If you have body acne, I do not need to convince you to look for an effective treatment. No doubt, you want to get rid of if as fast as you can. But do you know that a body acne spray can be a very efficient treatment option? This is especially true because a body [...]
Body Acne
According to the National Institutes of Health, about 80% of people between the ages of 11 and 30 have acne outbreaks at some point. Among all acne sufferers, about 60% have body acne.
People who have body acne will usually have back or chest acne, but they can also have acne on the neck, on the arms, on legs, shoulders or buttocks.
The treatment of body acne is based upon the type of lesions present (non-inflammatory, inflammatory, or mixed) and its severity (mild, moderate, or severe).
Before choosing any body acne treatment, you should determine the type of lesions present, which will give you indications on the severity of your body acne, and you should also determine your skin type, to make sure you will not choose products or treatments that could irritate your skin and worsen your acne.
Body acne lesions can be of 2 types, as shown in the chart below.
| Type of Lesion | Medical Name | Common Name | Definition |
| Non-inflammatory | Comedones | Blackheads (open comedones) Whiteheads (closed comedones) |
A comedo is the primary sign of acne consisting of a non inflamed widened hair follicle (skin pore) filled with skin debris, bacteria, and sebum (oil). It may be open or closed. |
| Inflammatory | Papules | Pimples Zit |
A papule is a small solid rounded bump rising from the skin, with no visible fluid. It is usually less than 1 cm (3/8 inch) in diameter at the widest point. |
| Pustules | Pimples Zit |
A pustule is a small collection of pus in the epidermis (top layer of skin) or beneath it in the dermis. Pus is a mixture of inflammatory cells and liquid. | |
| Nodules | A nodule is similar to a papule but bigger (usually greater then 1 cm or 3/8 inch) and it is palpable. It can be present at any level in the skin but is mostly centered in the dermis or subcutaneous fat. | ||
| Cysts | A cyst is a closed structure that contains fluid or semisolid material. Cysts are usually deep, painful, and they can cause scarring. |
Before choosing a body acne product or treatment, you need to determine the severity of your body acne. There is no universal scale that determines precisely acne severity, but here is what the US FDA (Food And Drug Administration) suggests as “an acceptable global assessment scale”. Basically there are 6 categories to measure the severity of body acne and they are as follows:
• Clear: indicating no evidence of body acne, no lesions
• Almost clear: rare non-inflammatory lesions with rare papules
• Mild: some non-inflammatory lesions, with few papules and/or pustules but no nodules or cysts
• Mild to Moderate: many non-inflammatory lesions, as well as multiple inflammatory lesions: several to many comedones and papules/pustules, but no more than one small nodule or cyst
• Moderate: more apparent inflammatory lesions: a lot of comedones and papules/pustules, but no more than a few nodules or cysts.
• Severe: highly inflammatory lesions, variable number of comedones, many papules, pustules as well as nodules and cysts.
Once you have determined the severity of your acne, you need to find an appropriate treatment. Basically, there are many good OTC products if you have mild, mild to moderate or moderate acne. They usually come in the form of gels, creams, soaps, lotions, and pads.
If you have mild or mild to moderate body acne, check out our Body Acne Products page.
People with moderate to severe acne may be treated with prescription medicines. If you have moderate or severe acne, the best approach is to consult a health care professional such as a dermatologist. This is especially true if you have nodules and cysts.
Below you will find a list of articles that discuss each topic related to body acne in more details. You will learn about body acne causes, treatment, home remedies, scars, and you’ll learn more about how to get rid of your body acne. Just pick the topic you are interested in and click on the article title in the list below.
References
Callen, Jeffrey (2000). Color atlas of dermatology. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders.
James, William D.; et al. (2006). Andrews’ Diseases of the Skin: Clinical Dermatology. Saunders Elsevier.
Fitzpatrick, Thomas B.; Klauss Wolff; Wolff, Klaus Dieter; Johnson, Richard R.; Suurmond, Dick; Richard Suurmond (2005). Fitzpatrick’s color atlas and synopsis of clinical dermatology. New York: McGraw-Hill Medical Pub. Division.
Wolff, Klaus Dieter; et al. (2008). Fitzpatrick’s Dermatology in General Medicine. McGraw-Hill Medical.
Tan JK., et al. “Prevalence and severity of facial and truncal acne in a referral cohort.” Journal of Drugs in Dermatology. 2008 Jun;7(6):551-6.
MedTerms online medical dictionary
US Department of Health and Human Services Food and Drug Administration Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER). Guidance for Industry; AcneVulgaris: Developing Drugs for Treatment (2005). Acne Global Severity Scale.
FDA – Facing Facts About Acne – Acne Facts.
Callen, Jeffrey (2000). Color atlas of dermatology. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders.
James, William D.; et al. (2006). Andrews’ Diseases of the Skin: Clinical Dermatology. Saunders Elsevier.
Fitzpatrick, Thomas B.; Klauss Wolff; Wolff, Klaus Dieter; Johnson, Richard R.; Suurmond, Dick; Richard Suurmond (2005). Fitzpatrick’s color atlas and synopsis of clinical dermatology. New York: McGraw-Hill Medical Pub. Division.
Wolff, Klaus Dieter; et al. (2008). Fitzpatrick’s Dermatology in General Medicine. McGraw-Hill Medical.
Tan JK., et al. “Prevalence and severity of facial and truncal acne in a referral cohort.” Journal of Drugs in Dermatology. 2008 Jun;7(6):551-6.
MedTerms online medical dictionary
US Department of Health and Human Services Food and Drug Administration Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER). Guidance for Industry; AcneVulgaris: Developing Drugs for Treatment (2005). Acne Global Severity Scale.
FDA – Facing Facts About Acne – Acne Facts.
