Chest Acne - Treating Acne On The Upper Body
Chest Acne Overview
Chest Acne Overview
Chest acne although not quite as visible as face acne, is suffered by almost as many people both male and female, young and old.
It may not be just confined to the chest area only but may also appear on other areas of the body most noticeably the back, and neck.
Chest acne can also occur in the same forms as face acne such as pustular or nodular or even cystic, as well as taking the form of whiteheads blackheads and pimples or spots, getting rid of blackheads should be a priority as these may develop into acne.
As this area is generally covered by clothing it can also be painful to the sufferer as they may chafe and rub the skin to make things worse.
You may find that acne on the body, is more difficult to cure because of the thickness of the skin in these areas and this applies especially to a persons back where the skin is at it thickest, however with the correct regime and treatment it may be treated successfully, but bear in mind it may take longer to do this than with face acne.
The Causes Of Chest Acne
As with other similar conditions, the causes of acne still not completely understood by medical science, although it seems likely it has very similar triggers to that of other types of acne, be they genetic, hormonal or otherwise, and may occur more frequently in people with excessively oily skin, or who are prone to heavy sweating, because in addition chest acne can be worse because it occurs in areas of heavy perspiration which are often not cleansed as deeply as the face and these area may also be subjected to chafing, either by clothes or underwear, and the sufferer may also carry a bag of some sort, or worst of all a backpack, which may cause a great deal of irritation because of the tight fitting straps and continuous rubbing.
The root cause however is once again clogged pores in the skin and action must be taken to prevent this from happening or at least do all you can to minimize the risk, by following the procedures outlined in these pages and making sure you strictly follow a set routine, you may find that your chest acne will eventually clear up, but this is no guarantee it will not return, so you should still maintain a routine and diet that will help you to remain acne-free.
Things To Avoid With Chest Acne
Tight-fitting clothing of any sort.
Any type of man-made fabrics such as nylon, rayon, acrylic etc, natural fibers such as cotton or silk should be worn at all times next to the skin, avoid wool but mohair may be good because it is exceptionally soft.
Avoid any harsh scrubbing or rubbing of the affected areas when washing or drying the skin, gentleness in these activities is key to treating your condition.
Wash affected areas as soon as possible after perspiring heavily, try and avoid letting sweat dry on the skin as this can cause irritation.
Avoid very hot showers or baths this can aggravate the condition.
Try and avoid the wearing of backpacks or bags with straps that may come into contact with and irritate the areas of acne on the skin.
Avoid using cosmetics or soap that are perfumed, this includes body sprays and anti-perspirants, use only soap and other such products that are formulated for acne sufferers, body lotions or other such products that you may use should water based and non-clogging.
Other Tips For Sufferers
Ensure that bedclothes are changed as often as possible this includes sheets and pillowcases.
Do not wash any of your clothing in harsh detergents packed full of the latest anionic surfactants or fabric conditioners, avoid all these like the plague and use ordinary soap flakes, there is a low suds powder available for machine washing, some people may find the harsh chemicals in these products irritating to their skin especially when they perspire.
Use skin cleansers that are formulated for acne skin, not ordinary cosmetic products.
Wash and cleanse the affected areas as gently as possible using only the tips of the fingers, sponges and facecloths are out, this is quite important although it may be a problem if you have acne on your back in which case you may have to resort to a back brush unless you have someone to do it for you, either way be very gentle.
You should obviously bear in mind that everyone is different and that not all treatments for chest acne will work the same for individuals, they may be more or less effective for the person concerned.
If you have tried everything and symptoms still persist you may need to take some stronger prescribed medications and anti-biotics in which case you will need to visit your doctor, who then may or may not refer you to a skin expert or dermatologist, these type of medicines are not available at a pharmacy and must only be used with professional medical supervision.
Generally the first product you should try using is Benzoyl Peroxide, this is a tried and in some cases proven proven home treatment for acne that can be very effective as a first line of treatment, be sure to use a low concentration product to begin with, 2.5% or less and gradually build up to a stronger concentrate over a period of several weeks.
Prevention
There is no definitive way to prevent chest acne or any other sort of skin condition, but you can take steps to lessen the risk of it occurring.
One of the most important things for the skin is hydration, make sure you drink plenty of water throughout the day, follow a good cleansing regime to keep the skin as clean as possible, and this will include exfoliating it, or removing dead skin cells, you will also need to use one or more acne moisturizers from the list here.
Make sure you are eating a healthy diet, this is so important not just for your chest acne but for your general health, the key thing here is a well balanced diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables.
Cut out junk food, salt, refined sugar and heavily processed foods, it may also be wise to be careful of hot or spicy foods, while these foods are generally healthy in themselves the ingredients can trigger acne breakouts on the skin, especially spots and pimples, if you do eat this kind of food keep a careful note of the effects on your chest acne.
by: Anna Johnson
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