A smooth face, equally flawless arms and legs, but come swimming time, a man in his 20s gets a lot of surprised looks when people see the multitude of pimples all over his back and on the back of his neck and a few on his chest. Why so many pimples on his back? They’re so red, rough and inflamed. Such a nasty state of affairs, especially when the weather is so warm and he gets itchy all over his back.
Apparently, blackheads and pimples are not exclusive on the face alone. Many people patiently treat their facial acne diligently, but the back part? Well, understandably, the back is not easily visible. So, what if you’ve got ‘bacne‘?
Understanding Back Acne
Well, the back is made up of numerous sebaceous glands which produces much oil, and the fact that our back part is usually covered, plus less accessible during clean-up time, it is logical to think that our skin pores on the back part get clogged with dirt and sweat; more so when a person is quite active and sweats a lot.
Inside the pore are sebaceous glands which produce sebum that causes the blockage in the pore together with dead skin cells. After some time more sebum is produced by the sebaceous glands and it builds up behind the blockage, harbors various bacteria causing infection and inflammation. That is why they become red and painful to twitch.
Back acne or what is also otherwise known as athletic acne is harder to treat although not really impossible. Research also tell us that back acne may be also due to genes, poor hygiene, hormonal changes, some medications, anxiety and stress, and trapped sweat. It could be worsened by shirts, backpacks, sporting equipment and other clothing that rubs against sweaty skin.
What you can do
Well, you can treat mild back acne at home by remembering these things:
It would do well to avoid popping or squeezing those pimples as you can damage your skin when you pop zits and also leave acne scars. Infection is also possible; so don’t make it worse.
Keep your skin clean to avoid clogging those pores. Take a bath and use salicylic soap and scrub to remove the sweat, dirt and grime from your skin. Avoid harsh cleansers though as hard scrubs can make your acne worse. Make sure to always use clean linens such as towels as well as bed sheets and pillowcases to avoid bacteria build up.
Never get dressed without completely drying your back first.
You may also try to treat your back acne with salicylic acid as cleanser. You can try acne medications containing benzoyl peroxide, preferably with your doctor’s advice.
Have regular exercise to improve blood circulation and for your skin to absorb more oxygen thereby giving it a healthier glow. If you are athletic or literally an athlete, strenuous exercise is undoubtedly unavoidable. Therefore, it is of paramount importance that profuse sweating be dealt with accordingly by using light and non-clinging clothing because woolen and other thick materials could trap the sweat and irritate the skin.
Instead of using small towels to wipe off your sweat, it would better to use baby-soft fabrics like bird’s-eye, cotton fleece or hemp French terry to avoid further acne aggravation. If you already have acne on your back, these could worsen and become inflamed with use of rough fabric materials.
It would help a lot to have a balanced diet and avoid fast food as much as possible. Make sure to drink sufficient water.
Make sure to apply sunscreen before exposing your back (if you’re going to the beach or planning to sun bathe).
Avoid cramped and clammy surroundings and refrain from cooking if possible to avoid aggravation and increase of clogged pores.
For severe and inflamed acne, a prescription medication like isotretinoin (which is a retinoid), is necessary to treat your acne and pimples. Always best to see your dermatologist if you have hard or painful nodules or have pimples deep under your skin or acne inflammation because you may be needing antibiotics, topical retinoids or injections of cortisone.