Swap Out Your Shower Products. Start with a benzoyl peroxide (5-10%) body wash: Nearly all of the dermatologists cited benzoyl peroxide body wash as their top suggestion for clearing bacne, since it aggressively kills the bacteria that cause you to break out back there.
Cystic acne is a severe form of acne. It can affect almost any part of the body, but it is most common on the face, chest, shoulders, and back. Treating cystic acne can take time, but medication and good skin care are effective in most cases.
Back acne is more severe than acne in other areas. Usually, it has bigger inflammatory regions because there's just more surface area on your back than in other places. And because back skin is so thick, breakouts go deep under the surface. That means treatment for back acne demands a different approach.
“Hot water strips the skin of its natural oils and healthy bacteria,” Grous explains, “which plays a major role in keeping moisture in—and the bad stuff out. And because dryness triggers the sebaceous glands to produce more sebum, hot water can worsen preexisting acne or cause a breakout.”
“Back acne is the result of an accumulation of dead skin cells and oil [sebum] within the pores in the skin, combined with an overgrowth of a common skin bacteria, Cutibacterium acnes, which triggers an inflammatory response,” says Kara Shah, MD, a board-certified general and pediatric dermatologist with Kenwood ...
Treating back acne at home comes down to two star ingredients: benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid. “[Those ingredients] will help desquamate those top dead layers, keeping the pores open so the oils can get out onto the skin and not be collected under the skin,” said Boh.
Like all acne, back acne is caused by overactive sebaceous glands. These glands produce an oily substance called sebum, which helps keep skin healthy. However, too much sebum can lead to bacteria growth and dead skin cells, which can block pores in the skin.
While back acne (a.k.a bacne) is totally normal, it may still leave you feeling insecure from time to time — and that's also normal.
Natural Exfoliators
Exfoliation—the process of removing dead skin cells from the surface of the skin using a chemical, granular substance, or exfoliation tool—can keep pores from getting clogged. With the help of a dry brush, you can slough off dead skin cells that can mix with sebum and cause pore blockage.
Back acne is a common form of acne because of the high number of oil glands on the back. There are multiple causes of back acne. Pores can become clogged with sebum and dead skill cells, leading to acne. Hormonal changes can also cause back acne.
They happen when your skin's oil glands make too much oil called sebum. This can lead to clogged pores and cause pimples. Pimples can take as long as six weeks to go away, but smaller, single pimples may take only a few days to disappear.
Stress won't give you acne if you're not already predisposed to it, but it can make acne worse by causing levels of certain hormones to temporarily increase. “When your fight-or-flight response is activated, the body releases stress hormones, such as cortisol and androgens,” Dr. Minni explained.
Water has many ways in which it can improve your skin, which helps to improve your acne over time. Drinking water has both direct and indirect benefits for treating acne. Firstly, with bacterial acne, water helps to remove toxins and bacteria on the skin, reducing the potential for pore-clogging in the process.
According to Dr. Kara Shah, a board-certified dermatologist, “bacne” is the result of an accumulation of dead skin cells and oil that clog the pores on the back. This build up may lead to inflammation, which then appears as acne.
Regularly washing your pillow case as well as sleeping on your back can help eliminate acne caused during sleep. Specifically sleeping on your back can keep pores open and refreshed, preventing angry breakouts and flare-ups the next day.
Cold water tightens your pores and reduces the overproduction of sebum and excretion of acne-causing bacteria. In contrast, hot water opens them and does the complete opposite, leaving your skin more prone to irritation.
If you're dealing with bacne or body blemishes, make sure your hygiene is spot on. This means showering once or twice daily – especially in hot, humid weather and after your workouts.
Sometimes your body acne won't go away on its own. If your skin is still bumpy even after following the measures above for weeks, it's time to seek medical advice. Your dermatologist might ask you to buy over-the-counter products with salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide.
While it may seem like scrubbing and using strong soaps would help acne, these things actually irritate your skin and lead to more breakouts. Use gentle cleansers and don't over scrub your skin. Stay away from loofahs, back scrubbers, antibacterial soaps and harsh exfoliating scrubs.