How to get rid of back acne?

You tend to think of acne as a problem that affects the face, but there are acnes with a different distribution, affecting other areas of the skinlike the neck, chest and back. The back acne It has different characteristics, is often more resistant to normal treatment, and requires a different approach to acne on the face. Although there are those who call it acne, it is not a term that we dermatologists use.

Is acne on the back the same as acne on the face?

It is an alteration of the skin that has to do with the polysebaceous follicle plugging (the organ of hair and fat) and the inflammation that can occur associated with such plugging.

Acne on the back tends to affect boys more than girls, and can lead to lesions with more inflammation and scar creation high schools. In some cases, it can also be associated with hidradenitis suppurativa, a disease that causes acne-like lesions in the armpits and groin, and that can cause more pain, suppuration and inflammation.

Could it be due to illness or diet?

Acnes that affect the trunk can be caused by corticosteroid use or by endocrine disturbances like certain diseases of the adrenal gland. In suspected cases, the dermatologist may order tests to study the hormonal system.

The role of diet in acne it is controversial. There seems to be some relationship to the consumption high amounts of sugars and dairy, but not for all patients. In any case, it is a subject that should be discussed with an experienced dermatologist.

Does back acne have a different treatment?

The skin on the back is less delicate and more resistant than the skin of the face, makes acnes that affect this area can be treated with stronger topical products, which would cause more irritation on the face. Thus, on the back it is common to use:

• Benzoyl peroxide at high concentrations
• Retinoic acid
• The antibiotics.

When the inflammation is greater and there are larger inflamed and suppurative lesions (nodules and cysts) it is likely that the treatment will have to be in tablets (orally). In general, antibiotics such as:

• tetracycline
• Sulfone
• Isotretinoin (synthetic derivative of vitamin A) less effective in acne on the trunk than on the face.

In many cases, back acne can form cysts that do not usually subside with medical treatment and need to be removed with surgery. In people with skin types, this acne can cause keloids (exaggerated and unsightly scars) that can be treated with silicone occlusive patches or steroid infiltrations, but in general they are not usually operated due to the risk of increasing the scar.

What you should know:

• This type of acne has different characteristics, is often more resistant to normal treatment, and requires a different approach to acne on the face.
• Acne on the back tends to affect boys more than girls, and can lead to lesions with more inflammation and the creation of secondary scars.
• The characteristics of the skin on the back, which is less delicate and more resistant than that of the face, means that acnes in this area can be treated with more powerful topical products.

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Dermatology Specialist Advance Medical Consultant Physician