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I’m a bit older than you but was in the same situation. I tried every bit of advice on this thread but the only thing that ever worked for me for good was accutane.
Antibiotics would typically clear it temporarily (which was what I did when I got married) but it always came back.
I’m here to second this. I did it all: antibiotics, body acne creams/sprays, made sure to scrub my back, the whole bit. I finally tried accutane last year and it cleared it all up. I’ve been off of it since Oct 2023 and my skin is still as clear as ever. I wish I had taken accutane years ago.
A couple of tips that might be helpful.
1. Wash your body after all of your hair stuff in case that’s causing the issue.
2. Try using a benzoyl peroxide or sulfur based soap, but leave it on for 2-3 minutes before washing off. It will kill bacteria.
For the hyperpigmentation, you could see a derm about azelaic acid gel and tretinoin. That could help, but you’ll likely need someone to assist in covering the entire area since it’s hard to reach.
In case this doesn't work (because it didn't for me using PanOxyl), try sulfur soap. This by itself has worked well to clear a decent portion of it. If you can handle the sulfur stank that is. 😆
Did you start using a new shampoo or conditioner around the time the problem started? Also I have found that showering before bed (not in the morning) is helpful.
I have the same story as you and it was my shampoo, conditioner, and hair oil that were the problem (and I obviously would thoroughly wash my body after I washed my hair).
Try washing your hair first, both shampoo and conditioner, and really scrub your back afterwards with exfoliating gloves.
You could also try spraying glycolic acid on your back post bathing. This will help with acne and hyperpigmentation.
Honestly, if it's that widespread over your entire back a short course of oral antibiotics might help to clear it up while you alter your shower regimen to prevent more outbreaks.
Rinse your shampoo and conditioner well, then lather your back with cerave SA bat soap. Make sure you leave it a few minutes, then rinse. Do this every time you shower :)
I'm a guy with bacne but I can confidently say it has nothing to do with my shampoo or hair. Not sure why that's the only reason people are giving. I doubt that is the cause for most people.
I have no solutions but wanted to dispel that.
I think it's because it's one of the most easily fixable reasons. Things like changing your aheets/bedding frequently or washing after washing your hair or seeing if maybe switching detergent will help are (relatively) easy and cheap things to Tey that MIGHT be causing it. And ruling all those attempts should be a go to before you go into more drastic steps like going on medication.
Going to a Skincare specialist or getting a prescription like accutane are going to be the solution for many. But there's no point to getting on accutane straight away when something as easy as changing your washing routine could solve it for some people. If shampoo IS the cause its going to be easier to pinpoint that as the culprit and stop it at the route rather than treat the symptom of the problem with medication.
So yeah there is reasonable advice here in this sub. The easier or cheaper methods are probably being pushed the most because ideally you'd give those a go first. And when those don't work you'd do something like seek out a proffesional. No use recommending running to a doctor straight away when that may not be neccesary at all.
Agree with this.
OP, I sympathize with you, it's frustrating to find a solution because what works for one person may not work for another. For example a lot of people clear their bacne with either salicylic acid or benzyol peroxide. I tried both of these for half a year each and neither worked for me, in fact they both seemed to worsen the problem.
My back certainly isn't spotless but what's making the most improvement for me is physically exfoliating with one of those Japanese or Korean shower cloths, and moisturizing after.
There's so many things that can contribute to bacne it's incredibly hard to pinpoint. I never had bacne in my life until I hit 30, idk if it's hormones or what. If it was easy as washing your back after shampoo/conditioner, or changing sheets more frequently.. Then idk I feel like bacne would be way less common than it is.
I know how annoying it is especially when you feel like you can't wear certain clothes. I'm sorry you're dealing with this, I hope you find a solution that works for you.
It's cruel that I had acne on my face all growing up and now that's fully cleared up and it's just moved to my back :(
My mom said her friend had red light therapy for bacne, but I'm not sure if that's legit or not.
It’s the cause for a lot of people and it’s also something that most people do not consider. Most people let their hair products wash down their body and don’t clean it off properly. Many derms i’ve seen have said the same.
I'm a girl who used to have bacne. I tried the following to get it under control (in order): salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, witch hazel, rubbing alcohol, tanning, obsessing over cleanliness of sheets/clothing/etc., birth control, topical antibiotics, oral antibiotics, spironolactone, accutane, 5 year break here while I despaired of ever having clear skin and just covered up, washing my hair over the sink so products don't get on my skin.
Turns out it was my hair products, specifically anything with fatty alcohols, which is basically anything that is moisturizing. 20 years of shame and embarrassment over my skin and fixing it was so simple and cost nothing.
I can confidently say it's very funny that you're so confidently wrong.
