While acne on your face can be bothersome, thanks to it being front and center and hard to cover up, back acne can also be a source of frustration.
For the 50 million people in the United States who experience acne, most struggle with facial acne, but a good number also run into bacne — the colloquial term for acne on the back.
As a board-certified dermatologist, Dr. Bruce Saal offers comprehensive acne services here at Los Gatos Dermatology, no matter where it forms.
In the following, we explore how back acne develops, what we can do to treat the problem, and even how we can erase any permanent signs that acne ever existed in your back.
Acne is a skin condition in which your hair follicles become clogged with oil, dead skin cells, and other debris, causing black heads, whiteheads, and red bumps.
While acne can develop anywhere on your body, it tends to form in areas where you have ample hair follicles as well as oil glands, such as on your face, on your chest, and on your back.
Unlike the follicles on your face, the ones on your back face different challenges. In most cases, back acne develops because of wearing, and sweating in, clothing. When you’re active and sweating, the sweat is trapped inside the clothing and can clog your hair follicles more easily.
Making matters worse, your clothing then exacerbates the problem by creating friction, which can lead to some “angry” acne on your back.
Some people are also more at risk for back acne (or acne anywhere else), including adolescents and young adults who are going through hormonal changes. Genetics can play a role — if members of your immediate family are more prone to acne, you may be, too.
If you’ve developed back acne, we can provide you with prescription-strength cleansers and ointments.
Of course, you can do your part by changing out sweaty shirts and keeping your back as clean and dry as possible. Shower after intensive activity and use only clean towels to dry off.
If you’ve had a history of back acne and have the scars to prove it, the good news is that we can erase the past. We offer a range of acne scar removal treatments, including:
Whether you need treatments to banish existing back acne or you want to address scarring from previous back acne, contact our office in Los Gatos, California, to schedule an appointment.
