What exactly is bacne? Bacne is short for back acne which is simply acne (similar to the acne on your face) on your back. Just like the face your back carries oil cells, dead skin and bacteria. This can lead to clogged and inflamed pores causing breakouts. The back also easily builds up sweat. Which makes it more susceptible to breakouts.
There are also different types of bacne. These include whiteheads (a closed pore clogged with oil, dead skin cells, hair follicles or bacteria). Blackheads (similar to a whitehead, a closed pore clogged with oil, dead skin cells, hair follicles or bacteria). Cystic acne (acne that occurs beneath the skin typically red, painful or swollen). Papules (raised bumps on the skin that do not contain pus). Pustules (small bumps on the skin caused by oil, dead skin cells, hair follicles or bacteria typically filled with pus).
Unfortunately there are a couple different things that can cause bacne. One of the main causes of bacne is hormones or excessive oil. Much like regular acne one of the main causes of bacne is hormones. If you’re going through puberty or on your period you may notice you have more bacne than usual. This is because hormones produce extra oil in the skin which in turn clothes the pores causing acne.
Clothing can also cause bacne. Friction from the clothes or laundry detergents could be causing you acne. Clothes can also be causing you acne by trapping sweat or dead skin cells on your skin.
Unfortunately another cause of bacne could simply be genetics. Just like you can inherent acne on your face or in other parts of your body you can inherent acne on your back.
Lastly is not cleaning your back enough/not cleaning it properly. As mentioned before sweat and dead skin cells are a big cause of acne. This is why washing your skin can help prevent bacne. It is especially important to wash your skin after exercising.
So how can you prevent and cure bacne? Luckily bacne can be treated and there are a few things you can do to prevent it. To prevent bacne it’s important that you don’t leave on sweaty clothes/shower after doing something that could cause sweat. Wearing breathable clothing especially when exercising is another simple way to prevent your bacne. Much like clothing backpack straps can also cause bacne, when possible avoid backpacks or anything that can cause friction in that area. Another thing to avoid when it comes to bacne is tanning. It may seem like a tan can improve your acne and make it less noticeable however tanning can increase the pigment and leave the scars longer.
There’s also a couple of treatments for bacne, one of the best treatments recommended by dermatologists is acne medicated face/body wash. Some ingredients to look for in these cleansers are salicylic acid/benzoyl peroxide. Both salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide are great treatments for any type of acne. You can also use a treatment with these ingredients if the body wash isn’t for you.