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Acne is one of the most prevalent skin conditions in the world, how to get rid of acne is a heat topic in Malaysia. Besides acne sufferers, not a lot of people in general know about the severity of acne or that acne is beyond skin deep. That’s why the stigma of acne sufferers being someone who is lazy to wash their face or someone who has poor hygiene exists in society, for there is no better understanding, education or awareness available.
Did you know that more than 85% of teenagers are affected by acne, and although it will resolve gradually as they turn 20, some people might be having to carry this burden into their 40s and 50s.
Not many know that acne can be life threatening too, and it often being dismissed as an on-the-surface condition only. Other than that, the scars they leave can affect one’s self-confidence, so please check out this article to see how to get rid of acne scars.
For those of you who clicked into this article with the means to obtain more knowledge about the causes and how to get rid of acne scars or how to get rid of pimples overnight, we hope we’d succeed in delivering an adequate or good amount of information you might need and hope to find.
We will start by breaking down the common and uncommon factors of the development of acne and then, we will proceed on how to get rid of acne. Stay hooked!
Firstly, we will tackle the myths we had been fed to believe to be the causes of acne. Below are the popular acne myths in society:
According to the National Health Service (NHS) of the United Kingdom, the cleanliness of your skin has little to no effect on acne because most of the biological reactions that trigger acne does not occur on the surface of the skin. They trigger acne beneath the skin.
Acne can’t be passed to others and it is not infectious.
Not only this action can cause bacterial infections when done with unsanitary tools or dirty fingers but it will leave scars.
Sexual activity cannot influence acne, be it for better or worse. (NHS, n.d.)
Side note, these acne causes are mainly for hormonal acnes. If you have fungal acne, which is caused by the overgrowth of yeast, you may check this article out on how to treat fungal acne on face!
According to a study, it found that beyond the face, back is the most affected by acne by 45.7% while chest is 38.9% and other locations of the body are 16.3%.
Back acne is relatively more difficult to treat as not a lot of us have flexible arms to reach them. Before we dive into how to get rid of back acne, naturally, we will talk about the causes and more.
Similar to our face, our back has larger pores than any other parts of our body. Larger pores mean your hair follicles are most likely going to be clogged especially when you sweat a lot and don’t shower afterwards. Most of the time, it is just unavoidable because we live in a humid country where some days can feel like we are being roasted in the oven.
Early signs of back acne or ‘bacne’ will begin to appear when excess oil and dead skin cells have long been clogged up in your pores as whiteheads and blackheads.
According to the health and medical education journalist, editor, and copywriter, Amanda Barrell, almost all humans have bacteria called Propionibacterium acnes that live on our skin and are usually harmless. However, when they are combined with the excess oil and dead skin cells, inflammation will occur, thus this will start the creations of pus-filled or red spots especially for those people who are prone to acne.
Please note that for severe acne like cystic acne, you must seek a doctor for an effective remedy because severe acne in most cases will not be affected by topical or oral over-the-counter medications.
Now, let’s move on to the solutions. There are a lot of treatments for different types of acne which you can handle at home with over-the-counter topical or oral medicine, typically for mild and moderate acne.
Usually, your healthcare provider or pharmacist will suggest what type of medication that can treat your underlying condition of acne. So, we will suggest you the topical treatments and here are the best remedies we can find so far.
Benzoyl Peroxide is best used on mild acne that’s caused by hormones such as period, and puberty. It is easily found in any drugstore in your hometown and it is convenient to use. It is available in the form of cream, paste, leave-on gel or wash. The only side effect is dryness, so choose which type of concentration that suits your skin type.
This natural acid can kill microorganisms on the skin and reduce swelling. Azelaic acid can be found in grains such as barley, rye and wheat.
The topical types of antibiotics are including clindamycin and erythromycin. They work better with Benzoyl Peroxide which was mentioned prior, and it works by controlling the bacteria on the surface of the skin which is responsible for acne swelling and worsening the acne.
It is available in the form of cleanser, and lotion. What Salicylic acid does is remove the layer of dead skin cells and dissolve them to prevent hair follicles from being clogged.
Dapzone is a topical gel that also has antibacterial properties. It works on your inflamed acne and it is to be used twice a day. (Clinic, n.d.)
When you’re drenched in sweat, you’re inviting bacteria to rave on your skin. So, you must shower immediately after exercising, and if you can’t, always keep oil-free cleansing wipes by your side. That way, you can use them as a temporary alternative and don’t forget to change your clothes.
Like regular acne, over-the-counter products are close to the best to treat mild back acne. Topical treatment you should get are as such:
According to a dermatologist and medical director of MDacne in San Francisco, Yoram Harth, MD, regular body wash products are not strong enough to treat back acne. You are advised to get a medicated body wash which contains salicylic acid which can help you unclog your pores and banish acnes.
As your back is being invaded by acne, it needs to be cared for gently and attentively. This is because harsh exfoliation like scrubs and loofahs can hinder your skin from getting better. Antibacterial soap, astringent and shower gel also are quite harsh for your acne-ridden back, so swap them with a medicated body wash product that’s specialized for acne instead.
One of the reasons why acne is there on your back is because of its excessive production of oil that clogged up the pores. Therefore, you don’t need to add more oil-based products, and start using oil-free body wash, sunscreen, and moisturizers.
Now, you can try this product – Clearogen Acne Treatment.
Clearogen’s proven, natural ingredients deliver results without side effects. With just three simple steps – (Foaming Cleanser, Clarifying Toner, and Acne Lotion), Clearogen makes it easy to effectively treat your acne.
I can’t stress this enough, don’t pick or squeeze your back acne, or all acne for that matter. Not only will the action tear your tissue and further push the gunk into your dermis, creating a worse condition for your acne, it will also leave ugly scars. The now-injured acne area will take a longer time to heal and when it does, it will form a depressed skin texture and hyperpigmentation.
Use Hydropeptide Cleansing Gel when you have to remove make up on your face.
This one-and-done face wash is the fairy godmother of speed cleansing. It effectively removes makeup, dirt and excess oil with a gentle blend of peptides, antioxidants and calming anti-irritants that leave skin clean, refreshed and ready for the ball.
If you feel lazy to change and wash your bedsheet at least once a week or once in two weeks, imagine how comfortable it is for bacteria to live there and for dead skin cells to multiply every minute as long as the bedsheet is unchanged? To avoid a prolonged back acne and further clogging your pores, you need to change them up and wash them.
This can be said as the last resort when your back acne does not seem to improve with all the efforts you have put in. A board-certified specialist can help you by analyzing your skin to see the severity of your condition, and will suggest you the best treatment or some procedures, if needed. The possible treatments are:
Say, you read this article but you don’t have this problem yet or ever, and curious about what we can do to avoid back acne? We got you.
If these treatments do not work or the acne is getting severe beyond the help of your healthcare provider, then a specialist is the one you must turn to. We advise you to seek a board-certified dermatologist, and good luck!
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