Dermatologist-Approved Ways to Get Rid of Body Acne

Banish body acne with dermatologist-approved ways to get rid of body acne using your at-home skin care routine.

Body acne involves pimples and blackheads on the chest and back. The upper arms and neck can also develop acne. The acne lesions can leave superficial hyperpigmented marks (called post inflammatory hyperpigmentation) and lasting scars. In the worst case, cysts and deep scars can develop. 

This type of acne is often called Bacne and it's important to treat it before it leaves scars and brown marks that can be hard to get rid of. - Dermatologist Dr. Cynthia Bailey

What causes body acne?

The two most common causes of body acne are

1. Acne vulgaris
2. Pityrosporum folliculitis

There are two other causes of pimples on the body:

1. Pustules can occur on the buttocks and are typically due to a combination of sweat and friction.
2. Pimple-like pustules on the arm and thigh skin are most commonly due to keratosis pilaris.

We call these sorts of pimples folliculitis. The good news is that treatment for pimples from all these causes of body acne overlaps. (It is also possible to have pimples due to skin infections such as Staph bacteria. Infectious folliculitis should be evaluated and treated by a doctor.)

Dermatologist's top products and tips to treat Bacne and body acne once and for all.

I created my Back Acne Kit to treat the common causes of pimples on the body. This is how I successfully treat body acne in my dermatology practice.

My Back Acne Kit is a simple skin care routine that you do in the shower and includes two targeted cleansers and a shower cloth. I describe below what makes these two cleansers uniquely effective at fighting body acne.

Clear up your body acne and have confidence wearing a bathing suit and other skin baring clothing. Prevent scarring by treating acne early and effectively.

Why do you get body acne?

Acne on the back and chest is caused by,

Acne vulgaris, the most common type of acne.

• It often starts in the teenage years and lasts until early adulthood
• P. acnes bacteria (now called C. acnes) plays a role in this type of acne.
• Skin lesions include blackheads, pimples and cysts.
• Acne lesions can scar, and scars from cyst can be quite large.

Pityrosporum folliculitis can cause body acne alone or it can be present together with acne vulgaris.

• 

  This type of acne can start in the early teens and last well into adulthood. It can even persist into the middle age years!
• It is caused by a yeast called Pityrosporum. Another name for this yeast is Malassezia. Some people call this 'fungal' acne even though the germ is a technically a yeast.
• The C. acnes bacteria seems to work together with the yeast to cause the acne.
• This type of acne causes bright red pustules that both itch and hurt. They heal by leaving brown discoloration that persists long after the pimples have gone away. They can also heal leaving white scars.
• Pustules often extend down the back to the waist. The scalp and neck can be involved too.
• Many clogged pores leave tiny flesh-colored bumps on the skin that heal with white scars.

What is the best treatment for back and body acne?

Both types of body acne require treatment to reduce the C. acnes bacteria. Pityrosporum folliculitis also requires use of products that fight the Pityrosporum yeast germ. Both have activity against a broad range of germs. Neither are considered antibiotics. 

The best medicated ingredients to fight the germs that cause body acne are,

• Benzoyl peroxide,

• Pyrithione zinc. 

Clogged pores and blackheads play a key role in both types of acne. They also play a role in pimples caused by keratosis pilaris and frictional buttocks folliculitis. Treatment requires keratolytic skin care products.

What are keratolytics and how do they work to treat body acne?

Keratolytics are ingredients that dissolve the connections between dead cells so that they can desquamate (fall off). This treats blackheads and clogged pores by allowing the plugs of dead cells and debris to dissolve.

The best keratolytics to treat clogged pores and blackheads from body acne are,

• Salicylic acid,

• Glycolic acid, 

• Benzoyl peroxide.

There are three important considerations for treating body and back acne

1. 

   Using exfoliating shower cloths, sponges and scrubs help these germ fighting ingredients and keratolytics to better penetrate skin to heal acne fast.
2. The best way to deliver acne fighting ingredients to the large expanse of skin involved with body acne is by using medicated cleansers that leave a residue of active ingredients on the skin after you rinse them off in the shower.
3. You need strong products to penetrate the thick and tough skin on the chest and back.

