Body / Chest ... Acne?

[cssuper]

Hey Guys.... I am 23, but sometimes I look in the mirror and feel 13.

I have body acne on my upper chest and back. It's not AWFUL, but is just enough to be kinda gross and unsightly. It also doesn't help that I have super fair skin. Anyone know of any natural/home cures? I have heard people say "drink lots of water" or whatever, but that doesnt seem to be enough... plus I don't ever drink enough water.

Also, Does it help to sweat? I am a bit out of shape too, and thought that maybe I have acne because I don't exercise, and sweat, enough.

I shave my nipples and chest (what little grows on them), and would really like to WANT to take my shirt off to show a smooth upper body...

Tips? Tricks? Things that worked for you?

Thanks a bunch!

 

[SexyGuy]

Hmmm. Well, my first question is going to be, do you have normal, oily, dry, or combination skin? Usually with the back and chest it is normal or dry or combo of both. Also, what is the acne; meaning, is it blackheads, whiteheads, pustules, etc?

 

[eck1964]

I have the same problem on my chest and shoulders. I'm not smooth; not really hairy but it doesn't help the problem. I find that washing my chest very well with a facial cleanser containing Salicylic Acid, 1% or 2% does the trick. If the problem is bad you might also try mixing a drop or two of tea tree oil into a non-comedogenic moisturizer and then rubbing that into the area before bed and in the morning. It clears things up nicely for me in 7 - 10 days. Every case is different, I'm sure, but it's worth a try.

 

[cssuper]

Hmmm. Well, my first question is going to be, do you have normal, oily, dry, or combination skin? Usually with the back and chest it is normal or dry or combo of both. Also, what is the acne; meaning, is it blackheads, whiteheads, pustules, etc?

Well, it's not terribly oily... then again, I don't know what to compare it to. Yes, blackheads and whiteheads... Blackheads are usually not raised while the whiteheads are raised and red (well, duh... its a mini-infection).

 

[loppyears]

I just use simple methods to get rid of mine. Take regular showers, wash body with soap then close pores with a cold shower. A light body moisturizer might help as well. Though this doesn't help my face which is covered in them

 

[drhladnjak]

Acne has a lot of triggers. Diet and stress play a role beyond more well known things such as skin hygene. Seeing a dermatologist or even just a regular physician is a good start if you're looking for solutions. Home remedies like drinking a lot of water don't tend to do much. Getting some sun tends to help a lot of people though, which may or may not be easy given your light complexion or location.

 

[Eternaldarkness]

hehehe, Sweating does nothing to acne. Acne is a problem of sebaceous glands. These glands produce sebum and sebum is totally different to sweat. Sebum is more of lipids and is in no way connected with sweat glands. This sebum gets blocked in sebaceous glands and causes acne. Trying to sweat more will not help clear the sebaceous glands.

Water helps maintain clear and healthy skin. The problem is simply you refuse to believe more water is better. Stay away from fried foods. When it comes to diet it is advisable to eliminate oily and fried stuff, fish and iodized salt. Too much consumption of iodine exacerbates the acne.


Take more showers regularly. When you clean yourself and sebaceous pores, you will get rid of the sebum and will prevent acne.

Last but not least, even though dirt, pollution and oil in the exterior part of the skin do not cause acne, it could worsen the situation by blocking the pores. Completely stay away and avoid any alcohol-base lotions or creams!

 

[bostonboy20]

ugh i have this problem too....i use the Netrogena Body Clear body wash....doesn't really do much i find....I just started moisturizing my body to see if that'll help cause It's seemed to help my face some.

I have a question that goes along w/ acne....how do you shrink your pores on your face cause on the tops of my cheeks and my nose my pores are huge and very visible ...how do i get them to shrink and not be so noticable?

 

[marstons123]

I have this. but it doesnt bother me so i don't bother with it but what you should do is buy a anti fungal/ bodywash and SCRUB hard with a flanel or loufer thingie to get the head off the spot and then use the bodywash normally after that (you dont need to scrub all the time)

 

[Blueyes]

I just use simple methods to get rid of mine. Take regular showers, wash body with soap then close pores with a cold shower. A light body moisturizer might help as well. Though this doesn't help my face which is covered in them

is it important to wash with cold water before applying moisturizer?

 

[marstons123]

is it important to wash with cold water before applying moisturizer?

no a hot shower will open pores and remove dirt etc a cold shower closes pores you can apply moisturiser anytime.

 

[nate78]

ugh i have this problem too....i use the Netrogena Body Clear body wash....doesn't really do much i find....I just started moisturizing my body to see if that'll help cause It's seemed to help my face some.

I have a question that goes along w/ acne....how do you shrink your pores on your face cause on the tops of my cheeks and my nose my pores are huge and very visible ...how do i get them to shrink and not be so noticable?

Hello, hello. Please don't use Neutrogena products, they test on animals!!