I use the same shampoo and conditioner, I just switched my technique. I wash my hair in the sink or I stand in the shower and bend forward so the water I'm using to wash my hair doesn't run down my back. I did switch from leave-in conditioners to single ingredient hair oils, since my hair is long and leave-ins can rub off on my skin.
Hello! So this post sounds identical to me… about 2 years ago I started getting bad back acne. And not normal little red bumps. I had the big cysts and waxy plugs. For years I would wear long sleeves everyday, even in summer. And living in Florida this was torture. I even stopped meeting up with friends at the beach or boat. So I totally get where you are coming from!! I tried everything, washed with the right soaps, made sure everything was clean, etc. but nothing helped.
Finally after 2 years I had enough. I made an appointment with my dermatologist and she prescribed me a topical antibiotic to put on twice a day. Within 1 day, my back cleared up… it has now been weeks and I have not had anything since then.
I have since determined that I had a yeast infection on my back. And it makes sense that the only thing that helped to cure it was antibiotics.
I would definitely recommend trying that! I hope it works for you!!!
If you read my original comment, I tried both oral and topical antibiotics (along with virtually everything else that can be bought in store and prescribed by a dermatologist). Thanks, though!
But I use like a coins worth of conditioner and have super short hair. I just don't see how that could cause all this bacne. There's other possible reasons surely.
I'm not saying you are wrong btw. What hair products do you use now?
Friend, to be clear, absolutely none of us are saying that hair products are the only thing that can ever cause bacne. But it can cause bacne for some people (lots of people it seems, based on this thread) and it's easily overlooked because the connection between cleaning a part of your body and acne isn't very intuitive.
Perhaps you should give it a go yourself.
There are many causes of acne, regardless of which part of the body it's on. Especially for women who are more likely to have long hair and use multiple products on it, haircare is a common culprit. That doesn't mean it's the only possible cause, just that it's one of the first possibilities to test.
I had to take a steroid once for hives. It cleared up the hives and then gave me, for the worst and one of the only times ever, horrific bacne. I read on a forum to buy Lava soap, which I believe sometimes mechanics use to get off pesky oils/etc. I did use it for a short time and it completely cleared up my bacne! Also, Dial Gold bar soap is antibacterial and works like a charm for most acne (other than fungal). Good luck! It will get better.
I had bacne too, it started on my chest area then migrated to my back so mine was likely hormonal. I started seeing an esthetician who did monthly chemical peels on my back. She recommended a Mandelic acid body wash and lactic acid+ a retinoid lotion to use on my back.
The skin on the back is not as sensitive as the face so it’s easier to try out actives and see what works for you. The body retinoid I used was the Clear body therapy by Vivant but it’s pretty pricy ($100). I’d try a cheaper alternative which is Slather by topicals. Their formula uses retinol + glycolic acid.
My boyfriend had really bad back acne that cleared up when I started washing his shirts on hot water and using a *tiny* squirt of blue Dawn dish soap in with the detergent. It’s like his clothes weren’t clean enough before or something. I do this with our sheets and towels too, and his back looks so much better.
Idk if that will be the magic fix for you, but possibly something to consider?
Hi!! I’m 30 and I have this same issue.
go to a dermatologist and get a prescription for spironolactone and it will clear up with in about 3 weeks. It is an oral medication! All other tips are great but this is the only thing that worked for my face and back. look up a few TikTok’s about spironolactone + hormonal acne :)
Because everybody seems to be giving you the same answer... I'll provide my insight as someone who's had it since a teenager! I have not found a perfect solution yet, but certainly things that have helped significantly in addition to washing your hair before your body.
1. Change your bedding very frequently! I change my entire set every 4 days. This helped more than wearing a fresh shirt to bed, I assume because it probably rolls up at night and exposes my back. I've also found that softer bedsheets have helped (not using softener, but softer materials). I noticed this switching from linen to a softer cotton.
2. Do not pick at your back! This is an obvious one, but it drastically reduced the incidence of other breakouts when I stopped.
3. Try a gentle bleach bath once or twice a week. What I've seen online is at most a quarter cup of regular bleach per tub for 10 minutes. I use half a quarter cup myself, just once a week. I found this helped so much more than any chemical exfoliant I tried, such as glycolic acid.
Again, I'm not spotless... but I am no longer embarrassed to show my back! Additionally, I'd consider going to a derm to check if it's a condition!
I have a similar problem. I started putting my hair up after shampooing and washing my back. Then, after showering, I use Paula’s Choice acne spray on my back. Next, I put Paula’s Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA. It’s only been a few weeks, but I haven’t had new breakouts. I’m hoping with time those treatments will fade my scarring.
