Hormonal birth control clears hormonal acne

This study found that combined oral contraceptives (COCs) are associated with a lower likelihood of developing acne compared to IUDs — but the actual difference between methods was less than 1%. The study did not measure whether any birth control clears existing acne; it only tracked whether new acne appeared in women starting contraception.

• The study compared women who started different contraceptives — it did not test whether birth control resolves acne someone already has
• Absolute differences between contraceptive methods in acne rates were less than 1%, despite being statistically significant due to the large sample
• The study could not label acne as "hormonal," so the claim's specific qualifier cannot be assessed
• Lead author received a Pfizer fellowship salary; funders stated no role in study conduct