Medical Questions » Contraception Questions » Question No. 224
| Question: | I have developed dense freckles on my forehead since starting the contraceptive pill. Is this a side effect? |
| Answer: | The side effects of the contraceptive pill are generally those of pregnancy. When you fall pregnant, the pigment cells in your skin are activated by the hormone changes, and you develop darkened nipples and often freckles and a ' pregnancy mask' of pigment on the forehead and cheeks. This is given the technical name of chloasma. The pill is probably responsible for your pigmentation, and it is for you to decide if this is an acceptable side effect or not. Your doctor may be able to prescribe different doses and types of pill in order to minimise the chloasma, but some women find it so cosmetically embarrassing that they prefer to use other methods of contraception. |
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