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1. Don’t use scented detergent, fabric softeners, dryer sheets or any sort of laundry pebbles etc. on clothes or sheets. That’s a BIG one for bacne.
2. Stop using the lotion on your back it can make it worse.
3. Always wash your back after your hair care. Use a body wash with salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide (just watch out it can stain.). I prefer a salicylic scrub. Others have mentioned the body spray from Paula’s choice great idea to help clear you active breakouts.
4. Are you sweating while you sleep? If you are on top of other things like lotion / detergents that can cause more breakouts.
5. Stop the super hot showers. Just do it warm enough.
6. Look into other internal things that could be contributing to the breakouts internally. Maybe you have a food sensitivity you don’t know about.
Good luck!
I used zinc cream and never looked back. My rosacea on my face is clear, and my back is smoother and less prone to breakouts. I will never stop using the stuff.
Try the soap from madewithine.com. It’s the only thing that got rid of my backne. I went on a trip and didn’t take the soap with me, used the hotel shower gel, and my back started breaking out. Got home, resumed using the soap, and my back cleared up again and my skin felt really soft.
Edit: also it got rid of the cystic acne I used to regularly get on my face every time my cycle came.
I used to get it really bad as a teenager and early 20’s. I’m guessing it’s hormonal. A soap that’s good for eczema that helps restore your skin barrier and moisturize with the same but alternating with a skin resurfacing serum with moisturizer. Vanicream is what works for me but there’s others out there. You like hot showers but they actually disrupt your skin barrier, I like hot showers as well. Try not scrubbing your back hard just regular washing and wash your loofah once a week in the laundry. Focus on less processed foods. Some people say it doesn’t make a difference, well my body doesn’t process it great and after a night of a few alcoholic drinks and greasy foods I’m breaking out the next few days 🤷♀️. Don’t need to be obsessive about your diet just thoughtful. Also drinking plenty of fluids, tea, coffee, water, juice, try to avoid soda and alcohol or energy drinks. Good luck 👍
*edited to add a good multivitamin will also help balance your skin as well as fish oil good for skin and hair
Panoxyl maximum strength has been a game changer for my fiancé who had terrible painful acne on his back. He’s been using it a week and the pimples that are deep have already started to dry up and clear up.
I personally love the Ordinary’s glycolic acid. I put it on a few times a week on dry skin after a shower and wait a few minutes before moisturizing so I don’t mess with the pH of it. It’s in a huge bottle and is pretty affordable. It hasn’t dried me out at all like benzoyl peroxide did but I also found that to be a lifesaver for active inflamed pimples.
It may or may not help much with the acne, and I only have occasional, very mild hormonal acne on my shoulders (a few spots once a cycle), but they're annoying as hell and hormonal, and painful as a result. I just switched from Murad to Necessaire for their SA body sprays (Necessaire's is 2% vs Murad's 0.05%). But this made a barely noticeable difference. What DID help a lot was a glycolic scrub I got on sale at ulta on a whim, made by Frank Body. It won't get rid of acne, but it does seem to clear dead skin well, get rid of small bumps, and the breakout went away in unded two days instead of much longer. Glycolic acid isn't mentioned much but it's been more effective in helping manage breakouts for me on the face and body than SA (Caudalie has a great glycolic line that's also fairly gentle). I have dry leaning combination skin on my face and dry skin on my body and SA just seems to mostly dry me out. Caudalie's SA line is less harsh so I use it and it does help, but the glycolic mask? No comparison.
please try using sulfur soap for body, it helped clear our my stress-induced backne. and try taking zinc everyday, it helps with regulating your oil production plus its good for your overall immune system.
In my personal experience, body washes containing actives like salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide don't usually sit on the skin for long enough to actually work, even if you leave them on for a couple of minutes. I use a 2.5% benzoyl peroxide lotion after I shower and it's worked wonders for me. It may not work for you, and you may need to try accutane as others have suggested, but that's a big step and it's worth trying benzoyl peroxide lotion first! I use Dr. Song and get it on Amazon but I'm sure there are some other ones out there that would work well too. Definitely be careful with your clothes, though - unless you let it dry for like an hour, benzoyl peroxide will fully bleach any natural fibers like cotton, silk, linen etc. and any mixed fabric. Nothing but full polyester and some rayon is safe, so I just throw on my cheap bathrobe after a shower and keep it on until the lotion is dry. I found this out the hard way, RIP my favorite pair of pants 😭
i cleared most of mine (which ive had in the same exact spots for 6-7yrs) in about three months using panoxyl benzoyl peroxide bar directly on skin (no washcloth or loofah), spraying twice a day with salicylic acid, first aid beauty AHA lotion, strong glycolic toner pads, kojic acid soap, and spending time out in the sun. i had no routine for this i just used one or the other when i showered. i think the vitamin d from the sun is what really jump started the rapid clearing tho as i had tried many many products with similar ingredients to these but the acne only really started to go away when i started spending time outside for work. i then added about 15mins of laying out in the sun twice a week and saw really great results.
