Far more men and women tend to suffer from acne on their back. However, there are back acne treatments that are available for getting rid of back acne.
While back acne develops very much in the same way as facial acne, it is also usually tougher to treat than facial acne.
The skin on your back tends to be tougher, as well as in constant contact with surfaces like your clothes, back packs, chairs and other ordinary surfaces.
The Types of Acne On Your Back
Many people who have acne on their face also tend to suffer from back acne. There are generally two types of acne on the back are:
- Non-inflammatory acne lesions (whiteheads & blackheads)
- Inflammatory acne (papules, pustules, nodules and cysts)
Non-inflammatory acne is easier to treat with common over the counter acne medication like benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid based creams, lotions and washes. For more severe cases of back acne, you may need to visit your doctor for stronger treatments for oral antibiotics like Accutane (Isotretinion) or Retinol.
Treating Mild Acne On Your Back
If you have mild acne on your back, the treatment regime is much simpler and straightforward. Gently cleanse your back twice a day with a mild cleanser or wash. It will help to wash off the sweat and dirt that may accumulate there during the day. You can start with a gentle anti-bacterial cleanser and continue using it if there is no irritation of the skin.
Once you have done so, you can apply treatments that contain Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA) or a 10% Benzoyl Peroxide cream. These are easily available at your nearest pharmaceutical store. You may also consider the use of pads or lotions to wipe the affected areas on your back.
Treating Severe Acne On Your Back
Severe acne like nodular or cystic acne may require more powerful treatments. You can still use the gentle washing of your back twice a day as it is a good habit to keep your affected areas clean of dirt and bacteria.
Fortunately, the skin on your back is much tougher than your face or neck. It can take stronger treatments and sometimes you may even want to use a combination of benzoyl peroxide and AHA to treat the affected areas.
When using benzoyl peroxide and AHA creams, remember to give a space of 10-15 minutes in between applications to allow the medication to work. For example, after gently applying benzoyl peroxide lotion on your back, allow your skin to absorb the lotion for about 10-15 minutes first.
Once this 10-15 minutes is over, you can then next apply the AHA cream on your back. You also need to give 10-15 minutes for the cream to be absorbed into the body and dry out in the air. After your skin has absorbed or is no longer wet from the back acne treatment, you can then put on your shirt or clothes as the acne medication would not bleach or damage your clothing.
Other options that you can consider are visiting your doctor for oral antibiotics and acne medications like Isotretinoin (Accutane) and Retinol. However, you definitely want to use other back acne treatments before going on stronger medication like Isotretinoin.
These acne medications are usually a last resort and can have side effects on your body.
Treatment for Back Acne
Like facial acne, acne on your back can be treated and eliminated. Depending on the severity of the acne, you can use different levels of treatment and adjust accordingly. With proper care and regular application, you can get rid of acne on your back.