 30 pounds and had acne on my face. After 2 years, I am HANGRY! I'm hungry, angry, moody, zero energy. SEX DRIVE IS NONEXISTENT, flooding periods, eruptions of acne, and 30 pounds later...decided to remove the 'Evil Stick' next week! Argh...I regret my life decision."

• Rld...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 27, 2014

For Birth Control "I love Implanon. I went to my doctor to complain about my birth control pills (different kinds for 6 years) that caused mood swings, breakouts, etc. She suggested Implanon, and in 20 minutes I walked out with it! It does not hurt. It looks intimidating, but they numb your arm and afterwards it feels like a normal bruise. I have had it for 6 months now. I have no period and no side effects! No mood swings, no breakthrough bleeding, no breakouts, it's amazing."

• Anonymous
• January 14, 2010

For Birth Control "I'm one of the 5% that experience all the VERY bad side effects that no one mentioned when I got the implant. I used it for 8 months after the birth of my son. It was removed 6 months ago, and now I'm having to see an endocrinologist due to the continuing hormone imbalance Implanon caused. I lost hair, gained 50 pounds, acne, facial hair, mood swings, fatigue, slept most of the time, no libido, just plain MISERABLE. Not to mention I missed out on enjoying my son's 1st year of life."

• Anonymous
• July 28, 2015

For Birth Control "I've had Implanon for 2 and a half years now. I can't wait to get it out, and I will never get it again. The main reason is I have gained a LOT of weight with this, and also I feel it is the cause of my acne/mood swings. My periods have now stopped completely, besides the odd month of spotting. Spotting that may last about 2 weeks, then stop for one week, then come back for another week. It definitely does a great job as acting as a contraceptive. Handy for people who don't want to take the pill every day."

• Mis...
• August 11, 2010

For Birth Control "I got my Implanon inserted in September 2009, 2 1/2 months after my son was born. Before insertion, I had a sex drive, good skin, lost all my weight from my pregnancy, and wasn't angry or impatient all the time. I didn't have a period until December that lasted 5 days. My next cycle was at the end of January and was heavy until March. I have had a period either every month for 14 days straight or every other week with 7 days of bleeding. I like the idea of no pill, but this has got to stop. My OB has put me on the pill to stop my bleeding, but I have taken the pill every day for the last 5 months. And I still have it every other week. I have bad acne, moodiness, and gained 30 pounds. My marriage is probably suffering because I have no sex drive. It's time to get it out!"

• She...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 14, 2014

For Birth Control "I was switched to this about 6 months ago by my Gyno because Ortho has estrogen, and that wasn't good with my migraines and the side effects I have with those. My period was really horrible the first few months. It would last for weeks on end. I have not had a period in 2 months, which is great! The downside is I am always tired, I have mood swings, and acne."

• Sma...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 10, 2016

For Birth Control "I had read a lot of bad reviews about Implanon, so I got the patch and had a bad experience with it: weight gain + feeling bloated ALL the time. Knowing I couldn't trust myself with a daily pill, I tried the implant. After 6 months, I've had a great experience so far with some minor setbacks. No weight gain, no acne, best of all no bloating! (I don't really work out much but eat generally healthy.) However, my periods have been sort of crazy - I get a regular (pretty light) period every month, but sometimes it lasts longer than I anticipate. When I was off BC, my periods were like 4 days tops. This month my period lasted for 4 weeks!! It's an annoyance, but not a terrible issue. Every BODY is different - the only way to know is if you try it."

• ebb...
• January 25, 2010

For Birth Control "Where do I start? I'm 22 years old, and I had Implanon inserted in the middle of July 2009. Insertion was painless, but side effects are unbearable. I've gained 50 lbs and counting, constant bleeding ever since I got it; severe anxiety/depression and mood swings. No sex drive, increased vaginal discharge, acne... did I mention I've been bleeding for 6 months! I want to switch to Yaz, but I smoke."

• Bar...
• July 3, 2016

For Birth Control "I got birth control for the first time in my life!! After doing a lot of research and asking friends around, hearing horrific feedback, I was very skeptical. But being in a serious relationship and having unprotected sex left me no choice. I'm allergic to latex, so condoms were not an option... Long story short, I got Implanon back in March, and monitored my eating habits. I did notice in the first month I had 2 or 3 breakouts that left dark spots, which are gone with the use of acne medicine. Nothing severe, no weight gain, or any other side effects. A little difference in mood in the beginning, and every month I get light spotting during my period cycle. Overall, this birth control has been very effective, even though my boyfriend released sperm inside....!!!!"