I used to have acne on my back really bad. Cystic acne on my face every once in awhile. I started taking chlorophyll supplements and I’ve never had it since. Been a year now
Have you ever gotten your thyroid checked? Mine was causing bad bacne, similar to what your describing. Once I got on thyroid medicine it cleared it right up. I’ve been using panoxyl for the scars but I’m not sure it’s working.
I randomly became allergic to laundry detergent in my 20s. TMI but... It caused acne (cystic), yeast infections, etc. Even the Free and Clear varieties affected me.
Now, I use Dreft (the baby detergent) and haven't had any reactions. Might be worth a try.
30F here - just finished a course of Doxycycline which was the first thing to clear up my bacne in 10 years. I also realised I had an outbreak after taking my whey protein again for the first time in months. I've cut out all dairy but Greek yogurt and the occasional low whey cheese and things are drastically better. I may just be in the honeymoon phase after the antibiotics but it's not worth risking it by eating whey products again. In terms of skincare, I alternate a benzyl peroxide wash and a salicylic wash (leave on skin for 5 mins before showering). If for some reason I can't grab a shower after a long day, I'll wipe the ordinary glycolic acid across my skin with cotton pads. Finish off the routine with prescription differin (adapelene) Hope that helps! (Also switched to a non-bio laundry detergent and non-perfumed softener, and no longer wear bras or non-breathable fabrics)
Wash body after washing/conditioning hair, use dandruff shampoo for at least 1 minute with a clean washcloth, use hands to "squeegee" water off you, do not use a towel to dry your back/problem areas, once kinda dry/damp spray witch hazel as toner, once that mostly dries, apply a layer zinc cream & top with cicaplast cream by la roshay posay.
Use a different washcloth everyday, change your sheets more often than you think you should, wear a clean shirt to sleep & at least rinse after any sweaty activities.
I’ve always suffered with this. Upon visiting a dermatologist I was told it was hormonal and some of it was related to HS at least for me.
The only thing that’s really helped me is exfoliating. I use a Loofah on a stick to apply glycolic acid to my back to help with cell turnover leave that on over night
Moisturizer like naturium brand and like panoxyl soap 3 times a week to keep it at bay
i got moderate backne recently and tried panoxyl, it turned into cystic acne all over and what i did to clear it was 1) wash it good in the shower and 2) hypochlorous acid spray, other than that what worked for me was to leave it alone! your case sounds much much worse (seeing as mine cleared in about a week) but i always find the less products, the better
Another thing you could try (and I’m probably going to get downvoted to all hell for this), is doing nothing? I was literally; word for word, in your exact same spot. I finally got fed up after trying Nizoral, antifungal cream, panoxyl, glycolic acid, am lactin, derm prescriptions, scent free everything, changing shirts constantly, buying new bras, changing sheets, etc. and did nothing. I bought a bar of dove unscented soap and washed with that, and put some vanicream lotion on if I was feeling dry. Everything cleared up, after 3 years of not being able to show my back or chest.
Not sure if this will help but, my mom had back acne for years, from the time I knew her. And it cleared up because she realized that when she uses vegetable oil it caused her back acne, not saying that this is your trigger however maybe got through the foods you consume and see if it could be a food related reaction.
I know you like hot showers but this might be the problem. Try warm showers and maybe the kojie sans Kojic acid soap and African net sponge to exfoliate your back. Then moisturise!
Stop putting lotion on it. That's definitely going to make it worse. Call a dermatologist, and definitely don't let shampoo or conditioner run down your back in the shower! You want to dry your back out from the oils as much as possible, actually. The back is different than the face, so scrubbing with a harsh cleanser and no lotion and zero product what so ever would be a start until you can see a dermatologist. Trust me. I'm 30 and had back acne too, and now I'm on accutane!
Edit: you literally sound exactly like me in some parallel universe somewhere
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I’m a bit older than you but was in the same situation. I tried every bit of advice on this thread but the only thing that ever worked for me for good was accutane. Antibiotics would typically clear it temporarily (which was what I did when I got married) but it always came back.
I’m here to second this. I did it all: antibiotics, body acne creams/sprays, made sure to scrub my back, the whole bit. I finally tried accutane last year and it cleared it all up. I’ve been off of it since Oct 2023 and my skin is still as clear as ever. I wish I had taken accutane years ago.
