I started out on Alesse, and it wasn't a nightmare experience like it was for others, but it didn't really help either. I had problems with breakthrough bleeding on it though, so I switched to Ortho Tri-cyclen, which I swear made things worse. Now I've been on Desogen (or Apri, the generic) for over a year and it's been great. My skin hasn't been this clear in a long time. Just my 2 cents - good luck finding something that works :)