Back Acne

Health Articles > Acne > Back Acne

Though back acne or bacne is a rarity, it is still a reality. But what exactly is back acne. It is nothing but the same acne (or pimples as they are also known as), but instead of the face where they are usually found, back acne is found in the back side of the body, acne can be found in the buttocks and even in the upper arm area. Since these places are hidden from the public eye due to clothing back acne cause less worry. On the other hand it can become frustrating itself because the lesions might still become itchy and they may also pain. Another worry is the constant friction from clothing that can make it worse and cause the lesions to erupt and ooze the pus out. At least that risk is never there with the acne spots that develop on the face. In severe cases of back acne, it might even make it difficult for the person to keep clothing on the body and this might make the person’s movement handicapped.

The causes and the symptoms of acne and back acne are the same. Both appear as small red bumps on the skin that turn into whiteheads or blackheads after a few days. In this, it does not matter where they are located. Picking both these types of acne can lead to scarring the affected portion of the skin that can remain for years.

The causes are also the same. When the production of hormones in the body go up for some reason like what happens in the teenage years, it affects the glands that on their part increase the production of oils that normally keep the skin surface moisturized. This sudden explosion of oil on the skin end up blocking the hair follicles that is located on the skin surface. In turn, this attracts the bacteria which make this their home gleefully. And this is how teenage acne on both the face and on the back is formed. There is no difference there. Sometimes the infection thus caused travels deep down into the skin and affects the tissues making the situation worse.

But there is still one difference between the two and that is a major one. The fact is, often it is seen that back acne is more severe than normal acne. The lesions are more in number, they look more threatening, even take longer to cure. This happens due to the fact that there are simply a far greater number of skin pores on the back than there are on the face. So naturally more of them can get clogged leading to an increased problem. Often, back acne lesions turn cystic as well, complicating the issue further.

Sweat also plays a role, particularly in warmer climates such as in Florida, Jamaica and at the tropics. This is because while we clear the sweat from the face, that is not the case in the back where it can get deposited easily. And this too clogs the pores thus leading to back acne.