Sanatio Naturopathy
August 12, 2023
Post-Pill Acne
Post-pill acne is common and daunting, however, it doesn’t have to be this way. I can help you breeze through breakouts.
What Is
Post-Pill Acne?
Post-pill acne can impact any woman after they have stopped using birth control. When you are on the pill, you suppress your hormones and your sebum production. Hello, clear skin.
Post-pill acne occurs once you come off the pill. Your ovaries wake up, and you will experience a temporary surge in androgens. This coupled with the skin’s upregulation of sebum production, hello breakouts.
The process won’t last forever, it will start around month 3 and peak at month 6. It can last between 12 and 18 months.
HOW TO COME OFF THE PILL
With Confidence
I’m Lindsay, a PCOS and acne Naturopath. Over the last decade, I’ve educated myself to understand more about women’s health, acne, and hormones. Clear skin from within is my forte!
With a clear plan, I can take the anxiety and worry away that can come from stopping the pill. I help you break the prescription cycle and achieve clear, healthy skin.
TIMELINES FOR CLEAR SKIN POST-PILL
I suggest reaching out before stopping the pill. If you went on the pill initially for acne, painful or irregular periods, I recommend we meet at least three months before stopping. This gives me time to understand the initial reasons why you were put on the pill in the first place and address the drivers of your hormonal imbalance to bring about clear skin.
If you had picture-perfect skin and regular pain-free periods, one month prior to stopping is perfect to connect and discuss the best plan for you.
By reducing inflammation and supportive diet measures, you can see improvements in the first few weeks; however, the lasting change will take at least 6 months.
HOW DOES THE PILL WORK?
The pill’s main mechanism is to inhibit ovulation and change the cervical mucus to inhibit sperm penetration. The pill is 99% effective when taken correctly as birth control. By suppressing ovulation, the pill stops us from creating our hormones: progesterone and oestrogen.
No hormones? No hormonal outbreaks. The pill also suppresses sebum production and shrinks our pores to those of childhood levels – sounds great, right? Well, no, as adults we are meant to have more sebum. When you stop the pill, your skin responds by up-regulating sebum, more sebum, more outbreaks, and this can persist for months.
When you stop the pill, your skin responds by up-regulating sebum. More sebum, more outbreaks — and this can persist for months.
THE PROBLEM WITH THE PILL
When it comes to ‘fixing’ hormones, the pill cannot do this. The pill induces a type of chemical menopause. By suppressing your hormones, it appears all your symptoms have improved! YAY! However, before you start celebrating. The pill hasn’t addressed the underlying condition, it’s literally worked as a band-aid.
The OCP has well-known side effects such as blood clots. However, it is also linked to a myriad of symptoms depression, anxiety, weight gain, low libido, headaches, spotting, irritability, moodiness, thrush, altered gut flora, acne, low libido and breast tenderness, to name a few.
SYNTHETIC HORMONES
At a molecular level, they are different. They act more like testosterone in the body. They can make insulin resistance worse – a huge red flag for anyone with PCOS or acne.
The ‘period’ you have while on the pill is not a period. It is a drug withdrawal bleed and is by no means an indication of what your periods will be like when you cease the pill.
Not making your hormones can have a major impact on your health. Our hormones have a positive impact on our fertility, mood, brain, and cardiovascular system.
CLEAR SKIN FROM WITHIN
Post-Pill Acne, A Naturopath View
It’s a common story, ‘I was having breakouts, so my GP put me on the pill to fix my skin’.
Other similar versions include. I was suffering from irregular cycles/period pain/heavy periods/hair growth, the list goes on, and often with the same response, I was put on the pill to regulate my cycle. Women are commonly under the impression that the pill will ‘regulate’, ‘balance’ or ‘fix’ their hormonal problems because sadly that is what they are told. However, this isn’t the case.
WHAT IS THE CAUSE OF POST-PILL ACNE?
To get to the nitty-gritty of your skin, we need to understand what was going on before you went on the pill. Not all acne is a result of coming off the pill. A lot of clients have undiagnosed hormonal health conditions such as PCOS. This needs to be identified with the support of a GP and managed because it has other health implications.
Post-Pill Acne Treatment Process
Post-Pill Acne, A Naturopath Approach To Treatment
1. INITIAL CONSULT & TESTS
In our first consultation, we thoroughly explore every aspect of your well-being, delving into factors such as stress, sleep, diet, and other lifestyle components. We focus on what hormones are at play through case taking and also functional pathology testing. Hormones are complex and all related; to know what is going on means you get clear skin, fast.
2. FOLLOW-UP SUPPORT
Once we have all the background information and testing details, I create a highly individualised post-pill acne treatment plan. This plan takes each and every aspect of your health into account. Our treatment plan will also focus on the other body systems that impact your hormones: digestion, liver, detoxification pathways, sleep, energy, and stress response.
Nutrition and herbs are immensely helpful to bring about change quickly; this, with diet, can make the biggest impact on clearing your post-pill acne.
3. FOLLOW-UP SUPPORT
Following the implementation of your initial post-pill acne treatment program, we schedule regular catch-ups to review results, address any changes or questions you may have, and align with your skin goals. During these sessions, we also assess the need for any additional tests, including functional pathology tests, and adjust your treatment plan as necessary for optimal progress.
FAQs about Post Pill Acne
Post-pill acne typically occurs 3-6 months after coming off the pill. For some women, the acne can last for 12-18 months. The tricky part is you never know how women will react to coming off the pill. Some find the moment they stop they break out, others breeze through until month 6 and bam – acne. Naturopath Lindsay helps women with acne and post-pill acne. Together we work out a plan before you cease the pill. That way you can come off the pill when you are ready and be confident you are doing all you can to reduce any acne outbreaks.
