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Back Acne Information
Back acne can show up in many forms, such as blackheads, pimples, pustules,
or even the most severe form of acne, cysts. It can affect people from
age 10 to age 40 and even after that. In slang, back acne is referred
as zits. To improve the condition of back acne, it is vital to understand
what the root cause of this skin disease is, and also some information
about what does not cause back acne.
Like other forms of acne, there is no one particular factor causing
back acne. As far as medical understanding goes, black acne also happens
when sebaceous glands start functioning more aggressively around puberty.
The male hormone group androgens get active which in turn stimulates
sebaceous glands into producing extra amount of sebum (oily substance).
These sebaceous glands are situated just below the surface of the skin.
Sebaceous glands continuously produce and secrete oil through the opening
(pores) in the skin. When extra amounts of sebum are produced pores
and hair follicles become clogged.
This clogging obstructs the way dead cells escape the skin. The resulting
mess of sebum and dead cells plugs the hair follicle and attracts bacterial
attack. The bacteria cause the surrounding tissues to become inflamed
and acne is formed.
Back acne may be found on the back and even on the buttocks of some
people. It can be a severe form when the lesions are large and painful.
As with much acne, the exact cause of back acne is also not exactly
known.
It may be just a coincidence or may be caused by external irritants
such as tight clothing or a heavy backpack. It is not possible to keep
the area of back and buttocks untouched because we all must sit down
or carry things around. For this reason, it is better to concentrate
on the treatment of back acne rather than fret about the cause of this
skin disorder.
As the skin on the back is thicker than anywhere else on the body,
one good treatment option is 10 percent benzoyle peroxide which is not
suitable for the thinner skin and exposed body part suffering from acne.
In back acne, if the inflammation is right near the surface than the
patient gets a pustule. If infection is deeper, it forms papule. Deeper
still acne causes cysts which are the worst form of acne and carry the
possibility of permanent scarring.
In back acne, if the extra sebum breaks through the skin it causes a
whitehead, and if the head of the plug becomes dark due to the skin
pigment melanin, it is called a blackhead.
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There are some differences between back acne and other forms of acne.
Other acne may be caused by heredity and genetic disposition but in
the back acne, except for the severe cases, people don’t have
the problem just as their parents did. In anyway, some degree of back
acne afflicts people all over the world so it can be expected that more
than one person of any family might have shown signs of back acne.
Unlike other acne forms, food does not seem to play any role in the
formation or flare up of back acne. There has been no evidence that
fried or oily food or fat rich diet causes any difference or worsens
the condition of back acne.
Excessive oil production or dirt does not seem to affect condition of
back acne. Even excessive perspiration after exercise, whether washed
off promptly or not, does not seem to trigger back acne or blackheads
on the back.
Stress, which is known to worsen facial acne, does not show the same
effect on back acne, perhaps because stress causes people to be worried
about their acne and pick at them which worsens the condition, but people
suffering from back acne cannot reach their back and pick on the back
acne.
Occurrence of back acne in simpler conditions may be treated by over
the counter drugs. But the severe form of acne on the back, such as
cystic acne must be treated by some skin specialist or dermatologist.
Most probably, the simpler forms of acne might disappear with daily
hygienic routine but as cystic acne goes deep into the skin and causes
permanent scarring, it should be given more medical attention than simple
pustules or blackheads on the back.
Other Resources:
http://www.acneinfo.org/back-acne.html
http://www.acne.org/bodyacne.html
http://www.acne.org
http://www.acneinfo.org
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