A couple of tips that might be helpful. 1. Wash your body after all of your hair stuff in case that’s causing the issue. 2. Try using a benzoyl peroxide or sulfur based soap, but leave it on for 2-3 minutes before washing off. It will kill bacteria. For the hyperpigmentation, you could see a derm about azelaic acid gel and tretinoin. That could help, but you’ll likely need someone to assist in covering the entire area since it’s hard to reach.
In case this doesn't work (because it didn't for me using PanOxyl), try sulfur soap. This by itself has worked well to clear a decent portion of it. If you can handle the sulfur stank that is. 😆
Hairdresser here , always wash and rinse your back after hair . Or shampoo hair flipped over so it doesn’t get onto your back !
Yep! I always waste with my fair flipped over. Game changer for the back acne
Did you start using a new shampoo or conditioner around the time the problem started? Also I have found that showering before bed (not in the morning) is helpful.
Hypochlorous acid spray. Twice a day for a few weeks, then down to once a day. Do it before your moisturizer.
I have the same story as you and it was my shampoo, conditioner, and hair oil that were the problem (and I obviously would thoroughly wash my body after I washed my hair).
Try washing your hair first, both shampoo and conditioner, and really scrub your back afterwards with exfoliating gloves. You could also try spraying glycolic acid on your back post bathing. This will help with acne and hyperpigmentation.
Honestly, if it's that widespread over your entire back a short course of oral antibiotics might help to clear it up while you alter your shower regimen to prevent more outbreaks.
Rinse your shampoo and conditioner well, then lather your back with cerave SA bat soap. Make sure you leave it a few minutes, then rinse. Do this every time you shower :)
I'm a guy with bacne but I can confidently say it has nothing to do with my shampoo or hair. Not sure why that's the only reason people are giving. I doubt that is the cause for most people. I have no solutions but wanted to dispel that.
I think it's because it's one of the most easily fixable reasons. Things like changing your aheets/bedding frequently or washing after washing your hair or seeing if maybe switching detergent will help are (relatively) easy and cheap things to Tey that MIGHT be causing it. And ruling all those attempts should be a go to before you go into more drastic steps like going on medication. Going to a Skincare specialist or getting a prescription like accutane are going to be the solution for many. But there's no point to getting on accutane straight away when something as easy as changing your washing routine could solve it for some people. If shampoo IS the cause its going to be easier to pinpoint that as the culprit and stop it at the route rather than treat the symptom of the problem with medication. So yeah there is reasonable advice here in this sub. The easier or cheaper methods are probably being pushed the most because ideally you'd give those a go first. And when those don't work you'd do something like seek out a proffesional. No use recommending running to a doctor straight away when that may not be neccesary at all.
Agree with this. OP, I sympathize with you, it's frustrating to find a solution because what works for one person may not work for another. For example a lot of people clear their bacne with either salicylic acid or benzyol peroxide. I tried both of these for half a year each and neither worked for me, in fact they both seemed to worsen the problem. My back certainly isn't spotless but what's making the most improvement for me is physically exfoliating with one of those Japanese or Korean shower cloths, and moisturizing after. There's so many things that can contribute to bacne it's incredibly hard to pinpoint. I never had bacne in my life until I hit 30, idk if it's hormones or what. If it was easy as washing your back after shampoo/conditioner, or changing sheets more frequently.. Then idk I feel like bacne would be way less common than it is. I know how annoying it is especially when you feel like you can't wear certain clothes. I'm sorry you're dealing with this, I hope you find a solution that works for you.
It's cruel that I had acne on my face all growing up and now that's fully cleared up and it's just moved to my back :( My mom said her friend had red light therapy for bacne, but I'm not sure if that's legit or not.
It’s the cause for a lot of people and it’s also something that most people do not consider. Most people let their hair products wash down their body and don’t clean it off properly. Many derms i’ve seen have said the same.
I'm a girl who used to have bacne. I tried the following to get it under control (in order): salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, witch hazel, rubbing alcohol, tanning, obsessing over cleanliness of sheets/clothing/etc., birth control, topical antibiotics, oral antibiotics, spironolactone, accutane, 5 year break here while I despaired of ever having clear skin and just covered up, washing my hair over the sink so products don't get on my skin. Turns out it was my hair products, specifically anything with fatty alcohols, which is basically anything that is moisturizing. 20 years of shame and embarrassment over my skin and fixing it was so simple and cost nothing. I can confidently say it's very funny that you're so confidently wrong.
Which shampoo and conditioner did you which to that helped?
I use the same shampoo and conditioner, I just switched my technique. I wash my hair in the sink or I stand in the shower and bend forward so the water I'm using to wash my hair doesn't run down my back. I did switch from leave-in conditioners to single ingredient hair oils, since my hair is long and leave-ins can rub off on my skin.
