The birth control pill is the go-to acne treatment favoured by doctors, especially GPs, primary care physicians, and dermatologists. And without a doubt, it is effective at eliminating all types of pimples from whiteheads to inflamed cystic acne. But there is a catch. Once you stop, your acne usually returns, often worse than it was before.
But it’s probably because of this fact that you’re now reading this article. And I bet you’re also reading this article because you’ve had enough of using Band-Aid treatments for your acne, and you now want a sustainable natural acne solution.
Our patients tell us on a daily basis, that they don’t want to use medications that aren’t good for their body anymore. They’ve come to realise that their acne is a sign of an inner hormonal imbalance, so they want the root cause fixed, not masked.
And using the birth control pill or any other hormonal contraceptive is only going to make their hormone imbalance worse, not better.
So, if you want to discover how to get picture perfect skin naturally, then you are now in the right place.
The Causes of Hormonal Acne in Birth Control Users
The primary cause of hormonal acne is the dominance of male hormones over female hormones. When male hormones dominate, it stimulates increased skin oil production and increased skin pore size. Male hormone dominance can develop in two ways.
The first way is when women overproduce male hormones like testosterone.
High male hormone levels overstimulate oil glands in the ‘beard’ region of the face, the neck, shoulders, back, and the chest.
Overproduction of sebum (skin oil) causes skin pores to become clogged, and this causes a pimple.
The second way male hormone dominance can develop female hormone production (oestrogen and progesterone) is suboptimal.
Suboptimal levels of oestrogen and progesterone allow male hormones like testosterone to exert a much stronger effect on the skin than they should.
The birth control pill is used to rectify male hormone dominance by artificially ramping up female hormones. However, it doesn’t increase natural female hormone production.
Instead, it replaces natural hormone production with synthetic female hormones and suppresses natural oestrogen and progesterone production.
In theory, birth control pills should work 100% of the time. However, because hormonal birth control uses synthetic oestrogen and synthetic progesterone (progestins), these synthetic female hormones can have unwanted side effects.
Progestins, interestingly, are usually made from testosterone and, as such, can be left with some androgenic (male hormone) effects.
Androgenic progestins can have a pronounced impact on the skin because they can disrupt normal hormonal balance. In particular, they enhance androgenic activity in the body, which boosts sebum production and can exacerbate skin oiliness and pore blockage, ultimately leading to acne.
In the clinic, we see this from time to time. A patient seeks our help because hormonal birth control has made their acne worse, not better.
So what we do is place them on a ‘coming off the pill’ program of natural supplements to ease their body off synthetic hormones and re-establish their own natural hormone production.
However, the more common reason women seek our help is because they’ve stopped using hormonal birth control, and now acne is breaking out in full force.
This happens because once you stop hormonal birth control, you lose its suppression of androgens. This then causes androgens to rebound dramatically, and acne goes crazy.
Birth Control Options to Minimise Acne Flare-Ups
The most common hormonal birth control pills used to treat acne contain a combination of both oestrogen and progestin. These pills dramatically increase the level of female hormones in the body, and this suppresses the production and effect of male hormones (androgens).
As the level and effect of androgens decreases, so does oil production. Less oil, less acne.
The second type of hormonal birth control pill used to treat acne is progestin-only pills, commonly called ‘mini-pills’. However, these don’t tend to be as effective at suppressing acne as combination pills.
A popular third type of hormonal birth control is a hormonal IUD, such as Mirena and Kylena. These are not regularly used as acne treatments because they don’t have any noticeable acne-suppressing effect.
However, we have had patients report to us that they developed acne or their acne worsened when they had an IUD implanted.
Now, the thing to be always mindful of is that no matter the type of hormonal birth control used, they all have one massive shortcoming in common… they don’t fix the underlying hormone imbalance causing the acne.
This is why when a woman stops using hormonal birth control, their acne returns, and why it’s usually worse than what it was like before starting on synthetic hormones.
Identifying and Treating Symptoms of Hormonal Acne
What makes acne hormonal is the acne’s location or its relationship to the menstrual cycle.
Hormonal acne is located in areas of the body that are sensitive to male hormones. In general, these are the areas where men grow hair, such as the ‘beard’ region of the face (cheeks, chin, jawline, neck) and the chest. But the back is also a hormonal acne region.
