Anyone had any serious skin problems after coming off the pill? I've been taking a 3rd generation combined contraceptive (marvelon) for the last 9 years and now I've stopped taking it I'm having terrible problems with my skin. It started off being really greasy and spotty :gag: and now I'm developing small patches of eczema on my eyes, nose and cheeks.
My skin was never a problem before I went on the pill and I'm wondering if anyone experienced anything similar?
Also my hair is extremely greasy too.... I usually have to wash it every day anyway, but now I feel like I need to wash it twice a day!!

Any advice greatly accepted....my chances of getting pregnant are being greatly reduced by the fact that my husband thinks I look like a spotty teenager!!:help:

Sorry, hun, I can't take the pill...but just thought you might appreciate knowing it CAN be worse after pregnancy.
There's a delightful thing known as the 'butterfly mask' which some pregnant/postnatal women can get. It's a lovely pigment that covers part of your face, and is made worse by sunshine. If you're really lucky, it only covers somewhere really lovely like your top lip, making you look like you have a moustache. Guess who got that, and also works outdoors a lot? Oh, joy unbounded. I looked lovely for our first anniversary dinner. Kept covering my face with my hands...So...feeling any better? Sorry. Lol.

Nooooo......OMG, sound like my worst nightmare!!

I can just imagine going into a Client meeting looking like my face was about to fall off!!

Right, so I have teenage skin, I'm having to cut down on alcohol and watch what I eat and then when I do get pregnant, I'll have to cut out all alcohol, rare steak, soft cheese and runny eggs.....I'll have even worse skin, varicose veins and piles....
Why am I doing this again??:help:

Nooooo......OMG, sound like my worst nightmare!!

I can just imagine going into a Client meeting looking like my face was about to fall off!!

Right, so I have teenage skin, I'm having to cut down on alcohol and watch what I eat and then when I do get pregnant, I'll have to cut out all alcohol, rare steak, soft cheese and runny eggs.....I'll have even worse skin, varicose veins and piles....
Why am I doing this again??:help:

Because it's all worth it, a million times over...from the moment you first hold that tiny baby, to the laughter they cause you at their first meal, and the charming chaos of toddlerness when you are their whole world but man isn't everything else interesting...It's the most amazing feeling in the whole universe!!!
(Cosy, feeling squishy after hearing her little cosycub trying to say hello over the telephone while tearing around in his nappy having just covered his grandparents in his breakfast...bless)

Oh, and, take heart...you don't have to be as paranoid as all that about your food! I never cut out runny egs (I don't feed them to the cosycub, but ate them myself), you can eat what cheese you like as long as it's pasteurised, I'm pretty sure you can eat rare steak, and an occassional glass of wine shouldn't do any harm. Honestly, if you followed every single piece of advice on what you shouldn't eat and drink, you'd be on dry toast and water. Have a good look at the studies that have been done on what foods you can safely eat (google it, and make sure the information is coming from the medical community/government, etc.) because many things you hear are huge generalisations just because it's easier to make those than go into detail.

Pregnancy shouldn't be a punishment!

I must reassure you here - I've suffered with acne since my late teens, and it got much worse when I came off the pill. But as soon as I became pregnant my skin improved and stayed clear right through pregnancy and breastfeeding. So don't despair!

Unfortunately as soon as my periods came back after stopping breastfeeding, the skin problems started again. But if you want to go back onto the pill then, it won't be a problem for you. :)

Thanks Cosywolf and Longshanks for reassuring me!

Looks like I'll just have to keep up with the clearasil for now!

Anyway, I'm off to meet my best mate in a bit and have a look at her 20 week scan picture and hopefully get myself feeling broody again!