Thursday, January 22, 2009

A Look At Back Acne And What You Can Do To Treat It

By Don Saunders

Acne is a very common problem for both adults and teenagers and the commonest perception of acne is that it occurs on the face. But, if you have had acne you know only too well that it can occur in other places too such as the back and the chest.

While back and chest acne is not so obvious to outside observers it can nevertheless be extremely annoying for those afflicted by it. Unluckily, back and chest acne is frequently more difficult to treat than the acne that you have on your face and traditional cleaners and treatments which you use for your face will often not work as effectively when it comes to curing back acne. Also, because your back and chest are generally covered by clothing, you may experience greater irritation from the rubbing of material against your acne.

Just as you do with your facial acne you will have to follow a daily treatment regimen for your back acne and the majority of common regimens will include a cleanser followed by a moisturizer. Frequently, it is more difficult to put medication on your back acne because of where it is located and so you might require help from a family member or to use a lotion applicator.

You will have to take care over the type of clothes that you wear. Rough materials or tight-fitting shirts will rub against your skin and irritate your spots resulting in greater oil production and therefore more breakouts. You also need to be careful about the type of detergent and fabric softener that you use. Occasionally detergents and fabric softeners will irritate back acne and you might need to try different brands or change to a fragrance and dye free variety.

Watch what you are carrying anything on you back. For young people in school, and for those who go backpacking and hiking, backpacks can make back acne considerably worse. If you are seeing a rise in the number of acne breakouts you may want to stop using a backpack for a while. If this causes a problem then a shoulder bag can help in the interim.

Your dermatologist can be a great help with the diagnosis and treatment of your acne and can begin by determining how bad your acne is and also assessing what type of skin you have. Whether your skin is, for example, dry or oily or what is referred to as a combination skin is important in deciding upon the best treatment. Your dermatologist will also want to have a history of your acne condition, covering such as how long you have suffered from acne and how frequently breakouts happen. Armed with this information she can determine the best treatment and medication to deal with your specific case of acne. - 14915

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