Acne is frustrating. For some, acne remains isolated primarily to the face and neck. However, others struggle with body acne. For these individuals, stubborn, sometimes painful acne bumps appear on their back, chest, shoulders, butt, and elsewhere on the body. Unfortunately, treating body acne is sometimes more difficult than facial acne.

Types of Body Acne

There are two types of acne that affect all areas of the body. Each is slightly different, as are the best ways to treat it.

Non-Inflammatory acne

Non-inflammatory acne can occur anywhere on the body. Most people recognize this type of acne as whiteheads, blackheads, and pimples. Non-inflammatory acne occurs when your pores are clogged, but not necessarily infected.

Inflammatory acne

On the other hand, Inflammatory acne occurs when the pores become infected. With inflammatory acne, you experience severe blemishes due to the bacteria and infection deep within your pore.  

More About Inflammatory Acne

Areas of the body other than the face are significantly more prone to inflammatory acne because your torso (chest and back) contains more sebaceous glands than other body areas. These are the glands that produce oil. When oil, dead cells, and bacteria build up in these glands, your immune system sees it as an infection and attempts to fight it.

Inflammatory acne breakouts cause several types of visible acne cysts, including pustules, papules, and nodules. Any kind of inflammatory acne cyst can be painful and difficult to get rid of.

What Causes Body Acne

In addition to treatments for body acne, it is important to consider the potential causes that may contribute to or worsen your acne. Like facial acne, several possible factors could contribute to body acne breakouts. The first factor is family history. This is not to say that there is an “acne gene,” however, certain health conditions or biological traits might make you more prone to pore blockages, leading to acne breakouts.

Another possible cause of acne is hormones. Certain hormones, present in all genders, lead to skin changes such as inflammation and increased oil production that might contribute to acne development. Hormone fluctuations can occur at any age, and therefore, new or worsening body acne may follow.

Stress is another factor that can trigger various problems, including breakouts. Stress can lead to inflammation, hormonal changes, problems with sleep and diet, and problems with the immune system. When we experience inflammation, hi hormones, poor diet, lack of sleep, and our immune systems are not functioning up to the task; we may experience worsening breakouts and difficulties healing existing ones.

How to Treat Body Acne

There are several methods for treating body acne, including over-the-counter treatments ( such as body washes, lotions, creams, and sprays) and professional skin care treatments at Upkeep Med Spa. Although effective (in some cases) over-the-counter treatments for body acne may be difficult. For starters, it can be challenging to reach the places where acne breakouts occur, such as your back and shoulders. Also, it is important to keep in mind that over-the-counter treatments (OTC) do not work overnight. Often, it takes weeks or even months before you will see the results of any over-the-counter acne treatments.

OTC acne treatment products and prescription products alike are not without potential side effects. Therefore, they are not ideal for everyone. If you struggle with body acne and OTC products are ineffective, consider one of our professional acne treatment options like laser treatments, peels, and dermabrasion.

There are several ways professional acne treatments can help kill bacteria while reducing the appearance of acne. Treatments at Upkeep Med Spa can also help reduce the signs of acne scarring from previous breakouts. Let us help you get rid of stubborn body acne once and for all. Contact us today to learn more about our body acne treatments.