Surprising Causes of Acne
The Surprising Reasons You’re Breaking Out — and What To Do About It
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Dr. Hamdan explains that while some birth control can help get rid of acne, some can make it worse. "Generally speaking, birth control helps alleviate acne for the majority of women," he said. "However, androgenic pills — meaning those that contain testosterone or androsterone — can actually promote acne."
There's good news, though. If you're using a pill that contains both progesterone and estrogen, it can actually decrease the severity and frequency of your pimples. "These pills help decrease the amount of androgen (the male sex hormones) in the body. The less androgens, the less sebum is produced by the body. The less sebum produced, the less chance of it combining with bacteria and dead cells from the skin and causing a pimple," Dr. Hamdan said.