Acne Articles
Body Acne
Body acne is frustrating and embarrassing for those who suffer from it. Who can remember a skipped school dance or a missed afternoon with friends at the beach because of this annoying condition?
Understanding what kind of acne you have is the first step in correctly treating it. Using the right products in the right way is the key to getting and staying clear, whether your acne is on your face or if you have back acne or chest acne.
Body acne can be difficult to treat and generally doesn’t respond to traditional treatment methods which often include rounds of oral antibiotics. Getting rid of body acne includes the right amount of exfoliation and topical antibacterial action to prevent the formation of micro acne lesions, the beginning of the vicious acne cycle. Treatment for body acne means having a consistent morning and evening home care routine in addition to regular professional treatments for at least a 3 month period before seeing any significant results.
If your body acne or back acne is inflamed, red, painful and pustular, you need less aggressive exfoliation (at least initially) and more antibacterial work. We recommend a 2.5% benzoyl peroxide cleanser and at least a 5 or 10% benzoyl peroxide lotion, depending on whether the acne is on your chest or your back. We will have you use these products slowly until your skin gets used to them, at which point you will be using them daily, if not twice a day. An interesting side note on inflamed acne, we often see bad cases of inflammation on the body linked to frequent whey or soy protein shake use and/or steroids for bodybuilding. These products act like hormones in the body and if taken in excess can trigger acne flare-ups.
If your body acne is non-inflamed with a bumpy texture made up of lots of blackheads and build-up, you need more exfoliation and less antibacterial action. We recommend an exfoliating alpha-hydroxy serum, usually a 15% mandelic or something similar. One of the reasons we opt for mandelic over other alpha-hydroxy acids is because of its lightening properties. It works great at lightening those exasperating brown “spots” left over from previous breakouts that never seem to go away no matter what you do. In addition to an exfoliating serum, we advise cleansing twice a day with an exfoliating cleanser to smooth the bumpy texture and loosen the build-up.
Eventually, once your skin has built up enough tolerance, we will incorporate both a serum and a benzoyl peroxide lotion to keep dead skin build-up and bacteria at bay. So you see, remedies for body acne take time, so you want to make sure you are using the right products to treat your body acne.
Content provided courtesy of Face Reality Acne Clinic
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