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Body acne - body acne treatment

Body acne is common on the chest, back, shoulders, and buttocks, but it can appear anywhere on the body. Click Get Started for a regimen that will clear it up.

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What is body acne?

green bean Body acne, just like facial acne, is a genetic disease. If your mother or father had body acne, chances are you're likely to struggle with it yourself. Most people with facial acne have some amount of body acne as well. Body acne develops in a similar way to facial acne. However, the skin on the body can be thicker than that on the face and often has larger pores, making for more severe acne lesions at times.

Acne can develop anywhere on the body except for the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet. That is because these are the only two areas which do not have sebaceous follicles where acne is formed. If you're wondering if the pus filled red marks on your arms, legs, buttocks, or elsewhere are acne, chances are they just might be. If you are unsure, see a dermatologist for a diagnosis.

Causes of body acne

As with any type of acne, the exact cause of body acne remains unknown. However, we do know that irritation can make it worse. Anything that rubs against your skin can cause irritation. Damp, sweaty clothing combined with irritation tends to further aggravate acne.

Avoiding irritation

  • Wear breathable cotton clothing when possible. If you get sweaty, try to change your clothing when you can.
  • Time your workouts so that you can shower and treat your skin using the Body Regimen afterward.
  • Generally try to be aware of what might be irritating your skin in areas where you break out regularly and make changes where you can.

Note: Our bodies are constantly in contact with various things and it is impossible to avoid irritation altogether. There is no need to obsess about avoiding irritation on the body. Rather, simply be aware of small changes you might be able to make and leave it at that. The Body Regimen should clear you up nicely and does not require you to avoid irritation altogether.

Treatments

Luckily there exist highly effective treatments for body acne. Treatment can be split into two categories: 1) treatment for light to moderate body acne, and 2) moderate to severe body acne.

1. Light to moderate cases

For lighter cases of body acne such as my own, gently cleansing the skin, allowing it to completely dry, and applying 10% alpha hydroxy acid works to keep me clear. Read the entire light to moderate Body Regimen here.

2. Moderate to severe cases

For more severe cases of body acne, a regimen consisting of gently cleansing the skin, applying 2.5% benzoyl peroxide, and then applying 10% alpha hydroxy acid helps bring most cases of moderate to severe body acne under complete control. Read the entire moderate to severe Body Regimen here.

For very severe, widespread, and scarring cases of body acne, Accutane may be required.

Tip Tip: Fabric softener can leave a waxy residue on clothing and while there exists no research on the topic, this theoretically may aggravate acne. Anti-static balls may be an alternative. You can google "anti-static balls" to find them.

References

Berger, Timothy G., William D. James, and Richard B. Odom. Andrew's Diseases of the Skin. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Company, 2000.

Bettoli, Vincenzo, Alison M. Layton, and Diane Thiboutot. Fast Facts-Acne. Oxford, UK: HealthPress Limited, 2004.

Fulton, James E. Acne Rx. James E. Fulton Jr., M.D., PhD: 2001.

Kligman, Albert M., and Gerd Plewig. Acne and Rosacea. Berlin: Springer, 2000.

Tan JK., et al. "Prevalence and severity of facial and truncal acne in a referral cohort." Journal of Drugs in Dermatology. 2008 Jun;7(6):551-6.