Body Acne

by Daniel W. Kern
updated about 1 year ago

Acne is common on the back (bacne), chest, shoulders, and even buttocks of many people. It can be a sign of more severe acne when the lesions are large and painful. Personally, when I had bacne it was moderate to severe. I found that accutane was the only thing to help clear it up.

For people with light to moderate acne on their body, my regimen works very well. However, benzoyl peroxide bleaches fabric. There is no way around this. So if you are applying benzoyl peroxide to your body, be sure to wear white. Even after the benzoyl peroxide has been dry for several hours, it is still not safe to let that area come in contact with colored clothing.

As with all acne, the exact cause of body acne is not known. However, we do know that irritation can make acne worse. If you get acne in certain areas on your body more than others, it may be coincidence, or it may be an external irritant. Backpacks and purse straps may aggravate acne in some people. Very tight fitting clothing may irritate as well. It is impossible to keep the area of the back and buttocks untouched; we all must sit down and carry things around. For this reason, it is best to look for a good treatment option rather than obsessing about what might be irritating your skin.

Because the skin of the back is thicker than elsewhere on the body, it is often able to withstand 10% benzoyl peroxide well. This would be the only instance where I would recommend using a 10% strength, and only if you can find it much cheaper than a 2.5% variety.

Isotretinoin

What it is:

Made under the brand name "Accutane", isotretinoin is a derivative of vitamin A taken in pill form for 15-20 weeks. Doctors prescribe it for people with "severe nodular acne" that does not respond to other treatments. Nodules are inflammatory lesions with a diameter of 5mm or more. A single course of 15-20 weeks has been shown to result in complete clearing and long-term remission of acne in many people.

What it does:

Reduces the amount of oil produced by the oil glands.

Things to be aware of while taking it:

THERE IS AN EXTREMELY HIGH RISK THAT A DEFORMED INFANT CAN RESULT IF PREGNANCY OCCURS WHILE TAKING ACCUTANE IN ANY AMOUNT AND EVEN FOR SHORT PERIODS OF TIME. FEMALES WHO ARE PREGNANT OR WHO MAY BECOME PREGNANT WHILE UNDERGOING TREATMENT SHOULD NOT TAKE ACCUTANE. There are many other warnings as well.

Side effects are many, some of which include dry and cracked lips, dry skin, dry nose and mouth, mild to moderate muscle or joint aches.