Masking from Birth Control?

[aprilcait]

Do any of you get masking from BC? If so, how do you cover it up or prevent it? I recently got back from my honeymoon and, even though I tried to cover my face, smear my face with SPF 30, and shade my face as much as possible in the sun, I have some masking.

I use Bare Minerals but it doesn''t really cover it. Annoyingly enough, where do I get masking? Right above my upper lip (thinish line slanting down on the left side and a thinish line slanting down on the right side) so it looks like I have a very, very faint mustache.

For those of you who don''t know what masking is, sometimes when women take BC the hormones can cause the skin to darken in certain areas on the face when exposed to the sun.

 

[aprilcait]

No one else here gets masking???

 

[oobiecoo]

I''ve heard that bc can cause some splotchiness and sensitivity but never actually heard of "masking". I''ve never had it...

 

[aprilcait]

Yeah, originally I wasn''t sure what the discoloration was. I thought maybe it was some weird morphing of freckles or something (it fades when my tan fades... so freckles seemed to make sense to me). Then my SIL noticed it once when I had no make-up on (she thought it was just a shadow at first) and she said that she used to get it too when she was on BC. She said she stopped getting it as soon as she was off of BC... so at least I know it''s not permanent. Phew!

I''ve looked up "masking" and apparently some pregnant women get it. I guess that makes sense with the whole BC, hormones, tricking your body into thinking your pregnant thing. It''s an annoying side effect but at least now I know what it is!

 

[iheartscience]

I''ve heard of it for pregnant women but not for BC. I believe my sister had this happen to her when she was pregnant and she used a prescription skin bleaching creme on the areas. (They were also around her mouth, if I recall correctly.) Hope this helps!

 

[aprilcait]

Thanks, Thing2of2!

I was on Ortho-Tricyclen and Ortho-Tricyclen Lo for quite a while. I''ve only had the masking happen with Yaz. It''s weird because Yaz is a low hormone BC. Ehh, who knows. Maybe I need to switch agin.

 

[JulieN]

I don't get it. But I'm totally obsessed about my skin, and I don't think I could take it. I'd be scared that it won't all go away, even though I've never researched this! ( so i don't know if it's true or not) I'd switch.

 

[kcoursolle]

I''d try another pill. If your current one is giving you side effects there are so many different ones out there that are worth a try. I have found that Yasmin and Yaz are personally the ones that give me the least amount of side effects. I haven''t ever had masking, but I have had increased sensitivity to the sun with ortho tri and othro lo and a couple of others.