BC and the sun

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-23-2004
BC and the sun
10
Wed, 05-12-2004 - 10:35am
Is it possible for your BC to affect your skin while tanning? I went to las vegas about a month ago and i got a sun rash and i figured it was because i haven't been in the sun since the past summer my skin was sensitive at the time to the strength of the sun. Yesterday i went out to tan and i got a sun rash again. not as severe as when i was in vegas but i was also out for a shorter amount of time. I was thinking it could be from my BC but if it is is there anything i can do about it? I can't go through the summer being pale! Thanks!
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-23-2004
Wed, 05-12-2004 - 11:03pm
I hate to double post but i wanted to add that in vegas i was on yasmin and now i am on Aviane...also would it be a terrible thing to stop BC for the summer so i can tan and restart come fall? My doctor not my gyno told me to stay out of the sun and that is just a NO can do....any input would be great..thanks!
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-30-2003
Thu, 05-13-2004 - 12:07am
Hi babeedoll131,

Melasma is sometimes a side effect of oral contraceptives and is made worse by exposure to direct sunlight . It usually shows up as patches of darker pigmentation on the face and arms and sometimes persists after stopping hormones. I don’t know about a rash but if you are taking other photosensitizing medications or supplements they might also be a cause. You could ask your Gyn about using a lower dose method like NuvaRing which might help or perhaps a progestin only method. If your BC is causing your skin problem and a lower dose doesn’t help then the only thing you can do is stay out of the sun. If you do decide to go off OCs for the summer be sure to use an effective method of contraception. If I were you I’d have a talk with my Gyn about the problem. Let us know what s/he says, ok?

Good luck

      Jill

    

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-23-2004
Fri, 05-14-2004 - 10:13am
I spoke to my doctor and she said that it wasn;t from the BC because melasma is dark patches mine were like small red bumps that were itchy so she said to continue taking them and gave me a dermatologists number! On an off topic i was wondering since the pill causes vaginal dryness if that also leads to the itchiness. Ever since i've started BC i've been dry and itchy..sorry if that sounds gross lol i just want to make sure it's normal! Thanks again!
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Fri, 05-14-2004 - 1:56pm
When I was taking Loestrin 1.5/30 (for four years), I always had dry skin on my legs and would get contact dermatitis or severe itching if I used anything on my skin that contained fragrances. Several doctors told me that it couldn't be the pill, but as soon as I switched to something else, the itching stopped and I could use fragranced lotions again. Coincidence? I think not. ;) You won't find a doctor to agree, it's likely, but if the itching gets to be bothersome, you might consider switching pills again (if you're willing to risk potential side effects).

And on the sun note--if you can't bear to be pale this summer, please make sure you get checked every year or so for skin cancer. It's a very real issue and can affect people in their teens and 20's, it's not just for old and tired skin! I know a 17 year old that had a positive biopsy. And it's the most preventable cancer there is.

Good luck!

Judie
Co-cl for Birth Control
Judie Cl for Birth Control 
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-23-2004
Fri, 05-14-2004 - 7:08pm
Thanks for the advice but i think i didn't explain myself that clearly. I meant i am always dry and experience vaginal itching. My skin is dry as well on my legs. But i wanted to make sure the dryness and vaginal itching were a part of the birth control. I just want to make sure everythings normal! Thanks again for the input!
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-15-2003
Fri, 05-14-2004 - 8:44pm
I wouldn't consider consistent vaginal itching to be normal or OK!! An occasional itch I don't think is a big deal, but if you are constantly itching there I think you should discuss it with your doctor.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-23-2004
Fri, 05-14-2004 - 10:10pm
it's not all the time it happens like once a month when it is especially dry in that area. I was thinking maybe the two were interrelated. That because i was dry i was also itchy. I have an appt next fri for a sono and an hiv/std test...i'm terrified just because the whole aspect of it is crazy but i'll mention it to her while i am there. It also oddly occurs when i have sex. I am dry and even with lube it doesn't feel that good. Maybe my body has to get adjsuted to the new pill i am on.
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-16-2003
Fri, 05-14-2004 - 11:38pm
Try a sunless tanner. Some of them actually work really well. I used them all through high school, and still use it on my face. I tan my body, but I cannot deal with wrinkles in my 20s. here is a secret, you only turn orange if you are trying to go too dark. My favorite is coppertone endles summer. It smells awful and takes awhile to dry (the lotion, but the new foam is actually really fast to dry), but you turn brown, not orange. Go with Deep, not Very Deep. It mixes the ingredients as you pump, not before, so you have a very natural looking tan. I use the formulation for the face once a week. Good luck. A real tan is not worth the damage in the years to come.
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-16-2004
Sun, 05-16-2004 - 2:26am
I just read on the University of Miami website that bcs are listed as drugs that ARE sun sensitizing. Try Clarins self tanning!!
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Mon, 05-17-2004 - 8:04am
Nope! 'Fraid not! Sorry...I went through four years of dry painful sex (besides having dry irritated skin), it's not something you're going to get used to and may only get worse as time goes by. The psychological effects are much more long-lasting than the physical pain. I hate to break it to you, but I'd also hate to have you go what I've gone through in the last several years too. Sex shouldn't EVER be painful. If it is, there's something wrong. There are plenty of pills on the market, you don't have to take one that makes you hurt!

If you are dry, and then you have sex (without additional lubrication, or not enough), you are putting yourself at risk for bacterial and yeast infections because the friction can tear the tissue in your vagina and make hiding places for bacteria and yeast. You also don't have the benefit of normal (acidic) vaginal secretions to keep the bad stuff under control, which might be why you're dry and itchy at the same time. The solution for many women is a pill with less progestin or more estrogen--progestin tends to counteract the estrogen, and estrogen is what keeps vaginal (and urinary tract) cells healthy.

So at your next appointment, make sure you bring this up, or if you can't wait that long, please don't hesitate to call the doctor's office and talk to someone about it.

Good luck!

Judie
Co-cl for Birth Control
Judie Cl for Birth Control