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Back acne, acne on the back, bacne
Back acne is prevalent and often harder to treat than facial acne. The back is made of tough skin with thousands of sebaceous glands that produce a lot of oil.
Introduction to back acne
Acne on the back, often referred to as bacne, is often more severe than facial acne, sometimes with many nodules and cysts. In this case, topical treatment may not be sufficient. When I had severe back acne I found that Accutane was the only thing that helped me clear up. For mild to moderate bacne, the Regimen with the addition of 10% AHA works really well.
The acne.org Regimen is a simple 3 step program using over-the-counter products.
Acne.org bacne Regimen
The bacne regimen is identical to the regular regimen with the addition of an 8-10% glycolic acid (alpha hydroxy).
- Wash the area gently with a mild cleanser and let dry.
- Apply the alpha hydroxy lotion and wait for it to dry.
- Apply bp generously. (You can switch step 2 and 3 if you'd like)
- Apply moisturizer if needed.
Unlike the skin on the face, the back is a tough area and can usually handle both treatment products. However, you may still want to try one area for a few days with both treatment products before treating the entire back. The area to the rear of the arm pit can get irritated from alpha hydroxy, so you may want to avoid that area.
One more thing to mention when talking about back acne is back packs. Heavy back packs rub on the upper shoulders/back and can cause irritation. As annoying as it sounds, you might want to try hand held bag for the first few weeks of this back acne regimen. Once you are clear, try using a back pack again. If you break out, you'll know to go back to a hand held bag.
Where to get 10% AHA
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DanielKern.com 6 oz. size 10% glycolic acid plus lichochalcone. Made specifically to work with the bacne regimen. |
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Drugstore.com or store shelves Alpha Hydrox Enhanced Lotion. You can sometimes find this product at your local drugstore, and always at drugstore.com. I have tried pretty much every over-the-counter alpha hydroxy acid, and this is the only one I've found to work for me. |
Tip:
Benzoyl peroxide bleaches fabric. Keep this in mind if using the Regimen on the back. You will need to wear white.
Tip:
I have heard from doctors and estheticians that fabric softener can leave a waxy residue on clothing which can aggravate body acne. This is anecdotal, so I will look into this more. An alternative for controlling static are anti-static dryer balls.
Helpful link: More on body acne.
References
Berger, Timothy G., William D. James, and Richard B. Odom. Andrew's Diseases of the Skin. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Company, 2000.
Bettoli, Vincenzo, Alison M. Layton, and Diane Thiboutot. Fast Facts-Acne. Oxford, UK: HealthPress Limited, 2004.
Fulton, James E. Acne Rx. James E. Fulton Jr., M.D., PhD: 2001.
Kligman, Albert M., and Gerd Plewig. Acne and Rosacea. Berlin: Springer, 2000.
Leung, Lit-Hung. "Pantothenic Acid in the Treatment of Acne Vulgaris 'A Medical Hypothesis'." Journal of Orthromolecular Medicine 12.2 (1997).
