Body Acne Body Acne

Understanding Body Acne Helps Lead To Clearer Skin

Most people believe that once they get through puberty they will seldom see break outs of acne, but reality can be a source of frustration for many adults as they contend with this unsightly problem throughout their adult life. In addition to the usual spots on the face and neck, body acne can be a source of embarrassment as well as uncomfortable when rubbed and irritated by clothing. In addition to the usual causes of acne such as stress, hormones and menstrual cycles, body acne can be caused by sweat and tight-fitting clothing as well.

Acne, regardless of its location is caused by a build up of sebum, the glands that provide moisture to the skin's surface. When it mixes with dead skin cells or other dirt on the surface, it blocks the pores through which the sebum travels to the surface, causing body acne. Typically, people are used to seeing acne on faces and necks, but it may not be until they get to the beach in the bathing suit that they reveal body acne on shoulders, back, legs and even their butt.

People who exercise rigorously exercise in tight clothing may be more prone to outbreaks of body acne than others as their work out causes them to sweat, which is then help against the skin by their choice of clothing. In most cases, simple steps for acne care can reduce the outbreaks and help achieve clearer skin.

Prevention Is Best Cure For Acne

While some people suffer more severely from body acne than others, there are steps that can be taken to help reduce the frequency of out breaks. Some of the information from a generation or two ago about avoiding certain types of food has not been proven to have any basis in science, but healthy eating provides better health in other areas. Exfoliating the skin can have the biggest impact in the fight against body acne but there may some spots more difficult to reach.

The skin on the back and legs is thicker than on the face so a five to 10 percent cream of benzoyl peroxide is usually able to be used in the fight against body acne without irritating the skin. In addition, these areas require exfoliating to remove dead skin cells, followed with a moisturizer to maintain the skin's softness. Avoid wearing tight clothing, especially when exercising and shower or take a bath soon after the work out to prevent the extra sweat from contributing to body acne.