How to Minimize Bacne Breakouts the Smart Way
By Adam Hurly.
Back acne is a confidence killer. Even the most shredded shredder at your gym will avoid tank tops if he's embarrassed to showcase his polka-dotted traps. The most stylish dude in your office (it’s you, isn’t it?) might be hiding a secret skincare affliction under that hand-stitched Japanese chambray shirt. You can keep it from the general public, but it's hard to conceal back acne in the bedroom or at the beach.
To banish “bacne”, you need to first understand its various causes. In some cases, minor changes to your hygiene regimen or diet might clear everything up. Here are three of the things that conspire behind your back, each of them a likely candidate for big breakouts. Take notes, make adjustments, and soon you’ll be back in business.
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1. Genetics:
Acne—of all kinds—is often genetic. If you have oily or acne-prone skin on your face, you may have it on your back and shoulders, too. Similarly, everyone’s body reacts differently to certain foods. One guy might be able to eat a block of cheese with no effects to his complexion, while the next might suffer the consequences for a week.
How to minimize breakouts:
If you’re naturally acne-prone, you have to be very proactive with your skincare regimen—more than everyone else. Try showering with mild water (not burning hot!) twice daily. Use non-comedogenic soaps and body cleansers (meaning, they are engineered to keep your pores unclogged). You can stick to some of the name brands, like Dove Men+Care’s Clean Comfort bodywash. Also, speak with a dermatologist or dietician about the foods you eat, to pinpoint which ones might be best avoided.
2. Poor hygiene and diet:
Here are the ones you control entirely. It's up to you to keep your back clean.
How to minimize breakouts:
First, a note on your diet: Minimize sugary foods, and drink a lot of water. Most foods play into the "genetics" category, and affect people differently (dairy is one such example). But high sugar intake will almost always contribute to a breakout, as will dehydration.
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As for hygiene, wear clean shirts every day. Wash your bed sheets once every week, or sleep with a clean t-shirt every night if you prefer to wash your sheets less frequently. (But really, wash them frequently.) You need to shower daily—and immediately following a workout—to keep pores unclogged. Shower morning and night with mild water if you’re naturally oily. If you shave or wax your back, treat it with a witch-hazel aftershave to disinfect the pores. (Also, be sure you’re using a clean razor.) Then, let everything breathe (in other words, go shirtless, if you can) for a few hours afterwards. Prevent sweat from getting in the pores as they close, and you stand much better odds of keeping your skin healthy.
If you have a severe breakout—particularly after shaving or waxing—try using a drug-store disinfectant like Hibiclens until everything clears up.
3. Hormones:
There’s a reason a lot of bodybuilders get major bacne: They’re taking steroids or hormonal enhancements, and the body has to get rid of excess testosterone through the skin. This isn’t to say that guys who have higher natural levels of testosterone will get bacne more often. Instead, it means that when your body experiences periodic spikes—which happens naturally to all of us—you’re more prone to a single breakout. But apart from not taking performance enhancers, you can’t really control when your body experiences spikes or lulls in testosterone.
How to minimize breakouts:
Since breakouts will inevitably happen, your goal should be to lessen their effects when they pop up. Develop a healthy, sustainable skincare routine, adjust your shower temp (not too hot, not too cold) so that you can rid your skin of excess sebum (the result of testosterone being excreted through your pores). Do this twice daily if you take any testosterone boosters, and always shower immediately after working out (good hygiene is still key). Also, it should go without saying: Don't take hormonal enhancements if you can avoid it. If you have sever hormonal acne, a dermatologist can prescribe more intense topical treatments.
This story originally appeared on GQ.
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