Birth Control for Acne

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PolishK

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Hi all - I am seeking birth control for acne. Before any judgment comes my way, let me state that I have been thinking about this a lot.
I never had teenage acne. My face started breaking out when I was 20 and for the past 5 years, it has continued to do so. It always breaks out around my period and around ovulation. I don’t mean one or two spots pop up, I mean anywhere from 5-10!
In these past 5 years, I have tried almost everything.
ProActive, AcneFree, Duvac, prescription medications, MANY, MANY different cleansers and facial routines! I wash my makeup brushes, pillow cases, and refrain from touching my face.
I’ve tried home remedies, I eat healthy, I exercise, and I drink PLENTY of water.
This last breakout (yesterday) has me completely fed up and exhausted. My entire chin and some of my cheek are bombarded with spots. Not to mention, there’s faint scarring all over because of this. I can hide it well with makeup and use products to exfoliate the scars, but it’s still embarrassing. I’m actually humiliated that I have to go into work with all these marks on my face tomorrow. (Not to mention - the acne HURTS)
I have two sisters, one of which is a twin, and they both have clear skin. Both of them use birth control.
My aunt always had a tough time with adult acne until she was put on Accutane (which requires birth control).
What I want to know is: IS IT WRONG TO TAKE BIRTH CONTROL TO CONTROL ACNE?

I have no intentions whatsoever of using birth control to control pregnancy. I’m also not using it to prevent 1 or 2 spots from popping up, but many! I am aware of the side effects, I just want to know what the church teaches.
I understand that many people may personally feel it is wrong because he/she may not understand what this sort of problem is like for someone else. But, what I am seeking is what the Church teaches on this issue.

Thank you kindly for your help!

God Bless!
:gopray2:
 
First, you are in my prayers.

Second, If you haven’t seen a dermatologist, go see one.

Third, The pill is not the answer… It may cause more complications then you want.

If you are sexually active, the pill would be a contraception… Intended or not.

If you are not sexually active, the pill simply causes complications
 
I was in your situation when I was in my 20’s. I took two rounds of Accutane and it worked for me. You are correct that a dermatologist will not prescribe it to a female unless they are taking BCP. I was not sexually active and was told it was ok to take bcp because this was a medical situation. I think the rounds ended after about 6 months and I then went off the bcp. Having an acne free face made a world of difference to me and boosted by self confidence. Accutane should be your last result because of its side effects. Consult a dermatologist or two before making your decision. Good luck.
 
The use of the birth control pill by an unmarried woman who is not sexually active is
not intrinsically evil; such a use may be moral depending on intention and circumstances.

However, I cannot advise you on whether or not the BCP is useful or safe for your medical condition.
 
PolishK said:
What I want to know is: IS IT WRONG TO TAKE BIRTH CONTROL TO CONTROL ACNE?
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No, according to humanae vitae, it is not wrong to take contraceptives for the primary purpose of treating medical conditions, and it states this very clearly. You have tried many ways to resolve your problem, and it’s a painful problem that leaves scars. You can even ask your priest: if your doctor wants you to try contraceptives, you are allowed to do so, regardless of whether you’re married or not (according to humanae vitae).
 
Okay, thank you for your help. I am married and that’s why I have been questioning the decision for so long. We are not wanting to have kids now, but I still don’t like the idea of “preventing” it.

I cannot use Accutane because I have anxiety and according to research, Accutane increases that.

I tossed and turned with the idea of birth control two nights ago and yesterday I pretty much made up my mind. My face burned and ached the whole afternoon because of my breakout (and is burning while I type this), not to mention all the money I have spent on products trying to figure out which will work for me (and none have!).

I have been to a dermatologist a couple times in the past few years and each time I’m prescribed some topical gel or cream and some oral medications. The problem with this is not only does it not work, but the medications ALWAYS have some sort of risk for a fetus if I were to get pregnant.

I do not intend to use birth control for pregnancy prevention. I believe if God wants me to have a baby then I will have one.

I just know that when my face is broken out, my confidence drops immensely. I feel absolutely disgusting! When a breakout finally clears up, I’m confident again and I want to be able to feel that way all the time.

I appreciate everyone’s feedback on this! If I go on birth control, I believe that decision will be between God and I and I believe He understands my reasoning.

Thank you all and God Bless!
 
I’m coming late into the dicussion and you’ve said you’ve seeked help from a dermatologist but have you also talked to your gynecologist? If the acne is directly connected to your menstrual cycle, the acne could be a symptom of other hormonal problems and the birth control could only make that situation worse or mask it all together. Just wondered if you’ve talked to your gyno and he/she’s pursued all the avenues before writing you a presciption for ABC.
 
The use of the birth control pill by a woman who is sexually active is intrinsically evil, because it deprives the sexual act of the procreative meaning.

Morality is based on three fonts (sources) –
  1. intention
  2. moral object
  3. circumstances
Intrinsically evil acts, such as the deprivation of the procreative meaning from the marital act, are always immoral because the moral object of the act is evil. Such acts are inherently wrong, by the very nature of the act. A good intention, and dire circumstances cannot make an intrinsically evil act moral.

