Body Acne

Body acne is just as distressing as facial acne, but these two kinds of acne are different from each other.  The pores on your body are different from the pores on your face, which is why body acne and facial acne should be treated differently.  Acne could develop on your back, arms, shoulders and, sometimes, your buttocks.  If you have body acne, you might be too embarrassed to wear a bathing suit or a revealing dress that would have otherwise looked perfect with your figure. 

Here are some tips that you can follow to get rid of body acne:

1) TAKE A REGULAR SHOWER.  After sweating heavily, wash the areas of your body that are prone to acne.  Use a wash cloth to gently scrub the affected areas.  Do not scrub too hard because the lesions might get irritated and get further inflamed.  Never rub your skin when you dry yourself with a towel. Instead, gently pat your skin dry.

2) USE PRODUCTS MADE SPECIFICALLY FOR BODY ACNE.  Showering and cleansing are not enough to get to rid of body acne.  You need a specially medicated body wash to help you get rid of acne.  You may use a body wash with benzoyl peroxide or sulfur.  You can also use a clay-based mask on the affected areas of your body once or twice a week, preferably after you shower. For best results, use masks with added ingredients like tea tree oil.  Do not use lotions and heavy creams on affected areas.

3) ALLOW YOUR SKIN TO BREATHE.  Wear a breathable fabric, such as cotton or linen, that lets your sweat evaporate.  Avoid wearing very tight clothing or heavy back packs because these will trap sweat which aggravates acne.

4) MIND YOUR HAIR.  If you have a problem with body acne, you may want to keep your hair short. But if you must wear it long, wash it often and make sure that it is really clean.  You can keep it away from your back by tying it and keeping it up.  Rinse your hair well after shampooing and using conditioner.

5) DO NOT SQUEEZE OR PICK AT THE ACNE LESIONS.  Never do this especially with dirty nails and fingers and not even when your hands are clean.  Squeezing or picking at the lesions will just spread the bacteria and inflame the skin.  Picking body acne may cause scarring which could be another problem.

6) MAKE SURE THAT YOUR BEDDINGS ARE CLEAN.  Change your bed linens regularly.  Make sure that your mattress is dust free.  Vacuum it if it accumulates dust.

7) IF ACNE PERSISTS, SEE YOUR DERMATOLOGIST.  It takes about six to eight weeks to see whether your anti-acne regimen works or not.  If it does not, perhaps your dermatologist could recommend some medication or a procedure that could get rid of the problem.

Body acne could rob you of self-confidence.  However, it is curable and preventable. Follow the tips mentioned above and you may soon be able to wear the bathing suit, the tank top or that revealing dress that has been long kept in your closet.