What is back acne?

Back acne is an acne condition that affects your back, shoulders and chest. Even if you do not have facial acne, there are chances that you can get back acne. However, it is more common than those with facial acne to have back acne.

Statistics show that 40% of individuals who suffer from facial acne often suffer from back acne as well, especially if you are in a humid country like Singapore. The hot and humid weather will clog your pores and hair follicles on your back. Hence, trapping sweat and bacteria that causes breakouts. To keep pesky bacne at bay, here are some back acne treatments that can help you to nip them in the bud!

What are the factors that cause back acne?

Acne is a multifactorial problem which means there are many factors that can trigger it. Some of the factors are:

Perspiration

Back acne is commonly caused by perspiration during daily activities. Usually, perspiration and tight-fitting clothings are the more common reasons why people get back and chest acne. The moist environment on the body encourages the bacterial group. Not only that, but your back also has much larger and more oil glands which make it a more prone black for acne.

Hormonal Imbalance

Hormonal imbalances can actually aggravate your acne because of the overstimulation of oil glands that makes you back acne much worse. This is usually seen in young males and females with a condition of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.

Clogged & Damaged Pores

When it comes to acne, some of your pores get damaged and clog up easily, leading to recurrent back acne that affects the same areas of your back.

Diet

When you consume too much of dairy, sugary food and simple processed carbohydrates, the acne can get worse on your face, body and back.

Stress

Stressing out can cause your body to produce a stress hormone: cortisol. The Cortisol stimulates collagen production and that leads to the clogging of pores that causes back acne breakout.

What are some home treatments for acne?

Back acne isn’t exactly impossible to treat. You can do so by making some lifestyle changes and at-home remedies. Here are some tips:

Shower after exercise

As this should automatically be done, you should always shower after you are done with your workouts. This is to prevent your pores from getting clogged.

Source: Jennifer Fix

Exfoliate

Try to use gentle exfoliating scrubs that are packed with ingredients like salicylic acid to remove the extra oils and dirt that are on your skin. By doing so, it helps reduce the amount of dead skin that could possibly clog your pores.

Wear loose-fitting clothes

When you exercise, it can sometimes irritate your back acne. Hence, it is best to opt for loose-fitting clothing that allows your skin to breathe and helps wick the sweat away. This helps in minimising clogged pores and back pimples.

Healthy eating

Pack you diet with loads of vegetables, fruits, lean protein and whole grains. A healthy eating lifestyle not only helps your health but also your skin.

Don’t pick your pimples

Just like how you are advised not to pick your facial pimples, you should avoid picking your back acne as well. If you do so, you tend to spread bacteria and cause MORE pimples and you are more prone to scarring.

What are the downsides of having back acne?

When we talk about the downsides of having back acne, the main ones are first that it is painful. If you didn’t already know, having back acne can be very painful and itchy. They also tend to leave marks and scars that take very long to fade away, because the skin on our back takes more time to heal compared to our face.

What are the treatments for back acne in Singapore?

Chemical peels

Chemicals peels help clear the clogged follicles on your back that helps reduce acne breakouts. Not only that, but they also help reduce the appearance of scars on your back, especially post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.

Carbon Laser Peel

When combined with the use of the 1064nm q-switched laser, the carbon laser peel clears the active acne and also smoothens the skin on the back resulting in a smooth and clear back.

Also, carbon gel is used instead of the traditional powder suspension. This is to ensure a much even application and penetration into the skin. Additionally, this treatment is used to target and treat the active acne and smoothen the bumps as the carbon gel penetrates into the pores and allowing the laser to focus its energy effectively.

Laser treatment

Laser treatments are usually customised to the type of acne scars you have. There are many types of back acne treatments to choose from but the best recommendation to get is from your aesthetician or your dermatologist. However, there are many who recommended Accelera acne laser treatment.

Accelera acne laser

The main component that is used to treat the acne is the Quasi long-pulsed 1064nm wavelength laser from the QX MAX machine. When the Quasi Long-pulsed is combined with the Q-switched mode, this laser treatment works by killing the bacteria that causes acne breakouts.

Not only that, but the long-pulsed mode of the laser also reduces the fine hairs. That results in lesser clogged pores and clearer skin. Additionally, this treatment also rejuvenates the skin, clearing the debris and brightening the skin,

How many treatments are needed to treat back acne?

This is a question only your aesthetician or dermatologist can answer. This is because all the back acne treatments are customised according to your skin and how severe it is. Also, your budget will be taken into consideration as to which treatment to get. Not only that, but the number of treatments you need will also be advised by your aesthetician or dermatologist during your consultation.

Are back acne treatments safe?

All the treatments that are recommended are clinically proven to effectively reduce acne. As these procedures are conducted by doctors or aestheticians, they are safe, effective and have minimal side-effects. The treatment treats the acne first before treating the scars.

How fast are the results of back acne treatments visible?

After your treatments, it is reviewed that you can see visible results of reduced oil production and lesser acne after 1 to 3 months from your treatment. However, there are some patients who can see their results within 2 to 3 weeks of their treatment, as every individual is different and has different healing rates.