Acne is a common skin problem that can cause red bumps, whiteheads, and uneven texture on the face, severely affecting our appearance. Especially when acne recurs, it can cause pain, itching, and even rupture and bleeding, leading to a series of skin issues. There is a method circulating online that uses birth control pills to treat acne, and this claim has some scientific basis.
Can birth control pills treat acne?
1. Theoretically, birth control pills have some acne-treating effects. Acne is also known as "teenage acne" because it first and most frequently occurs during adolescence, between the ages of 13 and 19. During this stage, hormone levels in the body fluctuate significantly, especially in individuals with high levels of male hormones, making them more prone to developing acne.
Therefore, if the secretion of sex hormones can be suppressed or the effects of male hormones can be neutralized, it may help treat acne. Since birth control pills contain a large amount of estrogen, which can counteract male hormones, many people choose to use birth control pills to treat acne and have achieved some results.
2. However, in terms of actual treatment effectiveness, using birth control pills to treat acne is not guaranteed. This is because acne can be caused by various factors, such as poor facial hygiene, oily skin, and liver diseases. These causes cannot be improved by birth control pills, and blindly using them to treat acne can only harm the body.
Additionally, some birth control pills contain progesterone as their main ingredient rather than estrogen. This chemical component is not ideal for counteracting male hormones. In real life, some patients who used birth control pills to treat acne ended up with breast hyperplasia, endometrial bleeding, or even abnormal development of reproductive organs.
Who should avoid taking birth control pills?
1. Breastfeeding women
Many people lack health awareness and believe that breastfeeding women cannot get pregnant, so they engage in unprotected sex and resort to oral contraceptives. However, if breastfeeding women take birth control pills, the drug components can enter the baby's body through breast milk, affecting the baby's health and development.
2. Patients with abnormal hormone secretion
Many patients have imbalanced hormone regulation and secretion, including those with diabetes and thyroid dysfunction. If these patients use birth control pills, the high hormone content in the pills can significantly affect their hormone secretion and potentially worsen their condition.
Friendly reminder
Theoretically, birth control pills do have acne-treating effects, but their treatment effectiveness is not suitable for everyone. Moreover, the side effects of birth control pills on the body far outweigh their treatment benefits. There are many methods to treat acne, and it is recommended to avoid using birth control pills unless absolutely necessary.
