Introduction
Due to the fluctuation of hormones, many women face allergic skin reactions or changes in the body. However, allergic reactions related to birth control are rare. This is because all birth control methods are created equal. One type of birth control may reduce the breakout, and another kind of birth control may trigger them. Some women take oral contraceptives to reduce acne. If the rash develops on the face and body, it can be due to diseases other than birth control methods. The birth control method used to fluctuate the levels of hormones may be the cause of a rash. These are used for many health issues related to women's health, like endometriosis, irregular periods, menstrual cramps, preventing pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and blood-borne infections. If the person is allergic to latex, condoms may cause a skin rash. The chemicals in birth control medications can cause an allergic reaction. The article will tell about the types of inflammation, birth control methods, treatment, and side effects of birth control methods.
What Are the Various Birth Control Methods?
Various birth control methods include oral contraceptives, birth control pills, patches, shots, condoms, spermicides, and intrauterine methods such as intrauterine devices and implants.
What Are Birth Control Pills?
Birth control pills are also known as oral contraceptives. These are the medications used to prevent unwanted pregnancy. Oral contraceptives are a combination of two hormones (estrogen and progesterone) or a single hormone (progestin). Birth control pills may thicken the cervical mucus and suppress ovulation, stopping the sperm from entering the ovaries. Females mainly take these at childbearing age.
What Types of Rashes Are Caused by Birth Control Pills?
A woman may cause a rash due to hormonal birth control methods. It is an autoimmune response caused due to allergies to the hormone. Several types of rashes may be caused due to birth control included.
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Erythema Nodosum: It is an inflammatory condition of the subcutaneous skin layer. The infection causes red, painful, and tender bumps on the skin, face, and lower legs. It can be due to pregnancy, diseases, and birth control use.
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Autoimmune Progesterone Dermatitis: The autoimmune rare skin disorder caused due to birth control. It occurs due to the body's response to progesterone. Symptoms like rash, fever, wheezing, and hives occur before menstruation begins. Birth control pills may worsen the infection.
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Allergic Skin Reaction: Birth control pills can cause other skin reactions, including:
1. Melasma: When exposed to the sun, the human body can stimulate the cells of estrogen and progesterone, which contains melanin, to produce more pigment resulting in brownish-gray patches on the skin.
2. Hormonal Acne: Due to fluctuations in the hormone, birth control pills can cause acne.
3. Telangiectasia: Fluctuation in the hormone can make the skin more sensitive to sunlight and can lead to spider veins on the skin.
What Forms of Birth Control Cause Rashes?
Birth control contains hormones that cause different types of skin rash.
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Birth Control Pills: Pills come in combination (estrogen and progesterone) or as progestin. These make the skin more sensitive to sunlight and cause a painful rash on the face and body.
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Birth Control Patch: This can cause skin irritation and itching at the patch's site placement.
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Vaginal Ring: It is a device inserted into the vagina during sexual intercourse. The hormones released can cause facial acne, itching, and vaginal infections.
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Birth Control Shots: Shots can be used to prevent pregnancy and can cause skin redness and soreness at the injection site.
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Hormonal Intrauterine Device (IUD): A device to prevent pregnancy. The hormone released from the IUD can cause skin rash, swelling, hives, and fever.
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Condoms: Skin reactions can be caused due to allergic latex condoms.
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Spermicide: It can be inserted into the vagina and cause vaginal itching and burning.
Why Do People Get a Rash From Birth Control?
Some people are allergic to the chemicals or ingredients in some types of birth control. An allergic reaction may be a skin rash, irritation, swelling, and itching. If the person is well known for an allergic response to birth control, like latex condoms and IUDs, an alternative birth control method should be used to prevent allergy. The rash may be due to the release of the hormones (progesterone and estrogen) from the medications, and in the case of a condom, the latex condom may cause a skin rash.
What Are the Other Birth Control Side Effects?
Many side effects can be caused by birth control, including nausea, vomiting, fever, headache, breast tenderness, weight gain, skin acne, migraine, fluid retention, cramps, hair growth, spotting or bleeding in between periods, vaginal discharge, vaginal itching, burning, irritation, swelling, or redness, decrease or increase in appetite, diarrhea, or constipation.
How Can a Rash From Birth Control Be Diagnosed?
The doctor may diagnose a birth control rash by allergy or patch test. In addition, a physician may ask the patient about any history of latex condoms or any other birth control method that causes the allergic skin rash.
How Can a Rash From Birth Control Be Managed?
If a person checks whether the birth control causes a skin rash, then that individual should talk with a healthcare provider. There are several types of treatment for a birth control rash. First, the doctor may recommend medicine based on the cause of the inflammation. The doctor may recommend the patient to use alternate birth control if the rash is due to oral contraceptives, latex condoms, or antihistamine medications to limit the pain or itching caused due to latex condom allergy or other birth control methods. Some oral corticosteroids and steroid creams can help in reducing inflammation.
Conclusion
Birth control methods like condoms and oral contraceptive pills prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. Unfortunately, these can cause skin rashes. The rashes are standard and not severe. The chemical and hormone-like progesterone and estrogen released from birth control methods cause skin rash in some people. Some people may get rid of a rash by using an alternative way of birth control and stopping what causes it. If a person is experiencing inflammation, swelling, or irritation, get in touch with the healthcare provider to stop further infection. The healthcare provider may prescribe alternate birth control methods, antihistamines, and oral corticosteroids to prevent other diseases and provide relief.