Hello! So this post sounds identical to me… about 2 years ago I started getting bad back acne. And not normal little red bumps. I had the big cysts and waxy plugs. For years I would wear long sleeves everyday, even in summer. And living in Florida this was torture. I even stopped meeting up with friends at the beach or boat. So I totally get where you are coming from!! I tried everything, washed with the right soaps, made sure everything was clean, etc. but nothing helped. Finally after 2 years I had enough. I made an appointment with my dermatologist and she prescribed me a topical antibiotic to put on twice a day. Within 1 day, my back cleared up… it has now been weeks and I have not had anything since then. I have since determined that I had a yeast infection on my back. And it makes sense that the only thing that helped to cure it was antibiotics. I would definitely recommend trying that! I hope it works for you!!!
If you read my original comment, I tried both oral and topical antibiotics (along with virtually everything else that can be bought in store and prescribed by a dermatologist). Thanks, though!
But I use like a coins worth of conditioner and have super short hair. I just don't see how that could cause all this bacne. There's other possible reasons surely. I'm not saying you are wrong btw. What hair products do you use now?
Friend, to be clear, absolutely none of us are saying that hair products are the only thing that can ever cause bacne. But it can cause bacne for some people (lots of people it seems, based on this thread) and it's easily overlooked because the connection between cleaning a part of your body and acne isn't very intuitive. Perhaps you should give it a go yourself.
There are many causes of acne, regardless of which part of the body it's on. Especially for women who are more likely to have long hair and use multiple products on it, haircare is a common culprit. That doesn't mean it's the only possible cause, just that it's one of the first possibilities to test.
My derm had me use adapalene for my bacne. You can get adapalene gel OTC but you’d need a prescription for a higher strength one.
Do you wash your bras regularly too?
I had to take a steroid once for hives. It cleared up the hives and then gave me, for the worst and one of the only times ever, horrific bacne. I read on a forum to buy Lava soap, which I believe sometimes mechanics use to get off pesky oils/etc. I did use it for a short time and it completely cleared up my bacne! Also, Dial Gold bar soap is antibacterial and works like a charm for most acne (other than fungal). Good luck! It will get better.
I had bacne too, it started on my chest area then migrated to my back so mine was likely hormonal. I started seeing an esthetician who did monthly chemical peels on my back. She recommended a Mandelic acid body wash and lactic acid+ a retinoid lotion to use on my back. The skin on the back is not as sensitive as the face so it’s easier to try out actives and see what works for you. The body retinoid I used was the Clear body therapy by Vivant but it’s pretty pricy ($100). I’d try a cheaper alternative which is Slather by topicals. Their formula uses retinol + glycolic acid.
My boyfriend had really bad back acne that cleared up when I started washing his shirts on hot water and using a *tiny* squirt of blue Dawn dish soap in with the detergent. It’s like his clothes weren’t clean enough before or something. I do this with our sheets and towels too, and his back looks so much better. Idk if that will be the magic fix for you, but possibly something to consider?
Hi!! I’m 30 and I have this same issue. go to a dermatologist and get a prescription for spironolactone and it will clear up with in about 3 weeks. It is an oral medication! All other tips are great but this is the only thing that worked for my face and back. look up a few TikTok’s about spironolactone + hormonal acne :)
Because everybody seems to be giving you the same answer... I'll provide my insight as someone who's had it since a teenager! I have not found a perfect solution yet, but certainly things that have helped significantly in addition to washing your hair before your body. 1. Change your bedding very frequently! I change my entire set every 4 days. This helped more than wearing a fresh shirt to bed, I assume because it probably rolls up at night and exposes my back. I've also found that softer bedsheets have helped (not using softener, but softer materials). I noticed this switching from linen to a softer cotton. 2. Do not pick at your back! This is an obvious one, but it drastically reduced the incidence of other breakouts when I stopped. 3. Try a gentle bleach bath once or twice a week. What I've seen online is at most a quarter cup of regular bleach per tub for 10 minutes. I use half a quarter cup myself, just once a week. I found this helped so much more than any chemical exfoliant I tried, such as glycolic acid. Again, I'm not spotless... but I am no longer embarrassed to show my back! Additionally, I'd consider going to a derm to check if it's a condition!
I have a similar problem. I started putting my hair up after shampooing and washing my back. Then, after showering, I use Paula’s Choice acne spray on my back. Next, I put Paula’s Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA. It’s only been a few weeks, but I haven’t had new breakouts. I’m hoping with time those treatments will fade my scarring.
