Acne is incredibly common, affecting around 50 million people in the U.S.—and for many, it doesn’t stop at the face. More than half also experience breakouts on the body, including the chest, neck, back (often called “bacne”), shoulders, arms, legs, and even the buttocks. If you’re dealing with body acne, you’re not alone—and you don’t have to navigate it without support. At Apex Skin, we offer treatments that can help calm breakouts and restore your confidence, so you can feel more comfortable in your skin this summer.
Why is June Acne Awareness Month?
It’s June, it’s warm, and it’s summer… we want to wear our summer clothes, but there’s also a higher risk for acne breakouts in warm weather, and we might feel nervous about exposing our acne breakouts and scars.
“Acne Awareness Month is important because it encourages us to discuss a condition that mentally and physically affects such a large portion of our population,” says Jackam. “It is an opportunity to educate the public on the many treatment options available while also providing support. This month serves as a great reminder that if you have acne, you are not alone.”
What Causes Body Acne?
Body acne, like facial acne, comes from clogged “pilosebaceous” units, which are the scientific way of referring to the hair follicles we have all over our bodies. It often develops in adolescence when hormone levels spike and interact with the incredibly prevalent Cutibacterium acnes (C acnes) bacteria. Dead skin cells, excess oil, environmental conditions, and hormones can all gang up on and clog your pilosebaceous units, which results in acne breakouts. Also, just because acne is a common teenage affliction, anyone of any age experiencing risk factors for acne development can get body acne.
“Acne occurs in areas where we have higher amounts of sebaceous glands, such as the face and back,” explains Jackam. “These sebaceous glands produce sebum, an oil that your body uses to keep your skin healthy and create a barrier to trap moisture. During the summertime, the sebaceous glands increase their sebum production, meaning you become oilier. In addition, the warm weather causes you to sweat more. When we mix these two things together and then add sunscreen and thick moisturizers, we create the ‘perfect’ acne storm. Should you still wear sunscreen? Absolutely! Can we use lighter moisturizers in warm, humid weather? Of course.”
Jackam adds that the primary causes of body acne include:
Hormones
One of the reasons teenagers are often the most afflicted with acne is that so many hormones are powering up. Girls and women can especially experience flare-ups as a part of a normal (or abnormal) menstruation cycle. Furthermore, 70% of adult body acne and bacne sufferers are female. Also, excess exposure to the stress hormone cortisol can inflame body acne in both male and female patients.
Sweat and Friction
Wearing tight clothes, backpacks, sports gear, etc., can also cause skin irritation that can inflame body acne breakouts on the back, chest, and shoulders. Sweat adds to the pore-clogging action, and friction causes inflammation.
Pore-clogging Skincare or Body Products
Using heavy, oily, or greasy skincare products can exacerbate clogged pores and stimulate acne flare-ups, too. It’s important to choose lighter moisturizers, makeup, and sunscreen products that are formulated to be non-comedogenic—in other words, they won’t clog your pores.
Jackam also adds that in addition to these and other causes, dietary factors such as excess sugar, dairy sensitivities, poor sleep, certain medications, and genetics can add to the complexity of body acne.
Face, Body, and Chest Acne Misconceptions to Discard
It’s also important to understand what doesn’t cause body acne, as Jackam explains:
“The biggest misconception about body acne is that if you have body acne, you are unhygienic. This could not be further from the truth. Most of my patients with acne take amazing care of their skin! Sometimes, when my patients first come to see me, they are even overdoing it with how frequently they cleanse their skin. Let’s change the narrative that acne is an issue of cleanliness.”
Jackam adds that excessive scrubbing and harsh products can actually aggravate acne flare-ups instead of clearing them up. Using a gentle, strategic approach with guidance from your dermatologist can help far more than over-exfoliating.
The Emotional Side of Body Acne
If you have ever struggled with any kind of acne, you know that it’s not only physically painful, but it can be emotionally scarring as well. There is a real impact on acne-related mental health struggles.
And if that wasn’t bad enough, that stress can cause more cortisol, which is one of those hormones that can trigger more breakouts. It can trigger intense self-consciousness, feelings of unworthiness, and uncleanness, all of which can lead to anxiety and even depression. This cascade of intense feelings can get worse in the summer when the summer clothing comes out of the closet, which can leave those with bacne feeling “exposed” and more unsure of themselves.
Apex Skin Body and Back Acne Treatment Options
Depending on the severity of your face, body, back or chest acne, you may need to consult with your dermatologist in addition to these at-home body and back acne treatment efforts.
Prescription Topicals for Body Acne Treatment
Sometimes, when you’re trying to figure out how to get rid of back acne, you just need a stronger dosage of topical medication than you can get over the counter at the drugstore.
“The body tends to be able to handle higher strengths in medications such as tretinoin or benzoyl peroxide compared to the face where the skin is thinner and more delicate,” explains Jackam. “On the face, I usually start low and go slow, especially with medications like tretinoin.”
Your dermatologist can prescribe stronger retinoids, clindamycin, or combination therapies to help with body acne treatment.
Oral Medications for Body and Back Acne Treatment
“If the patient feels their acne is hormonal because it flares around their menstrual cycle, topical or oral spironolactone and combined oral contraceptives are a great option,” explains Jackam. “There are oral antibiotics that we use in acne treatment as well, such as doxycycline. One of my favorite acne medications is isotretinoin, more commonly known as Accutane, as I have had great success with it.”
Professional Face, Body, Bacne, and Chest Acne Treatments
In the whole mix of how to get rid of back acne, there’s the difficulty of getting rid of the acne scars left behind. “Treatments such as microneedling, chemical peels, and laser treatments are especially helpful for acne scarring.” Especially persistent body acne and bacne lesions may benefit from in-office extractions as well, but only when appropriate.
Reach Out and Find Out How to Get Rid of Body Acne
As Jackam says, “This month is about more than breakouts—it’s about hope, confidence, and finding the right support.”
So, if you’ve tried over-the-counter body acne treatments, but you still feel stuck, Apex Skin is here to help! Body acne is treatable, and nobody should feel like they have to hide, especially in the summer. Whether you’re struggling with general body acne, facial acne, bacne, chest acne, shoulder acne, or even if it’s in other places—our Northeast Ohio acne clinics can help. Acne treatment is unique for each individual’s circumstances, so it’s important to get a customized acne treatment plan that fits you and your summer plans.
