Back acne is challenging and annoying since it is difficult to see and hard to reach. Just like acne on any part of your body, back acne may be a result of clogged pores or a medical condition. Depending on the severity of the acne, your doctor may recommend medications along with a few home remedies to treat your back acne. In this article, we take a look at the causes and home remedies you can try to get rid of back acne.
What Is Back Acne?
Back acne includes large tender cysts that develop on the back. Just like our face, the skin on our back also has sebaceous glands. These glands excrete sebum. When the sebum gets built-up along with bacteria and dead cells, it leads to inflamed pores and breakouts.
A study was conducted on 1309 respondents from the US, Canada, Brazil, France, and Italy were allocated into 2 groups- F+T (facial and truncal acne= 694) and F (facial acne= 615). The study found that 54.3% of the first group had acne on the face and back while 10.6% of the second group reported acne on their face.
The severity of this acne may vary. A mild acne breakout results in few blemishes and may include whiteheads, blackheads, and pimples. Meanwhile, a severe acne breakout results in more spots and cysts.
Back acne can manifest in various forms. Check out the symptoms in the next section.
Symptoms Of Back Acne
- Back acne typically presents as red or white bumps, similar to facial acne. These can be pustules (containing pus) or papules (small red bumps without pus).
- Comedones (pores), including blackheads (open comedones) and whiteheads (closed comedones), may also appear on the back.
- In more severe cases, back acne can form deep, painful cysts or nodules. These are larger and may lead to scarring.
- The affected areas of the back may become red and swollen due to inflammation caused by bacterial infection or irritation.
- Cystic acne and severe inflammation can cause pain and discomfort.
- Some people with back acne may experience severe itching in the affected areas.
Understanding the causes of back acne can help you choose the right treatment option. Learn more in the next section.
What Causes Back Acne?
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