"i&#039;ve been using alesse for about 2 years now. it was the first bc pill that i was prescribed. i was hesitant to use hormonal contraceptives because of mood swings and spotting. however with alesse, i experienced neither of those side effects. i can&#039;t say it made my skin any clearer. i don&#039;t have severe acne but it didn&#039;t clear up my pimples. one side effect i did experience was weight gain. i am normally about 105 pounds but on the pill i gain about 3-4 pounds. i just feel very bloated. however, when i stop the pill temporarily ( the week of my period) i go back to my regular weight. i realized i could manage this by just watching what i eat and i exercise a bit more. overall, i am pretty satisfied with alesse!"