Back acne affects not only adolescents that go through puberty but also adults and is one of the most common skin conditions. Back acne, or bacne, how many people call it, is uncomfortable, tends to affect boys and men more, and requires intensive treatment otherwise it will not heal independently. Bacne is commonly associated with sports activities that make you sweat and the friction of your gear.
What does back acne mean?
Bacne is usually caused by oils, sebum oils, and dead skin cells that build up around pores. When these pores are clogged, they attract all sorts of bacteria that will thrive in such places, causing inflammations like pustules and bumps. The main areas where you can see these problems are your shoulders, upper and lower back.
Back acne is also caused by hormones that stimulate those grease-producing glands around hair follicles. The abnormal sebum release will change those harmless skin bacteria and act aggressively, causing inflammation. However, cleaning your skin many times a day will not help you get fewer blackheads or improve your condition.
How to prevent back acne?
There are a few things that specialists highly recommend if you want to make sure your back acne will not become aggressive.
First of all, you need to develop new habits such as wearing loose clothing when going to the gym. Make sure they are made of cotton or sweat-wicking fabric. Washing your clothes after each use, showering, and changing this outfit after working out is the best way not to create a field for acne to thrive. Also, constantly wearing a backpack that makes you sweat and is harsh on your skin will cause acne flare.
Using scrubs on might seem a good idea when you have back acne, but specialists have different recommendations. You always need to gently treat bacne and not irritate it. Lufas, scrubs, back brushes, and harsh skin cosmetics will not help you improve this condition.
Products that will not clog pores, which are non-acnegenic, non-comedogenic, and labeled as oil-free, are the best for your skin. However, probably one of the most important things you need to do is not pop acne, not even on your back.
Changing your sheets and pillowcases weekly is a hygienic routine that might keep acne away. The material needs to be soft, and you should probably use a fabric softener with no fragrance.
Who to see for back acne?
When you have mild acne, with just a few blemishes on your back or a mix of blackheads and pimples, and nothing too painful, there are a few OTC treatments that will work and you can find them in the pharmacy.
Benzoyl peroxide is an emollient foam wash that will kill the bacteria that causes back acne. If you use it daily, you will be able to control this skin condition and reduce flares. However, you must leave it a few minutes on your back to penetrate your skin. In addition, it must be used in a low concentration of 5.3% benzoyl peroxide if you want effectiveness against bacne.
Also, gels that contain a very small amount of retinoid are available without a prescription.
However, if you are experiencing aggressive bacne, you must see a specialist that will give you proper treatment. At SkinGlow Clinic, we have tremendous experience in dealing with these skin conditions, and we can help you improve your condition over time with proper care.
How to treat back acne?
Back acne or bacne usually consists of whiteheads, also known as closed comedones that form a white bump, blackheads – open comedones, and cysts that are more aggressive, extend deeper in the skin and cause a permanent scar.
Our skincare specialists use several bacne treatments to improve your skin, but before you start these procedures, you need to know that even if they are very effective, curing acne and scars will take time.
When talking about aggressive cases, you will probably need months of treatment to efficiently get rid of this annoying skin condition. Also, it is harder to treat acne in this back area because the skin is considerably thicker than the skin from neck and face.
Therefore, the best ways to treat acne are:
LED Therapy, also known as photodynamic therapy, is a treatment that uses light to improve symptoms of acne. The Blue LED light is used to reduce the sebaceous glands, causing less oil production. This way, plugging hair follicles is prevented.
This special light also kills Cutibacterium acnes, a skin bacteria that is causing this condition. We combine red and blue LED light to achieve better results by targeting both the bacteria and the inflammations and redness.
Laser Therapy – Its goal is to stimulate the production of new collagen that helps skin heal by itself. It diminishes pore sizes, reduces not only back acne but also bacne scarring. This procedure is also used to diminish wrinkles, fine facial lines, and uneven skin texture or tone.
Chemical Peels – This procedure uses powerful ingredients that remove all dead skin cells that increase cell turnover. Chemical peels have the role of exfoliating skin that prevents the appearance of acne lesions, and their ingredients enter pores, remove dead skin cells and sebum that creates back acne, and provide antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.
Microneedling or derma needling is a roller or a pen-shaped device that specialists use for bacne but also for scarring. After several procedures, depending on the aggressiveness of your skin condition, you will notice skin rejuvenation.
These microscopic needles are adjustable and will create tiny channels in your skin that will stimulate it to produce collagen and elastin. This way, the technique makes your skin heal itself. The procedure comes with so many advantages: it can be combined with mesotherapy and through these microscopic channels, active substances can penetrate your skin and stimulate skin rejuvenation, treating bacne.
For all these treatments, results will not be visible immediately because back acne takes longer to heal.
Conclusion
Back acne is a skin condition that affects your shoulders and lower back and is caused by sweating, hormones, or bags and backpacks that rub against your skin. There are a few ways to prevent it but if you are struggling with bacne, you need to see a dermatologist or a skin care specialist that will investigate the problem and advise on how to treat it. Depending on its aggressiveness, he will recommend OTC products or directly go into specialized treatment.
SkinGlow Clinic is based in London, and we provide all sorts of skincare cures for all sorts of skin conditions, including bacne. Our treatments are personalized for each person, and we are specialists with over 20 years of experience in medicine, aesthetics, and skincare.
