Bacne: Back+Acne Treatments

Whether you're an athlete, a teenager, or just like everyone else, you may be afflicted with acne or pimples on your back. It is classified as zits that come up on your back, chest and shoulders inclusively. There are some mechanical ways to make sure that you don't breakout or contain your current breakouts. If you notice that you are starting to get some, you may want to wear loose clothing which is newly cleaned because you want only soft cotton fibers on your skin as they will remove excess sweat and skin flakes. If you're a girl and you wear a bra, try to wear a new one every day for this same hygienic reason. Your straps should fit well and not chafe against your skin throughout the day, but if you find that you get breakouts regardless, then try to switch to a strapless bra. Sometimes your acne can be an allergic reaction to your laundry detergent or the fabrics you are wearing, so try to eliminate any possible allergens. Bacne is formed when your pores get clogged by when excess sebum formed by your sebaceous glands and dead skin cells attracts bacteria. The reason why your back is so prone to acne is that there are more sebaceous glands here than most other places on your body.

Washing regularly
First and foremost, this should go without saying but it is definitely worth reiterating: if you want to get rid of your bacne, you must wash every day. Using anti-bacterial soap during your daily (and even twice daily if you have the time) wash will help eliminate the bacteria in your pores. Don't over-scrub or over-wash the area because you can irritate your skin and cause it to become too dry. If your skin is too dry it will go into panic-mode and release too much sebum to cover itself up, leading to more acne. You want to maintain a balance of moisture on your skin. Gently use an exfoliating sponge, loofah or washcloth during your shower (yes, you want to shower unless you are having a salt-water bath because soaking your skin in a pool of still water can increase your chances of getting more bacteria in your pores). Because the skin on your back is generally a lot tougher than the skin on your face, you can exfoliate gently every day and not just once a week, it is safe to do so as long as you're not worsening your irritation. Make sure that you wash your body with a medicated body wash that has two percent salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide, specifically letting it sit over the area which has pimples before you rinse it off.

If you can get near a beach - alternative treatment
The simplest method to get rid of your breakouts is to visit the beach. Having your skin submerged in sea salt water for approximately ten minutes can drastically help your skin. No cream or cleanser will help your skin the way the ocean can because it has natural anti-bacterial properties. The warm temperature of the water helps to cleanse the skin. Sand also can act as an exfoliating agent and improve your complexion if you gently rub it on your afflicted area. If you can't get near a beach, then you can achieve the same effect by boiling a mixture of salt and water and letting it sit to the side until it has cooled. Use this solution to wash your face and body to get rid of dirt and oil.

Infuse moisture
Use a moisturizer after you wash your skin to increase the hydration level of your pores. However, make sure that the product you use is oil-free and medicated if your acne is severe. If you are already using a medicated soap or treatment, then use just a regular moisturizer without medication in it that is highly hydrating and is noncomedogenic, which means that it does not block pores, because this will reduce the incidence of pimples and will not allow the salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide (pimple treatments) in your other products dry out your skin.

Medicated treatments
If you use medicated creams or gels, try to go for ones that say they contain benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid but do not use both. If you use both of these substances together on your skin they can have negative effects on your skin and may burn your skin pretty severely. The burns from these products can be worse on sensitive skin than any acne, so you may want to consult with your dermatologist if you have a history of negative skin reactions. It is important that you use a hydrating cream over top of these treatments or after you clean them off because your skin will be dried out. These treatments are also bleaching, so make sure you don't put your clothing right over top immediately because you won't be able to repair the color.

The rule-of-thumb is that if you're using one product that is medicated, whether it be soap, treatment or moisturizer, you want them to either be from the same line of products or stick to just one of them so that there are no negative interactions between the chemicals used. You don't want to overload your skin with chemicals, it may have an adverse reaction to this. Rather than experimenting on your skin with harsher treatments if you don't know how your skin might react, I suggest going to visit your dermatologist. Some problems are too severe to take care of with over-the-counter treatments and regular body washes. Some treatments may take weeks to work and others may have no effect at all on you so you may want to seek help especially if you have deep, painful cysts on your back. If you have a serious affliction or problem, you may need an aggressive topical treatment or antibiotics, to avoid scarring and for the best possible results visit your dermatologist.

Winterizing the skin you're in

In the upcoming winter months, your skin will suffer the consequences of low humidity, high wind-speed, and cold temperatures. All of these factors together will lead to dehydration, cracking and unattractive skin. You will want to invest in a moisturizer, not necessarily a thick-consistency formula, but definitely an effective formula, possibly including petroleum gel so that it stays on your skin and protects it for longer. Make sure whatever cream you're buying has SPF to it because, although you may not feel it while you're outside, if the sun is out you will still get burned even in the winter. It is important to protect your skin against sunburns, because they promote aging, sunspots, wrinkles and skin cancer. The key to moisturizing your skin externally is ingesting lots of liquids internally so that the hydration spreads around to all of your body systems and organs (including your skin).  Consider investing in a humidifier for your room, it will allow your lungs to intake oxygen more easily and allow your airways not to overproduce mucous to compensate for the dry air. Humidifiers will also be a saving grace for your skin, especially during the night-time when you're asleep and incapable of moisturizing or drinking liquids.

To avoid crackling, you will want to eat antioxidants (fruits and veggies, usually) and omega-3's to increase the fatty acids in your skin. These fatty acids will allow your skin to become more flexible and soft, protecting against breakage and cracking.  If you find yourself licking your lips often, consider investing in a moisturizing lip balm (that doesn't have any alcohol base in it), because licking your lips often means that your lips are dehydrated. Unfortunately, licking your lips actually has the opposite effect because of the acid in your saliva which serves to dry out your skin even more than it already is.

Although it may be tempting to take long, hot baths during the winter months, you should stick to short cooler showers as to avoid your pores from opening up in the hotter temperature. What happens when your pores are open after a hot bath during the winter months is that you are tempted to quickly rub yourself dry with a towel which causes your fragile pores to break open and cause mild scarring which leads to wrinkles and skin breakage. Make sure you apply moisturizer after taking a bath/shower every day and don't forget to apply it to the areas that don't get exposed (toes, stomach, shoulders) because they are still getting dry from the general conditions.

Take your vitamins (A, B, and C) during these months because they will make a big difference in your appearance and overall comfort. Vitamin A will promote skin thickness and protect against it stretching apart, while it will also allow it to create new layers. While vitamin B will improve your circulation and this means the supply of blood replenishing supplies (minerals) to your skin is increased, allowing it to heal quickly. Vitamin C is an integral part of collagen formation along with the fatty acids you intake, which is self-explanatory - collagen is an elastic compound that allows skin stretching without breaking or wrinkling.

If you use cleanser or soap during your washing routine, make sure that they have moisturizing and hydrating properties, otherwise the cleaning astringent chemicals inside will leave your skin parched (use oil-based cleansers instead of makeup wipes to remove makeup). It really is all about common sense, try to stay away from after-shave if you're a man and alcohol-based body sprays if you're a female because the alcohol-base of these products will cause your skin's natural moisture to evaporate. As a female, you can try to use a moisturizing foundation or cream eyeshadow to help your skin out during these harsh, cruel months. Stay away from anything that stings your skin, as a good general rule, because these products will always have alcohol as a base. Good luck and take care of your external-most organ!