Body acne
Acne does not only affect teenagers and it doesn’t only occur on the face. Body acne has the same physiopathogenic base as facial acne (acne vulgaris) and therefore it can occur anywhere on the body where there are sebaceous glands.
It is caused by excess sebum that is not absorbed or metabolised correctly by the skin. This may be because the cells are still in the maturing process or because there is an excessive production of sebum that has not been duly eliminated. As a result, this greater build-up of sebum can block the pores via which the skin secretes substances such as sweat or secondary products of metabolism. This causes inflammation, superinfection and typical acne lesions in different stages: blackheads, papules and pustules.
What causes this?
As with facial acne, it has a multifactorial pathogenesis. The most common causes are an increase in hormonal activity, poor hygiene, a genetic predisposition or exposure to contaminating agents. These factors can cause increased sebum production and therefore, the appearance of acne.
Despite facial acne having a greater aesthetic impact, it is important to remember that this variety of acne appears particularly in the summer.
Certain areas are more prone to body acne because physiologically they have a greater number of sebaceous glands:
- Back.
- Arms.
- Legs.
- Glutei.
Bear in mind that the skin on the body is thicker and therefore more resistant to lesions. Fewer clusters of small lesions will appear, but these may be deeper.
How to treat them.
The treatment is based on the same pillars as facial acne. However, corporal hygiene is particularly important.
- Washing: this is the main step to achieving a balance between sebum production-excretion. Wash your body at least twice a day, always with warm water and without scrubbing too much, to prevent inflammation around the lesions.
- Exfoliation: exfoliate your body 2-3 days per week to thoroughly cleanse your skin, eliminating dead cells from the stratum corneum and reducing the accumulation of oil.
- Hydration: many people believe that skin with acne does not require hydration, but this is false. The peeling effect caused by the products used to treat acne is very efficient. However, the effect must be alleviated by allowing a minimum lipid layer to be recovered that enables the beneficial skin barrier effect of the skin to be maintained. Therefore, an additional astringent hydrating treatment is recommended.
The best treatment: look after your skin
Given the importance of maintaining the balance between the oily content of the skin's surface as a determining factor in the appearance of acne, we recommend the following:
- Follow a good personal hygiene routine: shower whenever deemed necessary, particularly if it has been hot or you have sweated. Use a gentle, hypoallergenic soap with astringent properties. Dry your skin gently and change towels as often as possible.
- Avoid lesion superinfection: don’t touch the lesions and use clothing that doesn’t rub your skin.
- Be careful with the sun: lesions can improve initially as a result of the drying effect of the sun and seawater, but skin can them become inflamed because the basal layer increases the production of sebum.
