Have you ever been walking down the beach in your most flattering bathing suit, and even though you know that Speedo makes you look good, you still hear people whisper behind your back.  You check and there are no obvious embarrassments, but something must be wrong.  As you start to sit and ponder what’s going on, you hear your spouse say, “Oooh, what’s that on your back?”  That’s when you realize all that itching and burning on your back must be back acne!

Back Acne: What Causes It?

Acne Vulgaris is caused when dead skin cells and sebum (oil) clog the opening pore of a hair follicle.  Sebum is oil produced in the sebaceous gland which is located adjacent to the hair follicle.  When the sebaceous gland gets over stimulated due to hormones, or the skin doesn’t get cleaned well, the oil fills the pore, and dead skin cells that have sloughed off the skin from around the:

• Face
• Back
• Upper Chest
• Buttocks

Clog the pore and become impacted (hardened into keratin).  This sealing off of the pore opening causes the various skin blemishes and/or lesions:

• Seborrhea (scaly red skin/rosacea)
• Comedones (blackheads and whiteheads)
• Papules (pinheads)
• Pustules (pimples)
• Nodules (larger papules)
• Possible Scarring

Severity of back acne depends on several factors including cleanliness, how much back hair one has, the size of the sebaceous glands in the skin, and genetics.

Back Acne: Is It Treatable?

Yes, is the short answer.  Treatment however, is not a magic pill or cream, and it doesn’t happen overnight.  There are really a multitude of treatments that one can use on your back.  It’s simply a matter of finding the one that is going to work the best for you.

• Good Hygiene
• Healthy Diet (low in Dairy and Glycemic content)
• Topical Creams and Ointments (Benzoyl Peroxides and Retinoids)
• Oral Medications (Retinoids and Antibiotics)
• Phototherapy
• Laser Treatment
• Surgery (in extreme cases)

Back Acne: Back Acne Products and A Typical Treatment Course

First

Most dermatologists will start by recommending a regimented cleaning schedule with a moisturizing soap and water.  Regular soaps can dry out the skin, which is not the kind of clean you want.

• Glycolic acid
• Salicylic acid

Are sometimes recommended.  These will clean out those clogged pores by exfoliating the back (scrubbing off the dead skin cells,) and opening them up so the sebum can run out where it will be washed off instead of hardening and making your back acne worse.

Second

If this doesn’t get the job done many doctors will then add a twofold attack.

1. Benzoyl Peroxide Cream –The back has a fairly tough skin so, it should tolerate any strength of BP Cream the doctor wants to use (2.5, 5, or 10% solution.)  Just be sure to wash it off good to avoid skin irritation and bleaching of fabrics.
2. Topical Antibiotics – Clindamycin is one example.  This should be used with caution though.  Some back acne, and indeed all acne strains, are showing a building resistance to current antibiotics, and the less you are able to use them, the more effective they are likely to be when you really need them.  Talk with your doctor if you have concerns about this.

Next

The back is a tough place to clean just because of its location and most folk’s inability to reach all the areas. So, if topical creams don’t work it may be time to move to oral treatments.

• Oral Retinoids (Vitamin A Supplements, Accutane, etc.)
• Oral Antibiotics (Clindamycin, Erythromycin, Tetracycline)
• Oral Alternative Medicine (Egg Oil, Tea Tree Oil, Aloe Vera)

These will need to be prescribed and dosed by a physician, and as always, consult a physician before beginning any medical treatment.

Finally

If all the treatments used so far don’t help your back acne, then it may be time to move to more intensive and specific treatments.

• Dermabrasion – The removing of the blemished and scarred skin from the back (any effected area.)  This used to be done, literally, with a small, electric, sterile sander.  It was a painful treatment with an extended recovery phase, marked by pain and irritated skin.  Now days the treatment is done in a much less violent manner.  Small intense lasers burn away the skin cells, and the recovery is much improved.

• Phototherapy – There is good research to show that blue and red light from the visible spectrum can reduce back acne outbreaks and scarring.  Short bursts of intense light have shown to reduce blemishes and outbreaks by as much as 80% depending on how often you get treated.

• Surgery – In the most severe cases surgery can be employed to lance large and painful nodules, and address deep scarring.

This was just an example of how one might approach the treating of back acne.  One, or all, or none of these treatments might work for you; and one, or all, or none might not. The important thing is to consult a physician, particularly a dermatologist, to see what your best course of treatment might be.

What Causes Back Acne and How Can You Get Rid of It?

Back acne is caused by hair follicle pores being clogged by an overproduction of sebum and dead skin cells.  It can be treated through a variety of procedures ranging from washing good to new advanced light and laser treatments.  So, don’t give up, keep searching for answers as to how to treat your back acne.

What causes back acne?

a. A curse from an evil witch

b. Too much sunlight on the back

c. Clogged hair follicles

d. The wrong kind of bath soap

True or False:  Back Acne is different from all other acnes.

a. True

b. False

Which of the following treatments always works on back acne?

a. Phototherapy

b. Oral Retinoids

c. Good Hygiene

d. None of the above

Answers at the bottom of the page!

 Mike Walden’s Acne No More

In this comprehensive Acne prevention and cure book, Walden has put together a well thought out, factual based process.  From beginning to end, Walden has the one goal in mind of acne relief; relief from symptoms, depression, and embarrassment that come with this troubling condition.  With step by step instructions this book is a thorough journey to having Acne No More!

Thoughts

What would you give for relief from the stress and strife brought on by embarrassing blemishes and scars?  Many would give all they have for a chance at acne relief.  Acne No More is that chance!  I would recommend this book to anyone who has felt embarrassed or self-conscious about their acne lesions and scars.  After all, what is hope worth?

The Scar Solution

Sean Lowry, Medical Researcher & Former Scar Sufferer, has put together a well thought out book on how to become acne scar free.  He explains the “ins and outs” of the process, and the success that you can experience if you follow the steps outlined in The Scar Solution.  This is a must have for acne sufferers.

Thoughts

I love the thought of someone being able to walk around without feeling self-conscious about their appearance for the first time in years. I can see the smile on people’s faces when they step into the light of day knowing that The Scar Solution has worked it’s magic.  If you suffer from acne scarring in any degree, get Lowry’s comprehensive book of hope, and let me imagine you too stepping into the light.  To heck with that, you imagine the look on your face when you step into the light.

 Help for Skin Disorders by Bell

Bell, Help for Skin Disorders is a skin care supplement that helps clear up dry, red, and lesioned skin.  It helps clear up the skin from the inside out, rather than treating the symptomatic outbreaks.  Used in conjunction with appropriate topical treatments, this product can make a difference in a short time.

Thought

I love the idea of attacking a problem at the root, and that’s what Bell, Help for Skin Disorders can do.  Instead of just trying to scrub the problem away (which can exacerbate the situation,) why not work on the cause and the symptoms?  When this product starts to work, you can start to feel confidence again.  With this product you can begin to restore confidence to what can be a very deflating situation.  So get Bell, Help for Skin Disorders, and get pumped up!

Answers 1) c, 2) b, 3) d

In This Series:

What are Some Common Home Remedies for Acne? Proactive Reviews for Acne Treatment Is There an Acne Scar Treatment That Works? Is Tea Tree Oil Acne Treatment Effective?