What is Body Acne?

I don’t have to tell you what body acne is. You probably already know. Body acne is acne on any area of the body except the face. So if you’ve had neck acne, back acne, chest acne, butt acne, leg acne, or any other type of acne, you know it can be hard to reach, embarrassing, uncomfortable, and sometimes it can be mistaken for something else (especially when it’s butt acne).

Body acne, like facial acne, is genetic. So if your mother or father had a problem with it, you are more likely to have the same problems. And studies show that most people with facial acne will develop body acne at some point or another. The only difference is that body acne breakouts may be worse, because the pores on the body are bigger. The good news is that it is actually physically impossible to develop acne on the palms of the hands or the sores of the feet. If you have bumps on either of those two areas, you should check with your doctor.

What Causes Body Acne?

Unfortunately, nobody knows. We know what contributes to body acne. But the actual cause of acne remains unknown. Anything that rubs against the skin and irritates it can aggravate the problem. So stay away from rough clothing, rinse your clothes twice if you are sensitive to detergent, and definitely clean your clothes on a regular basis. Dirty, sweaty clothing can clog the pores and lead to body acne breakouts. Specifically, wash your workout clothes more than once a week, and make sure that any clothes you work out in are breathable.

How Do You Treat Body Acne?

This is the million dollar question. I can honestly say that I’ve never used my face wash for my body acne for one reason. The bottles are too small, and as a teen, I could never afford to spend that much. Sound familiar? That’s the #1 reason why most people look for separate treatments.

But the ingredients are pretty much the same. Ingredients like benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, and alpha hydroxy acids are common in most body acne treatments. And some of the better acne treatments use ingredients like tea tree oil, aloe vera, and DMAE. Most body acne treatments are topical.

Alternative Body Acne Treatments

While most body acne treatments are topical, there are other options. Some are now turning to acne pills. Acne pills send ingredients through the bloodstream, and it’s much easier to take a pill than to try to scrub that small area in the middle of your back. Pills are not for everybody. Some pills can cause stomach upset, nausea, diarrhea, and of course we all know about the dangers of Accutane. But as more acne pills emerge, acne pills are becoming better every day.