Why some birth control is bad for your skin
Different pills have different chemical formulations, and the side effects these chemicals can have can vary from person to person. This is why you might have a friend who loves their birth control pill, but when you took it you experienced lots of negative side effects. Here’s a deeper look into the ways birth control pills can differ and what effect that may have on your body.
There are many different birth control choices on the market. While they all prevent pregnancy, not all birth control choices contain the same ingredients. Most hormonal birth control contains estrogen and progestin. Different contraceptives use different types of progestin, and each type of progestin can affect your body differently. There are some contraceptives choices that can increase the chances of acne breakouts by containing a progestin that has an androgenic effect on your body.
What are Androgens?
Androgens are male sex hormones that are produced by the adrenal glands and the ovaries. Female bodies also produce these hormones, but in much smaller amounts. However, there are some types of birth control methods that use synthetic progestin that has an androgenic effect. This means they increase the amount of androgens in your body, which can cause balding, unwanted hair growth, and acne.
An increase in androgens can trigger the excess production of sebum, which is an oily or waxy substance produced by our skin for protection. Excess sebum can clog our pores, trapping dead skin and dirt and causing the formation of pimples.