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Body Acne Questions

by Naweko San-Joyz

What Are The Causes of Body Acne? Body acne can range from the relatively harmless forms of acne mechanica to the rare, yet debilitating forms of acne fulminans.  

Body acne can arise from series of acne triggers. For instance, excessive rubbing or constriction by clothing can cause acne mechanica. On the other hand, body acne can result from pores on the back getting clogged by sunscreens or hair products that dribble down onto the back.

Acne fulminans is a systemic acne disease with far reaching side effects. Triggers for acne fulminans are varied and could include a weak immune system or liver. This rare condition appears suddenly and predominantly affects young males with previous episodes of acne.

 Acne lesions may appear on the face and other areas of the body. With acne fulminans, the patient’s body may be covered with inflamed nodules that can develop into painful ulcers.

People with acne fulminans can suffer from bone pain and various forms of arthritis. In some cases, acne treatments with isotretinoin may aggravate acne fulminans as explained by Dr. Guy Webster of Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia.

In a Skin and Allergy News article, Dr. Webster advised that the patients most likely to have this type of response to isotretinoin are those with moderate or severe acne already on the trunk or severe nodular acne anywhere on the body.

How Can I Reduce My Chances of Getting Body Acne? You can easily avoid acne mechanica by showering immediately after physical activity. Also, by paying attention to everyday clothing and how it rubs against the skin can reduce acne mechanica.

For instance, some women experience shoulder acne simply because when putting on their bra, the bra straps rub too forcefully against their skin. This is easily corrected by not allowing the elastic to pull the skin.

If your back feels excessively waxy, it’s most likely that residue from your hair agents have slid onto your skin. To prevent this form of pomade acne, wash your back with soap to remove the waxy build-up.

Will Acne Face Products Help? In general, acne facial treatments are not strong enough for body acne conditions. The skin of the facial area is much more delicate than the skin covering the rest of the body.

Plus, over the counter medicines applied to the face are more readily absorbed than topical medicines applied to the body. That’s because the face has the greatest concentration of pores of any portion of the body.

If used consistently however, over the counter washes containing salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide will help remove the waxy build-up on the body that can provoke acne.

When Should I See a Doctor About Body Acne? See your doctor if your body acne is painful and getting increasingly worse. Forms of body acne like acne fulminans can develop into debilitating ulcers if left untreated. Moreover, diseases like Crohns disease and bowel infections can accompany acne fulminans.

In the end, body acne can be avoided with giving more attention to what you do with your body. But when the acne formations get too painful, see a doctor to ensure that you are not experiencing any underlying diseases or health threats.