Body acne is embarrassing, and if it remains untreated, it can leave body acne scars that are difficult to get rid of. Fortunately there are many treatments available and you can definitely find the appropriate body acne treatment that will work for you.
You should know that the best body acne treatment will be the one that is most adapted to both the severity of your body acne and your skin type on the affected area. If you have acne on the chest, you might experience that your chosen treatment works well, but if you have acne on the back, too, this same treatment for body acne might just not work as well. Always keep in mind that how to treat body acne will differ if you have acne on the back, on the chest, on the neck, and it will also differ according to your skin type and acne severity.
Then, as far as body acne is concerned, it is important to know that any acne body treatment needs time to be effective. You should allow a minimum of a few weeks when applying a treatment before you can say that it is effective or not.
Basically there are 2 types of body acne treatments: the first type are topical treatments, which means they are applied on the area with acne, and the second type are oral treatments, that are taken by mouth.
Topical body acne treatments: OTC or Prescription
Topical body acne treatments can be found over-the-counter, and there are various products with different active ingredient that will fight different aspects of body acne. There is a large variety of these OTC products and many of them are now very effective at treating body acne, especially if you have mild to moderate body acne.
For more information, see our Body Acne Products page.
Topical body acne treatments can also be obtained through a prescription. They include topical retinoids and topical antibiotics.
Topical retinoids: these are mainly retinoic (vitamin A), isotretinoin gel, and adapalene. These treatments are usually prescribed for mild and moderate body acne breakouts. They fight p.acnes, the bacteria that cause acne, and they also have an action on clogged skin pores, whiteheads and blackheads. They reduce inflammation of the skin.
Topical antibiotics: these mainly include erythromycin, clindamycin and tetracycline. The first two antibiotics have been tested and have proven to be as effective as benzoyl peroxide (which is a very common active ingredient in OTC body acne products). Combinations of erythromycin with benzoyl peroxide or zinc have also proven to work better than erythromycin used on its own.
Their action is essentially on pimples, as these antibiotics fight acne bacteria, and reduce skin inflammation. They can also have some effectiveness in eliminating whiteheads and blackheads.
Oral body acne treatments: Antibiotics and Isotretinoin
Oral body acne treatments are not available over-the-counter and can only be obtained with a prescription. They include oral antibiotics as well as isotretinoin, known as Accutane. They are usually prescribed to people who suffer from severe acne.
Oral antibiotics have been used for a long time to fight acne. They were actually the first known effective acne treatment, and worked to treat facial acne and body acne. They are commonly prescribed to treat severe forms of body acne on the back and chest.
Isotretinoin is another oral body acne treatment for people who suffer from very severe body acne or facial acne. This product has a lot of serious, life-long side effects. But it is also a very effective body acne treatment.
Acne. University of Wisconsin. 8 Oct. 2008
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