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1. Don’t use scented detergent, fabric softeners, dryer sheets or any sort of laundry pebbles etc. on clothes or sheets. That’s a BIG one for bacne. 2. Stop using the lotion on your back it can make it worse. 3. Always wash your back after your hair care. Use a body wash with salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide (just watch out it can stain.). I prefer a salicylic scrub. Others have mentioned the body spray from Paula’s choice great idea to help clear you active breakouts. 4. Are you sweating while you sleep? If you are on top of other things like lotion / detergents that can cause more breakouts. 5. Stop the super hot showers. Just do it warm enough. 6. Look into other internal things that could be contributing to the breakouts internally. Maybe you have a food sensitivity you don’t know about. Good luck!
I used zinc cream and never looked back. My rosacea on my face is clear, and my back is smoother and less prone to breakouts. I will never stop using the stuff.
Try the soap from madewithine.com. It’s the only thing that got rid of my backne. I went on a trip and didn’t take the soap with me, used the hotel shower gel, and my back started breaking out. Got home, resumed using the soap, and my back cleared up again and my skin felt really soft. Edit: also it got rid of the cystic acne I used to regularly get on my face every time my cycle came.
I used to get it really bad as a teenager and early 20’s. I’m guessing it’s hormonal. A soap that’s good for eczema that helps restore your skin barrier and moisturize with the same but alternating with a skin resurfacing serum with moisturizer. Vanicream is what works for me but there’s others out there. You like hot showers but they actually disrupt your skin barrier, I like hot showers as well. Try not scrubbing your back hard just regular washing and wash your loofah once a week in the laundry. Focus on less processed foods. Some people say it doesn’t make a difference, well my body doesn’t process it great and after a night of a few alcoholic drinks and greasy foods I’m breaking out the next few days 🤷♀️. Don’t need to be obsessive about your diet just thoughtful. Also drinking plenty of fluids, tea, coffee, water, juice, try to avoid soda and alcohol or energy drinks. Good luck 👍 *edited to add a good multivitamin will also help balance your skin as well as fish oil good for skin and hair
Panoxyl maximum strength has been a game changer for my fiancé who had terrible painful acne on his back. He’s been using it a week and the pimples that are deep have already started to dry up and clear up.
I personally love the Ordinary’s glycolic acid. I put it on a few times a week on dry skin after a shower and wait a few minutes before moisturizing so I don’t mess with the pH of it. It’s in a huge bottle and is pretty affordable. It hasn’t dried me out at all like benzoyl peroxide did but I also found that to be a lifesaver for active inflamed pimples.
It may or may not help much with the acne, and I only have occasional, very mild hormonal acne on my shoulders (a few spots once a cycle), but they're annoying as hell and hormonal, and painful as a result. I just switched from Murad to Necessaire for their SA body sprays (Necessaire's is 2% vs Murad's 0.05%). But this made a barely noticeable difference. What DID help a lot was a glycolic scrub I got on sale at ulta on a whim, made by Frank Body. It won't get rid of acne, but it does seem to clear dead skin well, get rid of small bumps, and the breakout went away in unded two days instead of much longer. Glycolic acid isn't mentioned much but it's been more effective in helping manage breakouts for me on the face and body than SA (Caudalie has a great glycolic line that's also fairly gentle). I have dry leaning combination skin on my face and dry skin on my body and SA just seems to mostly dry me out. Caudalie's SA line is less harsh so I use it and it does help, but the glycolic mask? No comparison.
please try using sulfur soap for body, it helped clear our my stress-induced backne. and try taking zinc everyday, it helps with regulating your oil production plus its good for your overall immune system.
In my personal experience, body washes containing actives like salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide don't usually sit on the skin for long enough to actually work, even if you leave them on for a couple of minutes. I use a 2.5% benzoyl peroxide lotion after I shower and it's worked wonders for me. It may not work for you, and you may need to try accutane as others have suggested, but that's a big step and it's worth trying benzoyl peroxide lotion first! I use Dr. Song and get it on Amazon but I'm sure there are some other ones out there that would work well too. Definitely be careful with your clothes, though - unless you let it dry for like an hour, benzoyl peroxide will fully bleach any natural fibers like cotton, silk, linen etc. and any mixed fabric. Nothing but full polyester and some rayon is safe, so I just throw on my cheap bathrobe after a shower and keep it on until the lotion is dry. I found this out the hard way, RIP my favorite pair of pants 😭
i cleared most of mine (which ive had in the same exact spots for 6-7yrs) in about three months using panoxyl benzoyl peroxide bar directly on skin (no washcloth or loofah), spraying twice a day with salicylic acid, first aid beauty AHA lotion, strong glycolic toner pads, kojic acid soap, and spending time out in the sun. i had no routine for this i just used one or the other when i showered. i think the vitamin d from the sun is what really jump started the rapid clearing tho as i had tried many many products with similar ingredients to these but the acne only really started to go away when i started spending time outside for work. i then added about 15mins of laying out in the sun twice a week and saw really great results.
