Back Acne - What Causes Back Acne and How to Get Rid of It

[myron fehr]

Every summer it is time for less clothing and exposed backs for both
men and women.
Swim wear, backless dresses, or for men removal of their shirts
outdoors can become quite embarrassing when back acne is a problem.
Back acne may be difficult for you to see, but if you have acne
blemishes on your back, you will almost certainly feel it. Some people
never experience acne on the back, but many people do; hence the
nickname bacne has been given to acne on the back.
The back of the human body houses many thousands of sebaceous glands,
each one producing oil and any one of which may become clogged and
result in acne. Tight clothes or clothing that does not allow air to
circulate around the body are the two biggest reasons for back acne
outbreaks. Something as simple as wearing a backpack can bring on a
bacne attack.
When clothing or accessories trap oil which is produced by sebaceous
grands, either on the back or elsewhere on the body, the glands can
become clogged.
Then skin cells become trapped inside the hair follicles located at
the gland site. Bacteria find a home and begin inflaming the
surrounding tissue and causing a large, painful acne blemish.
Back acne can be whiteheads, blackheads, surface pustules, deeper
papules, or even acne cysts. While long hair resting on the back may
cause back acne to worsen, there does not appear to be any
relationship between heredity, stress, or diet to whether you will
experience back acne or not. Keep long hair tied so that it does not
drape the back and shoulders.
Treatments for Back Acne
Acne, not matter if it is on the back, arms, face, or elsewhere on the
body can be annoying and painful. No one wants to have embarrassing
blemishes on their skin. Sometimes it is even worse when you can't see
the acne but know it is there. You imagine the acne is huge, awful red
abscesses.
The skin on the back is thick compared to skin covering other body
areas which acne appears. This means that the treatments are different
than for facial or other acne.
Keeping the back clean by bathing or showering frequently, especially
after exercise, is very important to warding away back acne. A
cleanser which contains salicylic acid or glycolic acid may be very
helpful.
A loofah or other gentle exfoliating device can make a big difference
in cleaning your back well and preventing back acne.
After cleaning, use a topical acne treatment which contains benzoyl
peroxide; apply this to the area of the back which has active acne and
allow the product to dry before dressing because it can cause clothing
stains. Do not treat your entire back, only those areas with acne
because these products dry the skin as part of the treatment.
You can actually cause acne in other areas of the back if you simply
smear the treatment everywhere. You may need assistance from someone
to reach some areas of the back to apply treatment.
If these treatments do not help or you have a severe case of back
acne, consult a dermatologist who can provide more treatment options.
Remember, back acne usually responds well to good hygiene,
exfoliation, and acne treatments.
There is no need to suffer repeated outbreaks when simple treatments
can solve the problem in most cases. Then you, too, can feel free to
wear those revealing outfits, swim suits, or go shirtless in
appropriate situations.