I had a serious case of post pill acne—here’s how I got rid of it

You may have heard that taking the pill can be the best acne treatment, and there is some truth in that, primarily because some varieties can help to reduce acne thanks to reducing the number of androgens, which has a knock on effect on every type of acne. 

Many women who’ve tried a skincare routine for acne and the best spot treatments to no avail will look into this option, and those who try might experience success—but what happens when they come off it?

Facialist and skincare founder Sarah Chapman says that while the pill might help reduce the acne, it's worth considering that it may return with a vengeance when you come off it: "the pill reduces oil and sebum production in your skin, so coming off can send both into overdrive as your hormones readjust."

Because we know just how much first-hand experience helps when it comes to such matters, below, Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK, Penny Goldstone reveals her experience with post-pill acne.

How it started

"Around November 2017, I stopped taking the pill. Although it's quite common to go on the pill for acne treatment, I simply went on it for birth control; I did have acne as a teenager, but no more than average.

"Having been on the contraceptive pill for over a decade (I was on Logynon, FYI), I figured I would possibly see some side effects when I stopped taking it, including spots, which had happened to a few friends of mine. At first, nothing happened, and then... well, shit got real, as they say. I got the dreaded spots and quite a bad case of them."

The emotional effect of post-pill acne

"When my post-pill acne was at its worst, I felt self conscious even popping out to the supermarket without a couple of layers of foundation and felt compelled to justify my skin to whomever glanced at it for a tad too long.

"I even asked my husband to edit my spots out before I put a picture on Instagram. I'm not proud of this, but it serves to illustrate just how much it affected my confidence."

When did my acne return after stopping the pill?

"Experts suggest that it can take months, though for me, it only took about three weeks. For those three glorious weeks, I thought 'heck this whole coming off the pill business isn't so bad, I've seen no changes whatsoever'. What a blissfully ignorant fool I was. It started with a couple of cystic spots just before Christmas, which turned into full-blown acne in the New Year."

How long did my acne last after stopping the pill?

"Again, this will vary in each case, however, I would say that now, seven months after coming off the pill, my skin is almost back to normal - I still get the odd spot, especially before my period. I would stay it started improving dramatically around the 5-month post-pill mark."

How I got rid of acne after stopping the pill

"I went to see the doctor a couple of times in the last few months, and she basically told me what I didn't want to hear: that it was just my body trying to regulate my hormones and that I just needed to be patient, my skin would get back to normal. Eventually.

"She also mentioned eating healthily would help, a strategy backed by facialist Abigail James, who says: 'nutritional and supplement support really is key, as it's the hormones which have gone haywire and they need more support.'"

My go-to post-pill acne treatments

"While people rave about retinol for acne and tea tree oil for acne, it's hard to say whether mine cleared up simply because my hormones simply regulated themselves, or if an acne treatment helped alone. All I can say is I saw a vast improvement in my skin when I started using these products."