I need to start taking birth control. Condoms are great and everything, honestly it's more of a skin concern. I've never had acne, but recently my skin has gone bat-****, if you'll pardon my french.
I know lots of my friends have started taking BC to regulate their periods and clear up their skin. I'd like both of those things. I DO NOT want to gain any weight. I know that BC effects everyone a little differently...I was just wondering, based on experience, if there was any brands to lean towards or away from in particular.
I used to take Yasmin (was on it for a few years) and now switched to the generic brand (been on it for about a year) and have had zero issues with either. No weight gain, skin is good, periods are regular, etc. But everyone is different, I know a few people who tried every brand and none worked and others who can take anything. It's a good thing to research before you start taking it though!
I gained a few pounds (3-5 lbs) but that wasn't the reason I stopped. I had a nervous breakdown while on them and it aggravated my pre-existing anxiety disorder. Second time I tried, I lashed out at my significant other many times and had a mini anxiety attack. Just decided to stop
Everyone is so different with their hormones and stuff, but I take Loestrin 24fe. I really like it. It has low estrogen and instead of having a full week of placebo pills, you just have 4 days of iron pills. I was already taking them before I started losing weight this time so I can't tell you if they cause weight gain or not.
I'm on Loestrin too, and haven't experienced any weight gain. I do experience spotting midway through my cycle, which is kind of annoying since it's heavy enough that I have to wear a pad those days...So maybe not so great for me from the "regulating your cycle" standpoint. It does keep me from getting hormonal migraines, though, so for me it's worth it!
I'm on Nuvaring and I haven't had any problems. My periods are MUCH lighter and MUCH shorter (I was having heavy, 15-20 day periods and then going a couple months before my next one) and MUCH more regular. Now they're light, about 3 or 4 days long, and regular. I can predict down to the hour when I will start (because I put the ring in/take it out at the same time of the day each time). I love the simplicity of the ring. I tried taking loestrin...but I'm a very forgetful person and I was always forgetting to take it. The nuvaring, I only have to remember to put it in and then take it out three weeks later. I use an alarm on my phone so that I won't forget. I never had terrible skin, but it's definitely a lot less oily on the nuvaring.
Also on Nuvaring, but wasn't watching my weight when I started so can't be sure. For me the skin cleared up, and I love not having to remember to take it every day.
I'm on Lo Loestrin Fe which has only 10mcg estrogen and I started it before my weight loss journey and I have been able to lose weight. I didn't gain any weight when I started taking it back in March. I switched from the Nuvaring which just made me too hormonal. No issues with Lo Loestrin Fe and I figure less hormones = less likely to have side effects? Maybe that's just my thinking.
I was on Dianete, it was supposed to purely help for skin but it didn't work for me (I had mild-severe acne at the time so it wasn't just a few spots) but it made me gain a LOT of weight. My boobs ballooned!
I was on Yasmin, gave me mood swings, headaches and the worse period pains ever.
I too am looking for a good pill to not make me gain weight in any area, I couldn't afford to right now!
I second the IUD option if you need it for birth control - though I don't know if it (the Mirena at least, the hormone containing one) would have any impact on your skin. But no pills to take, and they last for 5 years (Mirena) or 10 years (Paraguard)
stay away from the depo shot! gained almost 40 on that stupid thing - the ortho evra patch seems to work great, but I'm only on it for my skin - no mood swings and losing weight isnt hard
Birth control & weight gain
cows are so cute. 