Dermatologist's professional products to heal body acne fast.

Pyrithione zinc fortified cleansers for body acne:

Calming Zinc Bar Soap with 2% pyrithione zinc for yeast acne or a strong 2% pyrithione zinc shampoo contain the highest concentration allowed. This concentration is needed to get through thicker body skin. Pyrithione zinc has been shown to fight the Pityrosporum yeast, which also plays a role in dandruff and tinea versicolor (another skin problem caused by the same yeast germ).

My preferred pyrithione zinc product for use on the body is Calming Zinc Soap because it provides pyrithione zinc formulated with natural ingredients into an easy-to-use bar soap.

Foaming Benzoyl Peroxide Acne Treatment Cleanser is the ideal body acne ingredient to kill C. acnes because it is made with a full 10% benzoyl peroxide, the highest concentration of this medicated ingredient allowed.  

My Back and Body Acne Kit gives you my Calming Zinc ™ Soap along with Foaming Benzoyl Peroxide Cleanser and a Salux shower cloth. You can't get better Bacne treatment!

What do I recommend if you also want a simple routine to clear facial acne along with treating your body acne?

Try my Ultimate Acne Solutions Skin Care Kit plus the Calming pyrithione zinc bar. Get the Exfoliating Facial Sponge for the face. Use this routine on your face and the Back Acne Kit on your body.

How do you treat scalp pimples?

Use a the strongest 2% medicated foaming pyrithione zinc shampoo and a Scalp Scrubber to wash your hair. Be sure to get the cleanser down onto your scalp skin and help it penetrate by massaging with the Scrubber. Leave it on for 5 minutes then rinse it off. 

Is there anything else that will help heal whiteheads from keratosis pilaris, or pimples on the skin of the buttocks? 

The main problem with skin suffering from keratosis pilaris is that there are keratin plugs in the pores that can form a whitehead behind the plug. The same is true with frictional folliculitis of the buttocks.

The key to getting rid of keratosis pilaris is to soften the plugs so that they can slough-out of the pores.

I recommend adding a strong glycolic acid such as my Glycolic Acid Body Lotion with a robust 15% concentration formulated in an FDA regulated lab for maximum effectiveness. Apply the Glycolic Acid Body Lotion right after getting out of the shower and toweling dry. 

What if my body pimples are all whiteheads due to keratosis pilaris?

If you have keratosis without body acne, I recommend you focus on keratolytic products and don't bother with trying to treat acne causing bacteria and yeast.  Use my Ultra-Fast Body Smoothing Triple Action Kit  with the Triple Action Cleanser, Salux Cloth and Glycolic Acid 15% Body Lotion. 

• The Triple Action Exfoliating Cleanser has a combination of .5% salicylic acid, 10% glycolic acid and rolled eco-friendly beads. It is also a great facial cleanser and my personal favorite to brighten my complexion.
• The Glycolic Acid Lotion will help to soften the keratin plugs in the pores that are the cause of keratosis pilaris and that become inflamed from friction. This Glycolic Acid Body Lotion is the key to soft and satiny body skin!

Sun protection is really important to prevent body acne scarring!

Sun will cause hyperpigmentation that lasts much longer than body acne pimples. These brown marks can even be permanent. Keep the sun off your skin with clothing. For exposed skin, use a mineral zinc oxide sunscreen daily to prevent hyperpigmentation such as Citrix SPF 40 Sunscreen. Citrix is also water resistant making it a good choice for when you are sweating and/or swimming. 

What's the bottom line for treating body acne?

1. Use my Back Acne Kit to treat body acne. It includes the strongest medicated benzoyl peroxide cleanser along with Calming Zinc Bar Soap and the Salux Cloth to exfoliate and get the cleansers onto your back and chest.
2. Add Glycolic Acid 15% Body Lotion if you also have keratosis pilaris contributing to white heads.
3. If you only have white heads due to keratosis pilaris, use my Ultra Fast Body Smoothing Triple Action Kit instead of the Back Acne Kit