Acne can be considered hormonal if it flares up at a consistent time in the menstrual cycle. The most common time for women to have an acne breakout is in the week leading up to the start of a period.
A second common time for women to experience acne breakouts is mid-cycle at ovulation.
The reason for this is that at both of these times, the hormone levels fluctuate, and this is what triggers acne.
Now, even when a woman’s acne is hormonal, the most common initial treatment is some kind of topical product such as a face wash, a cleanser, or a serum.
These topical products contain ingredients such as benzoyl peroxide to clean away excess oil (sebum) and dry out the skin. Acids such as salicylic acid and hyaluronic acid are also used to reduce inflammation and swelling.
If these don’t help a doctor will then usually prescribe topical antibiotics to kill acne causing skin bacteria.
However, while these topical treatments may give some sort of improvement, they are harsh on the skin and often damage the skin barrier, which causes more problems.
Then, when the basic topicals don’t work, a referral to a dermatologist is advised, who then often prescribes a stronger topical such as a retinoid (synthetic vitamin A).
But as with birth control pills, topical treatments fall into the same trap; they don’t treat the root cause of the acne, which is a hormone imbalance within the woman.
To fix this, you need to test her hormones and pinpoint what hormones are unbalanced and then use natural medicines like herbs and nutrients to help the body rebalance its hormone production.
The Interplay Between Diet, Stress, and Hormonal Acne
Diet
There are some common foods that trigger acne. These include:
- Cow’s milk dairy – in some people, it increases insulin growth factor 1 (IGF-1), which can lead to an increase in testosterone.
- Gluten – gluten-containing foods can be inflammatory for some people.
- Refined sugar – large amounts of refined sugar can increase breakouts in some people.
To test if any of these foods are triggering your acne, you need to eliminate them from your diet for at least a month, all at the one time, because you could be sensitive to more than one of them. Observe your acne to see if it improves. If it does, then avoid these foods as much as you can.
Typically though, food is only a small piece of the hormonal acne puzzle.
Stress
Stress can worsen acne by:
- Increasing inflammation
- Suppressing important hormones
- Increasing DHEAS which is an adrenal androgen
- Triggering unhealthy eating patterns and lack of drive to exercise
You can’t avoid stress, so stress management practices are a critical part of a holistic health care plan when it comes to hormonal acne.
Five ways to reduce the effects of stress
- Meditate
- Get 7-8 hours of good quality sleep a night
- Eat at regular intervals
- Limit stimulants like caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol
- Regular gentle exercise
Avoiding dairy, gluten and sugar and managing stress better might seem unimportant, but we see time and again that they are important factors that need to be addressed.
As an example, we were working with a patient and once she toned down her exercise, she changed from CrossFit to Pilates, her acne improved dramatically.
Natural Remedies and Lifestyle Adjustments for Skin Health
Now that you’ve realised the hormonal birth control pill is not good for you and it’s only a Band-Aid solution for your acne issues, I’m sure you want to stop it. But stopping it can trigger ‘post-pill’ acne. So, how do you avoid a post ‘Pill’ breakout when you stop?
You do this by…
- Taking herbs and nutrients that naturally suppress male sex hormone production
- Taking herbs and nutrients that naturally make your pores less sensitive to male sex hormone stimulation
- Taking vitamins and minerals to rerstore nutrients that the birth control pill depletes. Studies have found the birth control pill depletes folic acid, vitamins B2, B6, B12, vitamin C and E and the minerals magnesium, selenium and zinc.
Here are the 10 best supplements to take before and after stopping the hormonal birth control pill –
- Zinc – reduces androgens (male sex hormones), helps detoxification of hormones and kills bacteria. Is depleted by birth control pill and is critical for proper egg formation once birth control is stopped.
- Saw Palmetto – suppresses DHT (di-hydro testosterone) production.
- Licorice & Paeony Combination – suppresses testosterone production by rebalancing LH (luteinising hormone).
- DIM – helps detoxify excess oestrogen and is a mild anti-androgen.
- Berberine – is a natural antibiotic that kills bacteria in the skin, is anti-inflammatory and improves insulin sensitivity
- Iodine – helps detoxify excess oestrogen and is critical for proper egg formation once birth control is stopped.
- Selenium – is depleted by the birth control pill and is critical for proper egg formation once birth control is stopped.
