acne

   I've had acne for a long time and i decided to start taking birth controll pills because i've heard that it helps!I've been taking the pills for a month now but my acne got worse!Is it normal in the beginning and how long will it take to clear the acne if it works?
  Thank you for your time and attention!

[loiloi]

Hi. Which brand of birth control pills are you taking? Certain brands are better at clearing acne than others, these include Diane35, Yasmin and Ortho Tri-Cyclen.
Avoid the mini-pill (everyday pill) which can induce hormonal acne.
It is not unusual to have an initial temporary worsening of acne when starting a new product to clear it, as unseen pimples come to the surface.
Combined birth control pills should take about 3 months to clear acne. Speak to your doctor about using an acne gel such as Differin (adapalene 0.1%) concurrently to speed up healing time. Or buy an over the counter acne gel such as Freederm (nicotinamide).
Eloise.