The back of our body is made of hard skin. Sebaceous glands are more in number in the back skin and hence, oil production also is usually high in this skin. Treating back acne is not as easy as treating a facial acne. Back acne develops in the same way as facial acne. Appearance of back acne is similar to that of facial acne. However, back skin differs from the facial skin and the sebaceous glands on the back skin are larger. They produce more oil compared to facial glands. Therefore back acne can be more severe than facial acne. It is common that back acne erupts as nodules and cysts. The thicker skin on the back makes the treatment a challenging one.
Two out of three people having facial acne have back acne also to some extent. Back acne affects even healthy males and about 20% of them have back acne. Back acne can occur in both sexes, but is more common in men. Occurrence of back acne is more common than occurrence of acne on other areas of the body.
Back acne usually occurs at the stage of puberty. Oil glands mature in this period. Besides this, other causes of back acne are similar to that of facial acne. Some people are prone to acne by virtue of their body chemistry and skin sensitivity. Their systems overproduce skin cells for unknown reasons. These cells clog the skin pores. The clog traps the skin oil. This site becomes the breeding ground of certain bacteria that trigger acne. The built up of the skin cells together with the skin oil breaks the pore wall. The immune system responds to this development, causing pus and redness in that area. Back acne takes birth in this manner.
When we discuss about back acne specifically, we should certainly consider a special type of back acne known as acne mechanica. This is caused by the irritation of the skin. If something rubs against the skin repeatedly, as for example, backpacks or tight fitting clothes, this rubbing irritates the back skin and aggravates acne present in that area. Moisture also can aggravate acne mechanica. Therefore, sweats combined with rubbing over the skin can worsen the situation. Most of the times our back comes in contact with one or other surface such as chair, bed, backpack and so on. It is not possible for anyone to totally avoid such contacts. Therefore, a feeling of irritation at the back is the experience of almost everyone. However, there are also certain simple measures to ease out this condition. Wear breathable clothing. Avoid carrying thing on your back. After any sweaty workout, shower your skin.
Treating light to moderate cases of back acne involves gentle cleansing. A 10% alpha hydroxy acid can keep the skin completely clear. In moderate to severe cases of back acne, combining alpha hydroxy acid and benzoyl peroxide is found to work well. The ultimate treatment is with Accutane, which is available in the form of pills. The course of treatment is for about 15 weeks. It is the experience of many that back acne does not reoccur even after stopping the medication with Accutane.