How to get rid of back acne for good

If you are prone to getting breakouts on your face, chances are you’re equally susceptible to getting blemishes on your back. Clogged pores on your back could also stem from a build-up of hair products sliding down your back, or from not showering or washing off the grime, dirt and oil after perspiring.

While there is certainly no shame in having bacne, it can make you feel really self-conscious and naturally, you would probably like to get rid of it. Thankfully, back acne can be treated with the right skincare routine that works for you.

If your acne doesn’t seem to be clearing up, make sure you talk to your dermatologist about other treatment options. Read on to find out how you can make a few modifications to your daily routine to prevent and fight back(ne).

1. Easy breezy

If you have bacne, steer clear of tight clothing to minimise friction (especially when you perspire) that could aggravate outbreaks. Instead, opt for looser lighter sweat-absorbent materials like 100 per cent cotton tees that will soak up all the sweat and oil produced on the back, trapping it in your clothes and not your pores.

2. Shower up after a workout

If you’re one who takes showers for granted after a workout, you might want to think twice about doing that the next time you’re done at the gym. In fact, breakouts on the back can be exacerbated by working out or sweating more. If time permits, you should always have a quick shower after breaking out a sweat to remove dirt and impurities which may clog up the pores on your back.

3. Formulated cleansers

If your own soap isn’t doing its job in removing all the dirt off of your skin, consider investing in a specially formulated body wash that’s formulated with salicylic acid. One prime example would be CeraVe’s SA Body Wash for Rough & Bumpy Skin. With a potent blend of ceramides, hyaluronic acid and niacinamide, this body wash helps to smooth and improve rough, bumpy skin while retaining skin’s natural moisture.

4. Switch your sheets

You may or may not know it but your bedsheets, as well as your workout gear, are the perfect breeding grounds for acne-causing bacteria. To avoid bacne from occurring, it’s recommended that you switch out your sheets frequently and avoid re-wearing your workout gear after more than one sweaty session at the gym.

5. Clean slate

Like the skin on your face, your back has more sebaceous (oil producing) glands than the other parts of your body, which means that your back produces more oils that could increase the likelihood of developing backne.

That is why you should exfoliate once or twice a week with a gentle exfoliating scrub to slough off the dead skin cells on your back that could pile up and aggravate acne.

For easy cleaning, invest in a long-handled body brush or a loofah so you can get into all of the hard-to-reach areas.

6. Eat clean

A diet with a high glycemic index (or a high impact on your blood sugar) can take a toll on your bacne. Consider avoiding carbs like white bread and potato chips that have a high glycemic index.

The study entitled “A low-glycemic-load diet improves symptoms in acne vulgaris patients: a randomised controlled trial” published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found a correlation between low-glycemic foods such as beans and fruits and reduced inflammation and activity of sebaceous (oil) glands, which can help to minimise outbreaks.

7. Whip your hair

Hair products like conditioner and shampoo can clog your pores and cause you to get zits on your back. When washing and conditioning your hair, bring all of your hair to the front and rinse forward to avoid leaving any shampoo and conditioner residue on your back.

8. Spot on

Just like how you would with pimples on your face, you can spot treat bacne too. Tea tree oil, as it turns out, is an excellent form of bacne treatment. Because of the low concentration of chemical substances in the oil, it can help dry out the acne on your back without irritating the skin, whether it is cycts, blackheads or whiteheads.

This article was first published in Her World Online.