Most women know that taking contraceptive pills can prevent an unplanned pregnancy, but did you know that the pill can also give you clearer skin? According to Kaycee Reyes, M.D., skin and laser specialist, and the dermatologist behind Luminisce Holistic Skin Innovations in Bonifacio Global City, combined oral contraceptive pills can clear acne but it may take two to three months before they start to work.

"For women, several stages of life like puberty, pregnancy, menstruation or menopause contribute to changes in our hormonal levels," Dr. Kaycee explains. "These changes can make the oil glands produce excess oil that, when joined with dead skin cells will clog your pores and can trigger an acne flare," she added.

OCPs (oral contraceptive pills) work by slowing down sebum production of the oil glands–this lessens the oil that might clog the pores, which may contribute to mitigation of acne. However, if you are a smoker, suffering from high blood pressure or migraine, and over the age of 35, it is not advisable to take OCP.

Dr. Kaycee suggests that if you’re going to take OCP to lessen acne flare, it would be better to continue other acne treatments provided by your skin doctor because OCP can only target one cause of acne–and acne is multi-factorial (meaning it has many other causes). Our recommendation? Consult with a dermatologist first.

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