In addition, this particular type of contraception (BCP) is an abortifacient. Choosing to use the BCP for any purpose, while sexually active, is not only the choice of the intrinsically evil act of contraception, but also of direct abortion.
 
Correct me if i’m wrong because I can’t remember where I heard this from, (this was actually an article about sterilized people coming into the church)
but what I heard is that if you still abstain during the fertile times (as you would do with NFP) then it is okay.
 
x0stephanie said:
Correct me if i’m wrong because I can’t remember where I heard this from, (this was actually an article about sterilized people coming into the church)
but what I heard is that if you still abstain during the fertile times (as you would do with NFP) then it is okay.
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The Church does not require this, although many people do it as a private devotion, or even out of the mistaken belief that they are required to do so.

Betsy
 
I’m married and have been on the pill for about 20 years due to health conditions. Priest okayed it too.

My son took accutane and it did wonders for him, he has gorgeous skin now, however, he did have really bad depression with it the last month or so of the 6 month round and so they didn’t put him on a second round.

I have not had any bad side effects from the pill and I’m in my late 40’s. Every one is different of course but they can give you a very low dose so the side effects are fewer. That’s what I’m on.

My skin looks great too 😉

don’t tear yourself up over this. make an appt. to talk with your priest and have all your facts and reasons laid out for him so that if you get nervous, you don’t forget anything. They want what’s best for you, remember that!
 
The pill is poison. It causes so many problems.

You can start to look up the problems here:

www.omsul.com

Since the acne is hormonal, try working on smoothing the hormones to get them the way they are supposed to work, not filling your body with synthetic ones. Go to a creighton model NFP teacher, then go to an NFP-only doctor. They can help you.
 
When you are on the Pill, there IS no fertile time. That’s the point. So you can’t “abstain during the fertile time.”

I know acne is horrible. I get that. I had it very bad and I had a father who believed that it was all just part of being a kid and refused to take me to a dermatologist or buy me anything beyond Clearasil. A tiny part of me still hates him for that, especially as I have seen his high school photo, and he was the great looking jock with perfectly clear skin (and this was before retouching). I used to never leave the house without a serious spackle-knife makeup job.

That said, I just cannot see how using artificial hormones to shut down your ovaries is a good idea for treating it. Sure, it might help control your acne, but at what price? Do you know the side effects of the Pill? Some of them are life-threatening. Do you know about how, if it should fail to suppress ovulation, its backup function is to damage the uterine lining so the conceived child cannot implant? If that happens, you just participated in causing the death of your child. (When I found this out, I literally had a panic attack the next two days when I took my pill. Then I threw them out and have never touched them again! I just couldn’t do it.)

Acne sucks. But I’m not sure the Pill is the right answer.
 
There is a book advertised on this site called “Fatherless” it exposes the terrible cover ups and slanted data of the effects of the pill.
 
DO NOT take Accutane. That stuff is a nightmare for the body. I think it’s being taken off the market soon for side effects. Birth control can be very successful in treating acne, but it doesn’t work for everyone. You should give it a try.
 
I had the same problem for years. I never had acne as a teenager or a young adult, but at 25 after my first was born, I started having problems. When I got pregnant with my twins, the acne went away and didn’t come back until after I stopped nursing. Then, when I was pregnant with my fourth my skin looked great again, but as soon as I stopped nursing it came back. I used the pill for a few years on and off and it definately worked for my acne. I would try getting off now and again but after about four months the acne would always come back. It was terrible, I didn’t want to be on the pill, but nothing else worked. I finally was at the point where I was going to try ACCUTANE, which I had been avoiding at all cost, when my doctor suggested we try one more thing. I have been taking SPIRONOLACTONE for about eight months and it works, not as “flawlessly” as the PILL, but I can live with the few small breakouts. My understanding is that it has been used as a bloodpressure medication for decades and has been approved for moderate acne. Basically, it lowers the amount of Testosterone in your system. It does not affect Estrogen and it does not prevent pregnancy. I don’t know what the consequence of pregnancy while taking the drug is, so you need to talk with your doctor if there is a chance you will become pregnant.

Ask your dermatologist if you are a candidate, and don’t feel bad for wanting to find a solution to this very real physical and emotional problem. Appearance matters, no matter what people say. There is nothing wrong with wanting to look your best, and there is nothing wrong with taking steps, within reason, to ensure that you do.
 
marci said:
Ask your dermatologist if you are a candidate, and don’t feel bad for wanting to find a solution to this very real physical and emotional problem. Appearance matters, no matter what people say. There is nothing wrong with wanting to look your best, and there is nothing wrong with taking steps, within reason, to ensure that you do.
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👍

If looking good was a sin, we would never bathe, wash our hair, brush our teeth, wear deodorant, trim our nails, shave our legs, etc. And Catholics would be a very ugly, smelly bunch. Mass would smell like a landfill. 😊
 
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