Body Acne - A Guide For Looking Great

As many of you may have discovered, acne isnt confined to the face and body acne can also be a problem for many acne sufferers. All a spot needs to develop is a sebaceous gland in a follicle, otherwise called a pore, and these are all over your body. All pimples begin with a blocked pore. Next, acne bacteria arrive to infect the pore. Swelling and pain follows as millions of white blood cells join in the party.

The back is particularly vulnerable to body acne. Wearing tight clothing, back packs and/or perspiring can trigger back acne. Hormone changes also play a part as they over-stimulate the sebaceous glands, which then begin producing more sebum or oil than usual. This mixes with other materials such as sweat and skin cells to form a solid sticky mass blocking the pore.

Types Of Pimples

Body acne pimples can take different forms. Comedos, for example, appear as inflamed bumps on the skin, or pimples. Blackheads and whiteheads are also comedos. Papules or pustules are lesions filled with pus. Nodules are like large pustules. Cysts are the worse kind of pimples. They appear when the surrounding tissue becomes infected and because they penetrate deep into the skin, they can leave scars. If you have nodules or cysts, you should seek medical help. Many treatments are available for adult body acne, including oral and topical antibiotics, oral and topical retinoids, which are derived from vitamin A, body washes, and lotions containing benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid or other acne-zapping ingredients. Hormonal therapy is also sometimes used. Anti-androgens and oral contraceptive are used to counteract the effects of male hormone surges.