Hello, and I hope I can help you today. The Althea contraceptive contains a combination of estrogen, progesterone and an ingredient that is an anti-androgen, meaning it fights your body s production of male hormones, which can help decrease acne and excessive hair growth. You take the pill every day (at the same time if possible) every day for three weeks of the month. For one week a month, you take no pills and you should have your period start during this time. You should start the pill on the first day of your next period and it will protect against pregnancy immediately. Birth control pills are 99 percent effective in preventing pregnancy, and usually give you a short, light period every 28 days or so. So you finish the three weeks of pills, and then start a new pack exactly 7 days after you finish the old one. The birth control injection, called Depo Provera, has only the hormone progesterone in it, so it doesn t have any known benefits for your skin. You get the injection every 3 months and usually the shot causes spotting and irregular bleeding for the first 6 months followed by no periods at all. The shot is nearly 100 percent effective and you don t need to remember to take a tablet every day, but many people dislike the injection due to the bleeding side effects. I hope I was able to adequately answer your question today and that this information was helpful to you. You can also google Althea and read the instructions for taking the pill on the pharmaceutical website. Best wishes, Dr. Brown