A Guide To Body Acne

Acne is a common problem, and it usually affects chest, back, shoulders, legs, face and buttocks. Body acne is more difficult to treat, as body skin is thicker than facial skin. Exact cause of body acne is not known, but it has been proven that skin irritation can make it worse. Anything rubbing against the skin can cause irritation. Body acne can be just as annoying and embarrassing as the facial acne, and it puts restriction on wearing many types of clothes.

Causes Of Body Acne

Body acne is caused by extra sebum that is produced by sebaceous glands, and this extra sebum mixes with the skin cells, clogging the pores and attracting bacteria. This produces inflamed lesions called acne. Everyone is equally susceptible to body acne, in any part of the body. It may appear in the form of pimples, whiteheads, pustules, blackheads, legions or cysts, and these can be quite pesky and painful. In addition to hormones, menstrual breakouts and stress, other causes for body acne are tight-fitting clothes and perspiration.

Getting Rid Of Body Acne

Body acne in hard-to-reach back areas is not easy to treat, but with right products and regime, it is possible to get rid of it. Washing the acne-prone areas using anti-bacterial soap with salicylic acid-based cleaner can be quite helpful. As the skin of the body is thicker than that of the face, it can handle these products better to dry out the acne. After washing, use a moisturiser that contains alpha hydroxyl acid to exfoliate and reduce dryness.

Do not scrub the affected areas of body acne, as it will only increase the inflammation and irritation. It is important to wash the acne prone areas with acne body wash just after the perspiration, such as after a hot sweaty day, or after rigorous exercise. Acne treatment regime takes time to show the result, hence if any new regime is started, give it at least six weeks to decide if it works for you or not.

Even if following a good regime, the body acne is not being cured, consult a dermatologist. The dermatologist may prescribe oral antibiotics or topical treatments. Accutane is usually the last resort to treat body acne, but has shown to be quite effective in treating all kinds of acne.

Once the body acne has been treated, certain measures must be taken to reduce the frequency of outpeaks, such as wearing loose fitting clothes while exercising as fapic can irritate the skin causing acne, choosing fragrance-free products, including more fruits and vegetables in your diet, and drinking plenty of water.