Back acne can be an embarrassing and troubling skin condition, especially during the warmer months when you might want to show more skin than normal. While the back is seen less than the face, it still needs some extra attention and care if you suffer from frequent breakouts. Because of the large amount of oil glands in the back, it is often a sport where acne flare-ups can happen regularly. The back tends to get sweaty or irritated from clothes, spurring oil glands to trap bacteria in pores and cause pimples or cysts that can be unsightly and painful.
To get rid of back acne, make sure that you are showering often to wash away dead skin cells, bacteria, dirt and sweat. Use a body scrub or shower gel that is specifically for body acne. These products will contain salicylic acid, which is a known drying product for use with acne. If your back gets too dry, apply an oil-free moisturizer to your entire back to keep it from over drying. It is recommended that you use body acne products in the shower every two days in order to see results. Be persistent, as these products are not overnight cures, but rather work best when used regularly over the course of a few weeks.
Another way to cure back acne is to make sure that you are drinking plenty of water. Water is a natural purifier and helps to keep skin clear and radiant. Drinking a lot of water will keep your skin nourished and cleanse out toxins. Water also promotes new skin growth. Keep your skin clean by also keeping your hands off. Do not touch, pick, or pop pimples. While this may seem tempting to you, the bacteria on your hands and under your fingernails will only make the acne worse. Wash your hands often if you will be touching areas where you have acne. Also, do not use the same towel to dry off after showering every day. Towels can harvest bacteria, so make sure that you are changing towels often and keeping your towels clean and dry.
Being in the sun has also been known to help cure back acne. The sun dries out the skin and can kill off some bacteria. It is recommended that you use a light, oil-free sunscreen when being in the sun to avoid sunburn. After being outside, wash off the sunscreen immediately. Back acne is more difficult to cure than acne on your face, so often many methods are needed to cure back acne for good.
Another tip for curing back acne is to keep your back as germ-free as possible. This means that you should not wear many binding clothes, or backpacks that will cause sweat to build up on your back. Backpacks will also rub against existing back acne, causing further irritation and swelling to occur. Also try to wear light cotton or airy shirts as much as possible to allow your back to air out. Also immediately change clothes after any physical activity or gym workout. Bed sheets, pillowcases, and towels should also be kept very clean and changed regularly. Anything that can harvest bacteria should be washed often so that bacteria do not have a chance to build up and get on your back.
If you continue to experience back acne after trying to cure the problem on your own, you may need to take greater measures and see a doctor or dermatologist who can prescribe you internal medicine or stronger topical creams to cure your back acne. Since acne is greatly caused by hormones and hereditary factors, at-home methods may not always do the trick in curing back acne. Oral antibiotics have been known to greatly decrease back acne, as well as topical creams that have higher concentrations of benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid than over-the-counter products.
