It’s a stressful week of classes and with stress comes zits.  Not all acne care products work for everyone, but for girls one solution is getting on birth control.

Every teenage girl or young woman should be on some type of birth control. These substances cannot only be looked at as a way to prevent pregnancy, but also as a hormone supplement.

One hormone supplement that is popular among young women is the pill. In most versions of the pill there are hormones, estrogen and progesterone. These additional hormones prevent women from ovulating, which then prevents them from getting pregnant if they are sexually active, according to kidshealth.org. At the same time, aside from preventing pregnancy the pill can also help clear up the acne of young women.

Acne starts when there are large amounts of sebum, oil made by glands in skin, that block pores and cause bacteria build up. In order for skin to build sebum there also needs to be excessive amounts of androgens, which are hormones made by ovaries and adrenal glands, according to an article on webmd.com. By taking birth control pills the amount of androgens in the body get lowered which in turn lowers the sebum and acne.

There are only three types of birth control pills that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has actually approved for treating acne. All three types of pills contain both estrogen and progesterone, with the same amount and form of estrogen. The three types of pills that help reduce and prevent acne are Estrostep, Ortho Tri-Cyclen and YAZ.

Another type of birth control that helps women with problems other than preventing pregnancy is the implant. This type of birth control enables women from getting pregnant for three years, as stated by plannedparenthood.org, but at the same time it can also help some women keep from having their periods for three years. Using this method requires women to let professional health care providers insert matchstick size rods into their arms to make sure treatment is safe and affective, but it does cost anywhere between $400 to $800.

For those who are not worrying about acne or their periods, the use of birth control can also be good to prevent STDs and STIs. Condoms and female condoms can do this because they act as a thin lining between skins.

There are around 12 types of birth control substances that teenage girls and young women can choose from and use for sex, acne and prevention of periods. As seen on plannedparenthood.org, the list of birth controls include the implant, patch, pills, shot, sponge, vaginal ring, cervical cap, condom, diaphragm, female condom, IUD, and the morning after pill (which is an emergency contraception).

Each type of birth control has its different methods and can include different types and amounts of hormones. With the variety to choose from every teenage girl and young woman should be able to be on some type of birth control. It is not only to be cautious in the bedroom and prevent pregnancy, but also to help with hormones dealing with acne and monthly women problems.

-Marissa Mararac is a junior communication major from Tacoma. She can be contacted at 335-2290 or by [email protected]. The opinions expressed in this Column are not necessarily those of the staff of The Daily Evergreen or those of Student Publications.