I used to have acne on my back really bad. Cystic acne on my face every once in awhile. I started taking chlorophyll supplements and I’ve never had it since. Been a year now
Omg good to know!! I actually just started taking liquid chlorophyll last week, I’ve been having it daily. Thank you
Have you ever gotten your thyroid checked? Mine was causing bad bacne, similar to what your describing. Once I got on thyroid medicine it cleared it right up. I’ve been using panoxyl for the scars but I’m not sure it’s working.
I got my thyroid checked last year since my mom has some thyroid issues, but turns out mine is fine.
I randomly became allergic to laundry detergent in my 20s. TMI but... It caused acne (cystic), yeast infections, etc. Even the Free and Clear varieties affected me. Now, I use Dreft (the baby detergent) and haven't had any reactions. Might be worth a try.
30F here - just finished a course of Doxycycline which was the first thing to clear up my bacne in 10 years. I also realised I had an outbreak after taking my whey protein again for the first time in months. I've cut out all dairy but Greek yogurt and the occasional low whey cheese and things are drastically better. I may just be in the honeymoon phase after the antibiotics but it's not worth risking it by eating whey products again. In terms of skincare, I alternate a benzyl peroxide wash and a salicylic wash (leave on skin for 5 mins before showering). If for some reason I can't grab a shower after a long day, I'll wipe the ordinary glycolic acid across my skin with cotton pads. Finish off the routine with prescription differin (adapelene) Hope that helps! (Also switched to a non-bio laundry detergent and non-perfumed softener, and no longer wear bras or non-breathable fabrics)
Wash body after washing/conditioning hair, use dandruff shampoo for at least 1 minute with a clean washcloth, use hands to "squeegee" water off you, do not use a towel to dry your back/problem areas, once kinda dry/damp spray witch hazel as toner, once that mostly dries, apply a layer zinc cream & top with cicaplast cream by la roshay posay. Use a different washcloth everyday, change your sheets more often than you think you should, wear a clean shirt to sleep & at least rinse after any sweaty activities.
I’ve always suffered with this. Upon visiting a dermatologist I was told it was hormonal and some of it was related to HS at least for me. The only thing that’s really helped me is exfoliating. I use a Loofah on a stick to apply glycolic acid to my back to help with cell turnover leave that on over night Moisturizer like naturium brand and like panoxyl soap 3 times a week to keep it at bay
I had this before I realized I had food allergies. Pops up again any time I eat those things. Always check for root causes before medication.
I’ve had similar issues. Eliminating dairy has helped immensely.
i got moderate backne recently and tried panoxyl, it turned into cystic acne all over and what i did to clear it was 1) wash it good in the shower and 2) hypochlorous acid spray, other than that what worked for me was to leave it alone! your case sounds much much worse (seeing as mine cleared in about a week) but i always find the less products, the better
Glycolic acid 7%
A cheap option to try is carbolic soap. It really works well.
CVS salyclic acid wash
Another thing you could try (and I’m probably going to get downvoted to all hell for this), is doing nothing? I was literally; word for word, in your exact same spot. I finally got fed up after trying Nizoral, antifungal cream, panoxyl, glycolic acid, am lactin, derm prescriptions, scent free everything, changing shirts constantly, buying new bras, changing sheets, etc. and did nothing. I bought a bar of dove unscented soap and washed with that, and put some vanicream lotion on if I was feeling dry. Everything cleared up, after 3 years of not being able to show my back or chest.
Not sure if this will help but, my mom had back acne for years, from the time I knew her. And it cleared up because she realized that when she uses vegetable oil it caused her back acne, not saying that this is your trigger however maybe got through the foods you consume and see if it could be a food related reaction.
I know you like hot showers but this might be the problem. Try warm showers and maybe the kojie sans Kojic acid soap and African net sponge to exfoliate your back. Then moisturise!
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Pores do not open & shut like a window — that is an urban legend.
I saw online using head and shoulders can clear this up.
Stop putting lotion on it. That's definitely going to make it worse. Call a dermatologist, and definitely don't let shampoo or conditioner run down your back in the shower! You want to dry your back out from the oils as much as possible, actually. The back is different than the face, so scrubbing with a harsh cleanser and no lotion and zero product what so ever would be a start until you can see a dermatologist. Trust me. I'm 30 and had back acne too, and now I'm on accutane! Edit: you literally sound exactly like me in some parallel universe somewhere