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The Acne.org Neck Regimen - moderate to severe

Important Important: The Neck Regimen needs to be performed twice a day, about 12 hours apart if possible. This regimen is the end result of many years of trial and error and works best when followed precisely.

Wash Gently

Important Important: Gently let your hands gently glide over the skin. This will reduce irritation. Also, do not use soap on the Neck Regimen; soap tends to over-dry and irritate. Instead, use a gentle cleanser (I prefer liquids) which is made for the face to wash the neck.

shower I taped the above video during my morning shower. If you'd like, simply take another quick shower at night to wash the neck again. Washing the neck at the sink can be tricky, but feel free to wash at the sink if that works for you.

  • Dispense one pump of cleanser into your palm and lather well.
  • Very gently wash your neck for only 5 seconds or so. All you are doing is prepping the area for topical treatment later.
  • After exiting the shower, gently pat your neck dry with a towel. It may not get completely dry this way, but that's okay. Just let the remainder air dry.
  • Wait 10-15 minutes. Your skin should be completely dry by this point.

Medicate with 2.5% benzoyl peroxide

  • Wash and dry hands.
  • Dispense one full pump of benzoyl peroxide. Spread it onto your neck. Just allow your fingers to gently glide over the skin until the benzoyl peroxide is more or less absorbed. Gently applying this way reduces irritation.
  • Wait 5-15 minutes for your skin to dry. Do not rinse off the benzoyl peroxide.

Apply 10% alpha hydroxy acid

  • Wash and dry hands.
  • Dispense a quarter-sized dollop of alpha hydroxy acid.
  • Apply very gently, allowing your fingers to glide over the neck until the alpha hydroxy acid is more or less absorbed.
  • Wait for skin to dry before dressing. Note: Read below for more on how benzoyl peroxide tends to bleach fabric.
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What to expect on the Acne.org Neck Regimen

The following assumes you are following the Body Regimen precisely. Be patient and follow each step exactly as outlined for best results.

Important Important: The following assumes you are following the Neck Regimen precisely. Be patient and follow each step exactly as outlined for best results.

Mild to moderate
neck acne 		Moderate to severe
neck acne
Week 1 Mild improvement. Skin is red and itchy. Usually slight improvement. Some people have reported an initial worsening of acne. Skin is quite red and may be itchy.
Week 2 Further clearing, followed perhaps by a breakout. The breakout clears more quickly than usual. Red spots from old acne linger and may be hard to distinguish from active acne. Clearing, followed by a breakout. Skin is still somewhat red and itchy. Person is considering other options. Red spots linger and may be hard to distinguish from active acne.
Week 3 Skin is definitely improved. Some cases of neck acne are cleared up. Others are well on their way. Red spots from old acne linger but are fading. Skin continues to clear and breakouts are lessened but may be still occurring, albeit to a lesser degree. Skin is less red and no longer itches. Red spots from old acne are evident.
Week 4 Neck is looking very good. No new acne is forming, but red spots from old acne may still remain slightly. For many people, neck is looking remarkably clearer by this time. Others are still frustrated that their skin is not yet clear, but push on. Redness is gone. Red spots from old acne still remain.
Week 5-8 Skin stays clear, with perhaps an occasional small pimple. Red spots are fading further. For many people, the skin of the neck is now clear. For others, the struggle continues with intermittent breakouts. Red spots are fading slowly. Despite the urge to deviate from the Regimen and experiment, the person sticks with it precisely.
Week 8+ Ongoing treatment keeps neck clear. Red spots continue to fade until complexion is beautiful and clear. A mysterious zit pops up from time to time, perhaps from irritation of a backpack, purse strap, etc. But overall, the skin is clear of neck acne. Usually by month 3, most cases are well on their way to becoming under control. Many less severe cases now simply require ongoing treatment to maintain acne-free skin. Red spots continue to fade, but a few may remain for months to come, or even years. An isolated pimple from time to time is normal and to be expected. An isolated larger lesion may erupt occasionally due to irritation as well.

If your experience does not closely match the above descriptions, don't fret. Stay patient and follow the Regimen precisely and you should see results. If you get an unexplained breakout at any point, look back over the two weeks prior to the breakout and consider how you may have irritated your skin or veered off the Regimen. It can take a couple of weeks for acne to surface.

neck Benzoyl peroxide can bleach fabric. Even after it is dry, just a slight sweat can reactivate the benzoyl peroxide and ruin your colored shirts. I recommend wearing white while on this regimen. I've also personally found that red clothing tends to resist bleaching properties of benzoyl peroxide better than other colors. Alternately, you can try the light to moderate Neck Regimen which uses only alpha hydroxyl acid and see if that works well enough.

sun Alpha hydroxy acid most increases your skin's sensitivity to the sun and increases the chance of sunburn. Make sure to use a sunscreen and limit sun exposure while using alpha hydroxy acid and for a few weeks afterward. I prefer zinc oxide based sunscreens. Olay Complete for Sensitive Skin works well.

Allergy: A small percentage of people are allergic to benzoyl peroxide. If you suspect that you might be allergic to benzoyl peroxide, try applying a small amount of benzoyl peroxide for the first few days to a small spot on the upper back to test for sensitivity. Allergy is indicated by severe crusting or swelling. If you experience either symptom, stop using benzoyl peroxide right away.

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