Birth control is usually categorized as estrogen or progestin dominant and some have greater androgenic (testosterone like) effects than others. Testosterone is the hormone that is responsible for oil production so, as a general rule of thumb, those of us with acne should talk to our Doctors about choosing a birth control that is higher in estrogen and lower in androgen.  The most commonly prescribed in this category are:

Brevicon
Demulan
Femcon
Kelnor
Modicon
MonoNessa
Necon
Ortho Tricyclen
Ortho-Novum
Ovcon
Previferm
Sprintec
Tri-Nessa
Tri-Previferm
Tri-Sprintec
Zovia

These options are higher in androgen potency so should be avoided if possible:

Alesse
Amethyst
Apri
Azurette
Caziant
Cryselle
Cyclessa
Depo-Provera
Desogen
Emoquette
Estrostep FE
Implanon
Jolessa
Kariva
Lessina
Levora/Levonest
Linessa
Loestrin
Lo-Feminol
Lo-Ogestrel
Lo-Ovral
Lutera
Marvelon
Microgestin
Mircette
Mirena
Nexplanon
Nordette
Norplant
NuvaRing
Ogestrel
Ortho Tricyclen Lo
Ovral
Portia
Reclipsen
Seasonale/Seasonique
Skylar IUD
Sronyx
Triphasil/Trivora

It is important to note that even if you follow these guidelines, it is impossible to predict whether or not your acne will get better, worse, or stay the same after getting on birth control.  Hormones affect everyone differently so despite these guidelines, a progestin heavy pill could actually improve some cases of acne while an estrogen heavy one could make some cases worse so there is no fail proof rule of thumb when it comes to hormones and acne.  Prescription medication also typically improves some of the symptoms of acne but it doesn’t deal with the underlying cause of it so some people might see improvements but only a rare few see their acne go away completely. Before making a decision, check out our blog Birth Control For Acne: What You Should Know. 

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