• Anonymous
• September 7, 2009

For Birth Control "The only reason I give this a one is because it is effective. However, I have constant headaches, acne, mood swings, weight gain (over 40 lbs!), and the most important thing is absolutely no sex drive!"

• Rae...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 12, 2018

For Birth Control "Without a doubt, this device is the worst thing ever. You don't realize how bad it makes you feel because it creeps up on you over time. I had the worst acne I've ever had. Besides an occasional pimple, I had never broken out. This gave me painful cystic acne that wouldn't go away. It's taken me over a year for my skin to get back to normal after getting it taken out. Sure, Implanon works... 'cause when you're on it, you never want to have sex, and most of the time are bleeding anyways."

• Rae...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 12, 2018

For Birth Control "Without a doubt, this device is the worst thing ever. You don't realize how bad it makes you feel because it creeps up on you over time. I had the worst acne I've ever had. Besides an occasional pimple, I had never broken out. This gave me painful cystic acne that wouldn't go away. It's taken me over a year for my skin to get back to normal after getting it taken out. Sure, Implanon works... 'cause when you're on it, you never want to have sex, and most of the time are bleeding anyways."

• Mim...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 29, 2018

For Birth Control "I had the Implanon inserted about 7 months ago. Since I had it inserted, I have been struggling with severe migraines, mood swings, acne, intermittent spotting that never really stops and can start at any time, lack of sex drive, and I have gained 12 lbs. I have not changed my eating habits, and I exercise frequently. After reading the reviews, I have now realized what is causing all these issues. I will have it removed and post another update once done. Thank you all for the reviews."

• Sha...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 17, 2016

For Birth Control "I've been on this implant for about a year. I absolutely hate it. I weighed 120 after having my baby. I was so small, my doctor told me I would only gain about 5 pounds. I am now at 199. I've tried losing weight, that doesn't work. My acne is out of this world. I barely get a period, and when I do, it lasts for like a day and a half! This implant is causing my body so many problems. I have headaches all the time. My breasts hurt. My back hurts. And it's so difficult trying to lose weight on this, it makes me eat unusually. I eat all day. It keeps you baby-free, and I don't want to get it removed, but it comes with so many side effects that your doctor doesn't really tell you about!"

• Cal...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 16, 2015

For Birth Control "Ok, I got my implant in April 2015. Since I got it implanted, I have not had a period. It's now October 2015. My periods before I got the implant were regular every month for 3-5 days. Before the birth control, I had beautiful skin. I never broke out on my face, not even as a teenager. I'm 29 now. Since I had the implant, my face is always broken out with a lot of bumps all over my face. My weight has gone up. I have no urge whatsoever to have sex. I also get depressed and have major mood swings. Sometimes I get mad for no reason. I also feel fatigue at times and sleep way more. My husband wants me to take it out. He has noticed all the side effects. The only reason I have kept it in so long is because I don't get a period. I don't recommend."

• Emi...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• March 13, 2016

For Birth Control "I have had the Implanon implant for the past 7 years. My experience has been very positive, I have had complete loss of period since getting the implant and no noticeable side effects apart from a lower sex drive, which I have only discovered since getting it removed. 2 months ago, I had my third implant removed after talking with my boyfriend and deciding that I no longer required birth control and would like to experience my natural body cycles again. I have had a few side effects since getting it removed, but nothing too bad (some breakouts, exhaustion, lack of motivation), only my period still hasn't returned yet. My doctor said it may take a few months, so hopefully it returns soon."

• Mim...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 2, 2016

For Birth Control "I've been on the Implanon for a little over a year now, and I'm ready to have it removed! The constant mood swings, terrible acne, and constant nonstop heavy periods are just too much. My periods last anywhere from 12 to 15 days! I was told that it would eventually regulate, and it hasn't. Yes, it's effective because you bleed so much that you're unable to have sex! I have not had any pregnancy scares, but who wants to go through all the extra nonsense? I don't! I'm having it removed soon!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 3, 2015

For Birth Control "Since getting the implant in, I had a few longer periods, and now I haven't gotten it for a couple of months. That has been the only advantage so far for me. I was always skinny, then gained 30 pounds from this. Being in my 20s, I was horrified. I have to get all new clothes because of mine not fitting, and I was so embarrassed to even go out. I've also never had acne before, and now I've been having major breakouts constantly. I also have no sex drive anymore, I have no energy, and I have been very depressed, which has never happened to me before. I am now getting this removed after 5 months of having it. Overall, I would not recommend this option. But of course, this doesn't happen to everyone."