Help! I took emergency contraception and now I have acne!

People are familiar with the oral contraceptive pills effect on acne, but have you considered if the emergency contraceptive pill has had an impact on your skin?

We always ask about emergency contraceptive pill use in consultations, because anything that we ingest / apply / inhale that disrupts our hormone function, can play havoc with our skin.

Before we go further, we want to make it crystal clear that here at The Acne & Eczema Clinic we are 100% pro-choice when it comes to your body and the decisions you make and we are very grateful to live in a country where we have reproductive autonomy. But like any medication, you need to be aware of the side effects that may occur when you take this, or any other drug.

So how do emergency contraceptive pills work? Here in Australia we have two different types of ‘morning after pills’. There is levonorgestrel, which can be taken within four days of having unprotected sex, or a newer emergency contraceptive option, ulipristal acetate (brand name ‘EllaOne’), which can be taken within five days of unprotected sex.

Both pills impair or delay the ovaries from releasing an egg, so ovulation is either postponed or doesn’t take place. Both pills also contain strong synthetic steroid hormones, so if you are androgen-sensitive or steroid hormone-sensitive, they will likely trigger acne. Ulipristal acetate (found in ‘EllaOne’) changes the function of natural progesterone in our body. Levonorgestrel is high in the synthetic progesterone ingredient, progestin, which has androgenic properties. Hello potential acne flare-ups and increased sebum.

For the next three months of your cycle, you may notice changes with your cycle as the ovulation process rectifies. Your once regular periods may now be irregular, or your once light flow may become heavy. But all of these symptoms are a small price to pay for an unwanted pregnancy. And we’ll say it again, we are so grateful to live in a country where we have reproductive autonomy! If your skin has flared, it may settle on its own after a few months, and you can always consider some additional support like Formula S2 to assist skin healing.

In summary, if your skin is temperamental at the best of times, prepare for a rocky month or two until your hormones settle back down. And if you need support, we’re here for you. Send us a DM or book a free discovery call, and let’s chat. You’ve got this, girl.