Acne on the back, or backne, is a common problem that’s often tough to treat. Find out your options for fighting back.
How it happens
When our sebaceous glands produce too much oil, breakouts will occur more frequently — like in teenage males, whose testosterone is responsible for the overproduction of oil. Unfortunately, backne is harder to prevent and treat than facial blemishes.
While oftentimes you can easily zap zits with special creams and medicated treatments, backne can be hard to treat when the area is covered with clothing the majority of the time. Daily activities like working out, driving and sitting can irritate backne even more, further complicating the problem.
How to treat it
Skin on the back is much thicker than the skin on other areas of the body, which means that it’s typically more resistant to treatment. So, it’s likely you’ll need a stronger product to banish breakouts.
- Treatment for backne begins in the shower; wash regularly with an exfoliating body wash that also kills acne-causing bacteria, such as Peter Thomas Roth Blemish Buffing Beads Body Wash. This product keeps skin clean and prevents new blemishes from forming.
- Benzoyl peroxide has a long history of successfully treating acne. After your shower, apply a treatment like MD Formulations Benzoyl Peroxide 10 that treats blemishes but doesn’t dry out the skin.
- To fight existing blemishes, also consider a purifying spray like Murad Clarifying Body Spray, which specifically targets body breakouts and easily works to cover those hard-to-reach spots. Your best bet is to treat the spots on your back at night-time when you’re wearing less (and looser) clothing and you’re able to stay in the same position for a longer period of time.
When to see a doctor
If you have cystic acne on your back (a severe case of inflammatory acne) or your backne doesn’t improve with traditional over-the-counter treatments, don’t hesitate to visit a dermatologist. Many people make the mistake of believing that skin conditions will go away on their own, but backne can prove difficult to treat.
Learn everything you need to know about acne-fighting skincare in our Complete Acne Handbook.