Back acne, which is popularly known as “bacne”, is the acne that pops out on the back. While acne can be traumatic for some, the addition of back acne adds more worries. This is because back acne is not only painful but also very irritating. This condition is predominantly noted in people who have acne on their face.
This type of acne can be very irritating as it can make it difficult for the person to wear fitting clothes. It also becomes very tough to carry backpacks. Also, most people with back acne become timid about taking off their shirt because of the outbreak.
Why Does Back Acne Happen?
Let us briefly go over the process of why the back acne occurs. We shall also discuss what factors can aggravate the conditions that cause acne. Our body has very tiny oil producing glands under it. These glands are known as sebaceous glands or oil glands. These glands are present in all mammals. Their main purpose is to moisture-proof the mammals, and keep renewing the skin. The oil glands of the body keep renewing the skin cells by removing the dead skin.
Now these oil glands travel through the hair follicle and up to the skin through holes called pores. These pores are tiny holes which are responsible for letting out the oil that the body produces. Thus the body will produce the oil in all parts of the body, except palms and foot soles, where there are no hair follicles and pores present.
Sometimes, however, due to hormonal imbalances, the hormones of the body start acting up. It may surprise you that an imbalance in just one hormone can affect other hormones as well. For example, when there is an imbalance in the sebaceous gland, it will produce more body oil than normal. The thin hair follicles then become unable to carry the oil to the top. This is because the excess oil along with the dead skin becomes too much for the body to secrete normally. Under such a circumstance either the oil spreads under the skin itself or it gets stuck under the pore along with the dead skin cell.
In both the cases the body blocks the pore. This blocked pore becomes sensitive to bacterial attacks. If the clogged pore becomes infected with bacteria, this infection becomes known as acne.
Acne can occur in various ways. Most notably, it is usually a bump under the skin, or over the skin, which is usually red in color and can be quite painful. Sometimes the acne can also have pus formations, making it even more painful.
After the face, the next part of the body that is most prone to acne is the back.
Reasons That Can Aggravate Back Acne
While there are many conditions that can aggravate back acne, we will discuss a few of them. During the hot summer months, back acne can often be irritated by clothes sticking to your skin due to sweat. The combination of heat, sweat and back acne makes for a very uncomfortable summer. Synthetic clothing and wearing the same clothes over-and-over can sometimes cause irritation for sufferers of back acne.
Finally, the biggest reason for back discomfort is “touching” and “squeezing” the acne. Some people have the habit of constantly touching and squeezing the back acne. This is a major factor in spreading the acne and causing the outbreak to get bigger. Do not touch the acne unless you are treating it.
17 Remedies to Get Rid of Back Acne
The remedies discussed below are a mix of do-it-yourself remedies and medications to treat your back acne. Our aim is to provide you with multiple options so you can evaluate and decide which ones might work best for you. As you read on, please keep in mind your skin type (oily, dry, or combination), as different methods may work better for certain skin types.
Also, make note of any patterns in the occurrence of your acne as this may help decide which treatment will work best for you. Lastly, keep in mind that you’ll need to decide if the home remedies’ ingredients will work on your skin. It’s always recommended to conduct a patch test before applying over a larger area of your body.
- Sea Water
For those who live near the ocean, or have easy access to beaches, this is one of the most natural remedies to get rid of back acne. All you need to do is immerse yourself in the sea/ocean water for a few minutes. Afterwards, let your back dry naturally in the sun. The salty water soaks up all of the moisture from the back acne and dehydrates it completely. Please ensure that you do not stay for long periods in the sun as burning may occur.
- Salt Water
For those who do not have access to fresh salt water, you can create the same effect at home. All you need to do is mix sea salt and water. The concentration of salt should be high. That is, it should be very salty. Apply the salt-water mixture to your back by pouring it over your acne. If possible, let it sun dry. Otherwise, let the water dry naturally. Try not to towel-dry as this will aggravate the back acne.Salt has dehydrating properties, which make sure that the salt particles absorb all the moisture in the acne. This makes the acne absolutely dry. While it may take some time for the acne to diminish, this is a good method to use as it rarely leaves any acne scars.
- Epsom Salt
Epsom salt is known as magnesium sulfate. It is a magnesium based mineral. This salt functions exactly like sea salt. The salt needs to be prepared in good concentration along with water. The concentration may vary depending on your skin type. Since the salt has drying effects, the more salt the more the drying effect.The magnesium has an anti-inflammatory property. This property reduces the redness of the skin and the irritation and itchiness caused by the acne. Please be careful with Epsom salt. Do not use directly on the skin. Using it directly on the skin can have adverse effects on the skin. Please do not use it as an exfoliator, doing so will only increase the redness and the irritation of he acne. It may also spread the infection to a larger area.
- Oatmeal
Oatmeal is a natural and very gentle exfoliator. Oatmeal, if used in its simple form, can gently exfoliate the skin. This is one exfoliator that will suit all types of skin (dry, oily and combination). The oatmeal needs to be ground-up into finer particles in order to be used as exfoliator.One method for applying the oatmeal is to tie it up in a very soft cloth and dip it in water. After pulling it out of water, allow the juice of the oatmeal to fall on your back. Pour it onto the acne prone areas for at least 5 to 10 minutes. This treatment can be applied daily or on an alternating day basis for several weeks and you will notice a difference.If you wish, you can also add honey in this oatmeal preparation. Honey has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. When applied on the acne it kills the bacteria. Also, honey, like oatmeal, is very gentle on the skin and does not cause any skin irritation, itchiness or redness.
