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body acne

Body acne - body acne treatment

Body Acne is common on the chest, back, shoulders and even the buttocks, but it can appear anywhere on the body.

 

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. Studies show us that 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 glands where acne is formed. So, 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. Our bodies are constantly in contact with things, so it makes no sense to try to avoid all rubbing. If you are experiencing acne in one area, try to be cognizant of what might be regularly rubbing and irritating that area and make a change if you can. Damp, sweaty clothing combined with irritation tends to aggravate acne even more.

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 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: treatment for light to moderate body acne, and moderate to severe body acne.

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.

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 provides great results. Most cases of moderate to severe body acne can be brought under complete control this way. 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: I have heard from experienced doctors and estheticians that fabric softener leaves a waxy residue on clothing which can aggravate body acne. This is purely anecdotal, however, so I will look into this more. For now, I choose to forgo fabric softener myself. An alternative for controlling static are anti-static balls. You can search for "anti-static dryer balls" to find them online.

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.

Leung, Lit-Hung. "Pantothenic Acid in the Treatment of Acne Vulgaris 'A Medical Hypothesis'." Journal of Orthromolecular Medicine 12.2 (1997).

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.