- Magnesium – the number one mineral for blood sugar and stress hormone control. Reduces menstrual cramping and pain.
- B Vitamins (Folic acid, B12, B6, B2) – depleted by birth control pill and are critical vitamins for energy production, stress resistance and hormone detoxification. Vitamin B6 reduces PMS symptoms, enhances progesterone production and is a natural diuretic.
- Vitamin C – is depleted by birth control pills and is crucial for immunity, stress resistance and stress recovery.
Optimise your lifestyle
- Make sure to eat breakfast within 30–60 minutes of waking to reduce cortisol levels
- Aim for low-intensity style exercise as high-intensity exercise can raise your cortisol levels and suppress your female hormones
- Exercise at least 3 times a week because exercise is an active form of meditation and so helps reduce your stress hormones
- Eat small meals regularly to balance your blood sugar levels
- Don’t fast for long periods as this triggers the release of stress hormones that unbalance your female hormones
- Implement a relaxation technique such as meditation or journaling
- Get outside in the morning to get some sunlight in your eyes as this helps set your circadian rhythm
When to Partner with a Naturopath for Hormonal Acne Concerns
If you’ve tried hormonal birth control, Accutane, topicals, and antibiotics, but your acne keeps returning, or you just want a sustainable natural acne solution, then it’s time to take an alternative approach.
An alternative approach is the reason why most of our patients come to see us. They were sick and tired of Band-Aid solutions and treatments that weren’t good for their skin and body. They wanted something different from what doctors kept recommending.
If you want a natural approach, and you want to finally get to the root cause of your acne so it can be permanently fixed then we are here to help you.
We can help you get off hormonal birth control if you are still using it. Or we can help you if you have already stopped but now you’re suffering the consequences.
We can get your hormones tested. We can pinpoint what hormone imbalances you have. And we can create a personalised holistic natural treatment plan that uses herbs, vitamins, minerals, diet, exercise and stress management practices to get your hormones balanced and your skin picture perfect.
We are the natural hormonal acne specialists because we have helped more than 1000 women fix their acne naturally, including Insta and YouTube influencer Sarah Tilse from Sarah’s Day and Bianca Rezo, who is now one of our acne specialist naturopaths.
Bianca came to see Hayden in 2017 for help with her hormonal acne and because her treatment was so successful, she was inspired to become a naturopath. So she knows first-hand what it’s like to have hormonal acne and how to fix it naturally. She has taken the journey and so this makes her the perfect person to support you on yours.
To book an initial consultation with Bianca or Hayden, you can call Happy & Healthy Wellbeing Centre on +61 2 9524 2471 or click here to do it online.
Patience with Progress for Hormonal Acne Relief
A question we regularly get asked is…
“How long does it take to fix acne naturally?”
From helping over 1000 women fix their acne naturally, we’ve found it generally takes 4 to 8 weeks to start noticing improvements. Then, each cycle/month as hormone levels change a bit more and a bit more and become more balanced, so your acne continues to improve.
Treating naturally takes time so it’s unrealistic to expect hormone levels to be perfect immediately. But by taking a natural approach, you support your body to rebalance itself, with the huge payoff of a permanent fix.
However, your success is reliant on one critical factor.
Consistency!
For supplements to be effective, they need to be taken consistently. Amazing acne-clearing results come from taking your prescribed supplements regularly and for long enough to rebalance your hormones.
They work their magic by gently nudging your body’s natural hormone production back into balance over time.
In addition to being consistent with your supplements, the second secret to a fantastic natural result is regular check-ins. Our patients meet with us every 2 to 3 months. This is so we can review your progress and make changes to your supplements if needed.
Things can change along your journey, so regular check-ins are crucial to keep your journey on track.
Your Natural Journey to Clearer Skin
Now if you’re suffering from ‘pill’ acne or ‘post-pill’ acne, then the good news is we have effective natural solutions to make your skin picture perfect. We treat you holistically by optimising your hormones, your diet, your gut health, your exercise routines and your sleep habits.
Working with us gives you the expert help you need to get your hormones balanced and your acne eliminated naturally. It’s a sustainable solution that gets to the root cause of your acne and puts an end to Band-Aid solutions.
To get our help is easy, all you need to do is to book an initial consultation with one of our acne specialist naturopaths. To do this you can call us on, 02 9524 2471, or click here to book online.