- Vinegar
Vinegar is an excellent available at home ingredient to treat back acne. Vinegar has pH balancing properties in it. The application of vinegar on the entire back will ensure that the pH of the skin is maintained. Thus this will prevent any break out of acne in the future. Again vinegar is quiet harmless and does not dry the skin. Along with this stand out property vinegar is also anti bacterial and does not cause any kind of inflammation.
- Wear Lose Clothes
For those people who have back acne issues they must wear lose clothes. This is because if you wear fitting clothes the fabric is going to rub against the acne and aggravate it. It will only get worse if you sweat as the sweaty back along with the fabric rubbing against it will only make it red and irritated. Wear clothes in which your skin can breathe.
- Cotton is the fabric!
You must wear clothes that are made of cotton. This is because; cotton absorbs the sweat from the body. it has soaking ability therefore not letting the sweat remain on the body as it absorbs all of it and dries as quickly. This property ensures that the bacteria do not get sweat to aggravate it.
- Wear Clean Clothes
Wearing the same cloth again and again without washing it and cleaning it would result in sweat, dust particles, dirt and acne secretions to be absorbed by it. This would be rubbing again and again against the skin. This would only allow the bacteria infected area to spread more and more. Hence it is very important that you wear fresh and clean clothes every day.
- Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil is am oil that is extracted from leaves of a plant that is found in Australia. This is one of the oldest and time tested remedies to get rid of acne. However it comes with a rider that it may or may not suit a person. Before we go ahead we would like to warn that this oil is very toxic and SHOULD NOT be consumed. This oil is only used for topical treatment. You will get tea tree oil from any cosmetic or medical store. All you need to do is take a few drops of it (5-10 drops) and mix it in clean distilled water (a cup).you may then apply it on the acne affected area and let it be there for at least 15 – 30 minutes. After that you may wash it off. The tea tree oil has excellent anti bacterial properties. This oil is highly effective in killing the bacteria that is present in the acne and also scar mark healing properties. Kindly do not use the tea tree oil directly as its high concentration can cause the skin to get red and very irritated.
- Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera has great healing properties. Aloe Vera is like a magical natural ingredient. It is a plant, the leaf of which if you cut you will notice it will secrete a gel like solution. This gel like solution has high healing properties. It is anti bacterial in nature hence directly attacks the site without hurting the body. It will also make your back very smooth. All you need to do is just squeeze a bit of the gel in your hand and apply it on the affected area.
- Lavender Oil
Lavender oil has anti bacterial properties like the other mentioned remedial measures. This oil is easily available at any home store, cosmetic store and medical store. All you need to do is mix a few drops of the oil in your bath water. A regular bath with the lavender oil will cause no harm to your body. it will in fact keep the acne at bay.
- Water
We all know that like the earth 75% of our body is made up of water. The body needs water to flush out toxins. If we do not drink sufficient water the toxins keep flowing within the system unable to flush out, therefore causing hormonal imbalance. You must drink sufficient water every day. The amount of water to be consumed by you depends on the weight of your body. Roughly a person who is 50 kgs needs to drink at least 2 liters of water every day. Drinking water regularly can work wonders. It will not only keep the acne at bay but also keep your body hydrated and at the same time reflect in the form a soft and supple skin.
- Use oil free products
For those with serious acne issues you must use products that are oil free. Try using oil free moisturizing lotion. You may consult a doctor and also try out medicated lotions that are specifically made for treating acne. These lotions are anti bacterial in nature and at the same time keep the skin cool and reduce the redness and the irritation.
- Retinol Ointment
Retinol A is a topical cream that is vouched for by many doctors. This ointment needs to applied in a very thin layer on the affected area. This cream sloughs off the dead skin and lets the baby skin from within come up. The only care that one needs to take while using this ointment is to use a sunscreen. This is because the new skin that will come up will be very sensitive and exposure to sun can cause sun burns.
- Clean Linen
Like clean clothes you must also change your linen often. Please ensure that you get your linen washed in every few days. Linen can be a very major source of getting back acne. While your skin rubs against your sheets at night it is important that the area of the linen surface is absolutely clean.
- Exfoliator
You can use a very gentle exfoliator to scrub your skin clean every few days. There are many exfoliator’s’ that are available in the market. We sincerely advise you to please use a very gentle one on your skin. Harsh exfoliator’s can damage the skin. It can aggravate the acne condition and can also cause scarring. You must use it very sparingly and be extremely gentle on your skin.
- Ointments with Zinc Content
You can look out for ointments which have zinc and erythromycin content in them. Zinc is the best remedy against acne. You can also ask your doctor to advise you on mineral tablets that have zinc content. Consuming them will balance out certain hormonal imbalances within the body and would act as strong pillar in strengthening the immune system of the body.