Post-pill acne can impact any woman on ceasing the pill. If you have had clear skin before the pill you can still experience outbreaks after. Women who were on the pill for acne will commonly experience outbreaks. Women who have come off the pill prior and experienced acne most likely will again. When you stop the pill your androgens surge normally around months 3-6 and that’s what causes the outbreaks, this is the same for all women, regardless of if you did or didn’t have acne beforehand.
It can be difficult to know how a woman will respond to coming off the pill. Because of this Acne Naturopath Lindsay suggests working together for 3 months before stopping. That way you can ensure the foundations of your health are good, that your diet is wholesome and that you managing your stress. Acne is a sign of something deeper going on, when you improve your overall health, you improve your hormones, and your skin and ultimately reduce outbreaks.
Yes, it most definitely can. If the pill has cleared your acne, you can assume the reason you had acne was due to your hormones. Once you come off the pill your ovaries wake up! Your body starts making hormones again, and we see a surge of androgens, these are often the culprit of post-pill and hormonal acne. If you had acne before the pill and are wishing to stop the pill I suggest reaching out and working together 3 months before coming off the pill. This gives you enough time to improve your overall health and diet and work on the other drivers of acne.
It’s best to start working on everything that impacts hormones before coming off the pill. Ideally, 3 months if you had acne before or one month prior if you’ve never had acne. Ensuring you have a well-rounded diet, each meal is balanced with protein and fat. Having regular bowel movements, and consuming a wide variety of fruits and vegetables to support the liver and digestive health. Managing stress and ensuring enough rest and gentle movement are all keys to happy hormones! Remember on the pill you are in chemical menopause – your hormones have flat-lined, so you can’t take any herbs or supplements to work on hormones. If you want to create a plan to balance your hormones contact Acne Naturopath Lindsay she helps countless women clear their skin naturally.
It’s important to remember our hormones don’t work independently of our overall health. Sleep, stress, food, gut, and liver health all have an impact, so working on these will improve hormones. Hormonal acne, most of the time is due to a rise or sensitivity to androgens, supplements like zinc, peony, nettle and licorice can be immensely helpful. So can ensuring healthy progesterone, with the likes of magnesium and B6. You can also jump on to my newsletter to receive my top hormonal acne supplements.
How long post pill acne last?
Post-pill acne typically occurs 3-6 months after coming off the pill. For some women, the acne can last for 12-18 months. The tricky part is you never know how women will react to coming off the pill. Some find the moment they stop they break out, others breeze through until month 6 and bam – acne. Naturopath Lindsay helps women with acne and post-pill acne. Together we work out a plan before you cease the pill. That way you can come off the pill when you are ready and be confident you are doing all you can to reduce any acne outbreaks.
Does everyone get ACNE after stopping birth control?
Post-pill acne can impact any woman on ceasing the pill. If you have had clear skin before the pill you can still experience outbreaks after. Women who were on the pill for acne will commonly experience outbreaks. Women who have come off the pill prior and experienced acne most likely will again. When you stop the pill your androgens surge normally around months 3-6 and that’s what causes the outbreaks, this is the same for all women, regardless of if you did or didn’t have acne beforehand.
Can you avoid post pill acne?
It can be difficult to know how a woman will respond to coming off the pill. Because of this Acne Naturopath Lindsay suggests working together for 3 months before stopping. That way you can ensure the foundations of your health are good, that your diet is wholesome and that you managing your stress. Acne is a sign of something deeper going on, when you improve your overall health, you improve your hormones, and your skin and ultimately reduce outbreaks.
Does ACNE comes back after the pill?
Yes, it most definitely can. If the pill has cleared your acne, you can assume the reason you had acne was due to your hormones. Once you come off the pill your ovaries wake up! Your body starts making hormones again, and we see a surge of androgens, these are often the culprit of post-pill and hormonal acne. If you had acne before the pill and are wishing to stop the pill I suggest reaching out and working together 3 months before coming off the pill. This gives you enough time to improve your overall health and diet and work on the other drivers of acne.
How do I balance my hormones after birth control?
It’s best to start working on everything that impacts hormones before coming off the pill. Ideally, 3 months if you had acne before or one month prior if you’ve never had acne. Ensuring you have a well-rounded diet, each meal is balanced with protein and fat. Having regular bowel movements, and consuming a wide variety of fruits and vegetables to support the liver and digestive health. Managing stress and ensuring enough rest and gentle movement are all keys to happy hormones! Remember on the pill you are in chemical menopause – your hormones have flat-lined, so you can’t take any herbs or supplements to work on hormones. If you want to create a plan to balance your hormones contact Acne Naturopath Lindsay she helps countless women clear their skin naturally.
How do I fix hormonal ACNE?
It’s important to remember our hormones don’t work independently of our overall health. Sleep, stress, food, gut, and liver health all have an impact, so working on these will improve hormones. Hormonal acne, most of the time is due to a rise or sensitivity to androgens, supplements like zinc, peony, nettle and licorice can be immensely helpful. So can ensuring healthy progesterone, with the likes of magnesium and B6. You can also jump on to my newsletter to receive my top hormonal acne supplements.
Happy Hormones,
& Clear Skin
I am here to help you clear your acne. To help you feel confident in your skin. Let’s dig deeper and work together to bring about lasting change.
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