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Can the pill give you spots?

Contraception Advice - Dr Darling

I am considering going on the contraceptive pill, but I had very bad acne when I was a teenager & I heard that some pills can make your skin spotty.

Some of the contraceptive pills are considered "skin friendly" so they can be used to treat bad skin as well as being used as a contraceptive. Pills with the progestogen cyproterone acetate are used to treat acne in women who have moderate to severe acne. In those with milder acne or a history of acne pills with the progestogen drospirone can be used & can have a beneficial effect on the skin as well as having contraceptive effects. Progestogen-only contraception such as the injectable, or the implant or the progestogen-only pill can make acne prone skin worse so are best avoided.