Body acne: what it is and how to avoid it

Acne is a pathological manifestation that affects the skin. The most known form is face acne, very common in school age, but can also frequently affect the skin of the body. In English there is even a neologism to indicate acne on the back: bacne, born from the union of the words back and acne.

But what are the most common causes of the occurrence of acne on the body? Let's look at them together.

The most frequent causes for the appearance of acne on the body are the following:

1. Clothes that don't let your skin breathe. Perhaps the cause of your body acne lies in your clothes: poorly breathable fabrics can trap sweat and contribute to acne-causing bacteria on the skin of your body. You may in this case notice that the occurring of irritation coincides with the areas where sweat accumulates the most. If you work out or do a lot of physical activity, you might notice a worsening of the problem. At the end of this article you will find a few tips to fix or at least contain it.

• Have you ever thought about how you apply your hair conditioner? That's right: conditioning products may certainly leave us with soft and shiny hair, but they could be responsible for the appearance of acne on our back. That's because we often have the habit of leaving our hair loose on our neck and back while we let conditioner or masks sink in. Some moisturizing and nourishing ingredients in these types of hair products may be too much for the skin on our back, causing pimples and body acne to appear.

•  Often the cause of a problem is hiding in plain sight: like the bed sheets. How often do you make sure to change your bedding? Sweat, bacteria, dust, are all factors that can aggravate body acne, or cause it to appear. If the sheets contain synthetic or poorly breathable fabrics, the problem gets even worse, especially if we tend to sweat a lot during the night, which is quite common both in summer and winter, with the heat on. 

• Internal causes within our body can lead to developing body acne. Hormones play a key part in regulating the functions of our skin. Hormonal changes brought on by the menstrual cycle, emotional stress or simply genetic or physiological factors could lead to the appearance of acne on the body.

We want to leave you with a few tips to counteract body acne. But first, it is important to take into consideration that every skin is different, so these tips may not apply to everyone and completely solve the problem. However, they are certainly worth trying:

• Choose breathable fabrics. Cotton, natural fibers, and lightweight yarns are ideal for allowing your skin to breathe properly and prevent sweat from lingering on your skin for too long. If you exercise, a good practice is to take a shower as soon as you finish, to prevent sweat from staying on your skin for too long, promoting bacterial growth.
   
• Prevent conditioners and hair masks from getting on your back. Tie your hair back with a hairband or a wide-toothed hair clip: this will allow the hair product to sink in and distribute more evenly, staying away from the skin on your back! • Change your bedding often. Choose sheets made of natural, lightweight fibers, and change them often to avoid bacteria buildup or dust accumulation, all factors that could lead to body acne.
   
• Skincare will help. Choose body care products specially formulated to prevent or counteract body acne. They contain salicylic acid, retinol, glycolic acid, and other exfoliating ingredients that help decrease inflammation and avoid the buildup of dead skin cells and bacteria.
   
• If nothing of the previous is working for you, seek medical help through a dermatologist or endocrinologist. They will know how to guide you on how to address and solve the problem from the inside out.

We hope these tips will help you say goodbye for good to body acne!