Dont mention accutane please.
I had acne since i was 12/13, body acne was getting worse over the years, turning 19 in a month and face acne hardly bothers me, body acne is a whole different story though, i have several questions regarding body acne, would appreciate the help...
I have mainly whiteheads ( the white bumps that seem to be under skin )
will body acne go away on its own when untreated?
should i pop whiteheads and other type of spots on body?
what are the products you recommend? i've heard salicylic acid and benzoyle peroxide work great, in which form should i use them, as cleansers? gels? creams? and what are the proucts you would recommend that contain salicylic acid and Benzoyle peroxide?
Popping pimples generally isn't a good idea; leave it to the professionals for extractions. What you could do for your back is take an exfoliating body wash in the shower (no medication because it's better to use a leave-on product) and then apply a separate gel with 2% salicylic acid for your body.
For the 2% SA gel, try Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Gel Exfoliant. It appears some of the 2% SA gel products have been discontinued at the drugstores, so the Paula's Choice is a good alternative.
I can't speak to SA (salyic acid), since even being in the same aisle of it breaks me out. I can say that BP does help my body acne, though it's slower to be helped than my face. When I have the ability, a BP/AHA (Alpha Hydroxy Acid, which is a chemical exfoliant) knocks out my body acne pretty quickly.
Honestly, if I have the money, I prefer Dan's products. He sells fantastic BP and AHA. But since I don't have it, I use Neutrogena On The Spot 2.5% BP (acquired at Wal-Mart.) I haven't bought an OTC AHA, so other members will have to recommend that for you!
Messing with body acne is even more frowned on than doing that with facial acne. Our skin in those areas are thicker and more prone to irritation. You can easily take a small bump and push it into a boil or something worse very quickly.