Stopping Dianette (or other OCPs) and skin
Posted , 5 users are following.
Hi,
I'd be grateful to hear from anyone who has suffered with bad skin after stopping Dianette. My situation is getting me down.
Basically I've taken Dianette for the past 14 years. I went on it due to oily skin and acne which it was absolutely brilliant for. Anyway, I had to stop taking it 3 months ago. Within a month my skin was getting oilier with few small spots. Now I'm at a stage where my skin is so oily my face will start to shine within minutes of cleansing it. I'm endlessly having to blot my face all day. My hair gets greasy much faster than it used to. My chest and back are now spotty, and my face in addition to being extremely oily is covered in spots. My chin is by far the worst with big, red, cystic acne.
Is there any hope that this will settle down in time or was the pill just masking my problem this whole time? More than the acne for me the worst part is my greasy skin.
I can't go on to an alternative OCP at the moment. I'm using benzoylperoxide gel but it'snlt as effective as I'd hoped.
I know there are many worse problem to have than something so superficial but its so damaging to confidence. I'm 30 and never imagined I'd have bad acne at this age. I can't even cover it up because my skin is so oily it just causes make up to slide off.
Does anyone have any experience with this and any tips on possible treatments?
Thank you in advance.
0 likes, 6 replies
nicki89 Snowdrops
Posted
I feel like what you just wrote is describing me! I was initially put on dianette when I was 16 and was on the pill for around 12 years. Ive had 3 sets of roaccutane treatment in my life. The last ended around May 2017 in which I decided to go off contraception aka the pill for good as I didn't like the idea of it getting pumped in my body for so many years. However my skin has been so bad since. Red, inflamed, cystic acne, white heads etc. On my face but also quite bad on my bad and some on my chest. Ive tried a few sunbed sessions however I get paranoid going in without any makeup on. My face is too so oily. I do 12 hour shifts and half way through I just want to scratch my face off. Ive been trying soap from carbon theory, you can find them on instagram in which you can buy the soap online and in boots. It has charcoal and tea tree properties etc. Some reviews and updates have been great for it. I need to use it more consistently but i see a slight improvement in my face. If you have instagram also there is a girl on there, follow her 'skinwithlea'. Shes so inspirational and promotes positivity and support and confidence for people living with acne. Ive also been buying acne patches to put on overnight. You can get them on eBay or amazon which helps protect from dirt and bacteria getting in. Hope this helps. I know exactly how you feel and I'm here anytime for a chat x
Snowdrops nicki89
Posted
Thank you so much for your reply! I'm really sorry to hear your skin still isn't good. It makes me better to know someone understands though - I swear I never see anyone my age with the type of spots and oily skin I'm talking about. Just looked up this Carbon Theory you mentioned and it looks good. Definitely going to get some especially as it's reasonably priced. Also just started following Lea. Can I ask, has your skin ever improved from as bad as it got post-pill or has it just stayed the same? Also do you wear foundation? I need a new one as usual one not high enough coverage now but likewise don't want to clog up my skin.
Thanks so much again. x
nicki89 Snowdrops
Posted
My skin has went through faces. Sometimes its better than others but two weeks before my period it is so so bad. So I use rimmel london stay matte foundation. It has fair enough coverage but I like it cos when I put powder over it, my face doesn't feel as greasy for a few hours. I too use the blottin pages. That carbon theory has lightweight moisturiser too that they do. It is abit more pricey. Ive only used it twice. My skin has affected my self esteem and confidence for years so completey get it. I dont leave the house without foundation unfortunately and I really envy people with beautiful clear skin but I guess me and you may have qualities that others admire about us x
hypercat Snowdrops
Posted
Hi the pill is sometimes used to prevent acne in severe cases so I am not surprised that coming off it is causing you problems. I think you need to go back to your dermatologist as there must be other options. I wish you success. x
moon53540 Snowdrops
Posted
You may have a hormone imbalance. I have had acne most my life on and off and I have polycystic ovarian syndrome. Ask your doctor if you can get your hormones tested.
Sugar and dairy can affect you acne if it is hormone related. Also too much alcohol isn't great for your skin either.
You could try antibiotics or there is something called roaccutane which is supposed to be very good but it can cause some serious side effects so it is something you would need to discuss with a dermatologist and your gp. You can also get laser treatment for acne, that is is for mild to medium acne, I am not sure if it would work for cystic acne though, but you could ask and see.
Ask your gp if you can get an appointment with a dermatologist and they can give you all the options there.
carli1566 Snowdrops
Posted
Hi snowdrops, I'm so sorry to hear you are struggling with hormonal acne. I hear you. it is so debilitating. I'm 29 and am having really similar issues related to changes to my contraceptive pill (I'm taking Yasmin). I went on and off it in 2017 and my skin has been a mess since. My understanding is that when we go off the pill out body has to process the synthetic estrogen we've been pumping into our bodies for a really long time! Our hormones are all over the place for a while (6-8mths I think), but then should settle down. Ive also experienced oilyness when I went off the pill. So frustrating! To help your body process, I've read that taking a probiotic, cutting out dairy, sugar and alcohol, and applying natural aloe Vera gel to the face can be really helpful. It contains lots of acne-fighting agents (including salicylic acid) but won't dry you out. Hormonal acne can also be the result of increased androgens in the body, so the anti-androgen drug spironolactone can be prescribed to reduce our androgens levels. All this information has come from my obsessive searching about how to help my skin. Even when my diet has been impeccable and I've been doing all the above, my skin is still awful. I'm going down the PCOS assessment route, but that involves coming off the pill again which I am terrified about. It's nice to hear the stories of others who get it!