Body Acne

by Cedric Hamilton, Jun 2, 2010 5:51 PM

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Body Acne

Acne is not just a face-prone phenomenon. It has the potential for occuring anywhere on the body. Although it is mostly males who experience body acne, anyone is susceptible to acne on the back, chest, arms, and even the legs and buttocks. Usually those who experience persistent and severe acne will experience unusually high levels of body acne.

Why do we get body acne?

Body acne, like any other acne, occurs when sebaceous glands produce excess oils and pores get clogged. Sebaceous glands and pores are spread across every square inch of your skin, so the potential for clogging, infection, and acne are present anywhere on the body.

Why does body acne happen?

Body acne forms because of overactive sebaceous glands and clogged pores. Sebaceous glands and clogged pores can happen more than just on the face. In fact, since the skin on other areas of your body is often thicker, the pores are larger. Bigger pores mean bigger clogs, which can mean bigger acne.

Normal acne and acne mechanica

Some body acne is actually acne mechanica, a form of acne that is produced by friction and heat. It’s still acne, even though it is a different variety of the acne that is normally present on your face.

Some people will get body acne, and regardless of what you do or don’t do, body acne will come and go. There are a few things that you can do to keep it to a minimum:

• Treat it just like you would treat normal acne. Body acne is acne, so you can do the same thing that you do to it that you do to your face. Employ the same types of treatment. Simply be aware that benzoyl peroxide can stain your clothes, so watch out for this downside if you are applying acne medication to an area of your body normally covered by clothes.
• Keep your skin as ventilated as possible. Avoid tight and restrictive clothing, as this can increase your chance of getting acne mechanica. Tight clothing can trap moisture and heat, which is an acne risk.

• Take regular showers. By keeping your skin clean, and washing away excess oil, you will help to cut down on the outbreak of body acne. Since heat, sweat, clothing, and excess oil can all combine to create a breeding ground for acne, be sure to take regular showers.