“How do I treat my back acne?’ is a question I often hear from clients.
The first step is to figure out what might be aggravating the skin on your back.
Do you shower soon after working out or do you sit around in sweaty workout clothing?
Sweat is full of things our body wants out of our system. When we sweat, our skin starts producing more bacteria to neutralize the sweat. More bacteria plus a layer of dried sweat (ew!) left to sit on our skin for too long isn’t doing the back acne any favors.
Do you wear cotton or sweat-wicking fabric when working out?
See above. Take every precaution possible to keep sweat off the area.
Do you wash your back after conditioning your long hair in the shower?
Wash and condition your hair, rinse. Pin your hair up if you need too. Then wash your back with your medicated body wash. Heavy conditioners can leave a residue on your back that can clog pores.
Do you wear your “dry clean only” clothing multiple times between cleanings?
It may look clean and smell clean (and we all want to save a few bucks on dry cleaning) but the build up of sweat and dead skin could be contributing to your problem. Also, some back acne reacts poorly to dry cleaning fluid all together. Try layering a cotton camisole under your dry clean only tops.
Does your laundry detergent or fabric softener have fragrance that could be irritating your skin?
Try unscented laundry products.
So, you’ve made all the lifestyle adjustments, how should your back for the best results?
Use a medicated body wash once or twice a day depending on the severity of the breakouts. Spot treat the breakouts as necessary. Use a clay mask and a home glycolic treatment once a week to keep the pores clean. And have a Back Facial once a month.