Curiously, this is one of the most common questions asked about contraceptive use. The answer, according to Planned Parenthood's resident question and answer guru Dr. Vanessa Cullins, is yes, some contraceptives do in fact help clear up acne.
It should go without saying that not all contraceptives will help with acne. A condom, for example, won't do anything for a woman's acne. Nor will a non-hormonal intra-uterine device.
The contraceptives that reduce acne are those that use a combined hormone method. These include:
Experiencing less acne is just one of the many listed benefits of using one of these contraceptive methods. Dr. Cullins lists several benefits, including:
Remarkably, Dr. Cullins says that as many as one out of every three prescriptions written to women for the birth control pill aren't even for birth control at all.
Rather, they're written to confer the other, non-contraceptive-related benefits on the patient.
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