 

[okstatecowboy]

Do you have pinkish/red cheeks and/or nose? Dry skin on the forehead and/or ears, with a oily nose? And do the spots appear more with stress -also causing your ears to itch?

If so, you have Rosacea, a somewhat common skin ailment. Talk to a dermatologist; there are numerous prescriptions that can help control the problem. Minocycline controls mine, one pill a week.

mikey

 

[SexyGuy]

Well, it's not terribly oily... then again, I don't know what to compare it to. Yes, blackheads and whiteheads... Blackheads are usually not raised while the whiteheads are raised and red (well, duh... its a mini-infection).

Okay, I would try showering more, use a soap that isn't drying (for example, I use this soap on my face and body: http://www.burtsbees.com/webapp/wcs...165&langId=-1&categoryId=&showSubCategory=yes and so far, most of my acne is gone. There are still some bumps here and there, but oh well. I would also suggest to look at your diet, and exercise. By improving both, you are detoxifying your body as well...

.... Stay away from fried foods. When it comes to diet it is advisable to eliminate oily and fried stuff, fish and iodized salt. Too much consumption of iodine exacerbates the acne.

Eternaldarkness, I agree with everything what you posted, except for that part. I want to know why should someone reduce his or her intake of fish? Everything I have read has stated that eating more fish is beneficial due to the Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty Acids found in the fish. Also, from what I have read, iodized salt only exacerbates acne if you are a part of a small minority of people who are, well, sensitive to iodized salt. I just want a little clarification on those two points.

Cssuper, if you are a part of that small minority of people, I suggest switching to natural sea salt. Though it is somewhat expensive, it is better for you.

I have this. but it doesnt bother me so i don't bother with it but what you should do is buy a anti fungal/ bodywash and SCRUB hard with a flanel or loufer thingie to get the head off the spot and then use the bodywash normally after that (you dont need to scrub all the time)

First off, why buy an antifungal body wash? I think you mean antibacterial/antimicrobial. Second, you DON'T want to scrub super hard! That just aggravates the acne even more, and makes it more likely for the sebaceous glands to go into overdrive mode! So please, don't scrub. Instead, light rub. That's all you need

And lastly... DON'T PICK! lol

 

[cssuper]

Okay.. I wish to clear the air. People keep saying shower more: I am a clean freak, i clean everything WELL , including my body... I take at least 1 shower a day, sometimes more when I feel the slightest bit sweaty or oily.

How many showers are we talking about?

 

[jockboy01]

If you take too many your skin will dry out very fast.

True there.

And I don't think that showering has that much to do with it from personal experience. There have been times where circumstances didn't permit me to shower for 3-5 days at a time. And my skin was actually on the better side during that. Natural oils and all haha. I'm just saying, for me, more showers does not equal better skin

 

[SexyGuy]

Okay.. I wish to clear the air. People keep saying shower more: I am a clean freak, i clean everything WELL , including my body... I take at least 1 shower a day, sometimes more when I feel the slightest bit sweaty or oily.

How many showers are we talking about?

Didn't know about that mate. Well... In that case, I would suggest using a body wash or soap that is for acne, look at the different articles Google brought up: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...&q=Body+wash+for+acne+-Neutrogena&btnG=Search

 

[irishdreamer2287]

Wow I have the same problem too. I had it on both my shoulders very badly for a while. Then I started applying differin and it helped my shoulders but now I have it right smack dab in the middle of my chest. I hate having it there so I am going to go back to my dermatologist and try to fix this problem area.

 

[just4fun]

Had it for years, recently clearing up after I STOPPED using all the washes/ I was using OXYWash (10% benzoyl peroxide) that kept it in check for a while....then i must have built up some sort of resistance to it..... Try that, but it MAY stop working after a while. I changed over to the Aveda Men Hair and Body Bar, and I must say, skin is normalizing after 5+ years! Also, a little body lotion with a skin toner in it helps even out the complexion, and a short period of time in the sun always helps (not too long!!!). Don't worry, it's very very common.....

 

[LotusOnBuddha]

I think with summer approaching you might want to avoid retinoids or glycolic products they increase your sensitivity to the sun and increase your risk of a serious sunburn.

Retin-A Micro and Differin are both rather expensive(even if you get your Rx coverage to pay for it most people are looking at a 20-75 dollar co-pay) to be pasting all over your body, the generic tretinoin gel might be a better option if you really want to go with a retinoid, its cheaper and it will dry faster and spread easier over the larger body surface.

I recommend murad acne spray to my guy patients. If the acne persist you can try adding a mild antibacterial soap, then use the spray on towel dried skin. For more hardcore body acne, PanOxyl Bar seems to work very well, it is BPO which can dry out your skin and increase your risk of a sunburn.

Sometimes body acne can be treated with a peel or with a laser in your dermatologists office. I cant rave enough about fraxel, its a cure-all. My shoulders started to break out recently, 2 treatments and that nasty cycle of zit death and rebirth was swiftly ended.