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.
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 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 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.
Information and basic facts about acne. Let treat your skin correctly
when acne is on your face: www.care2acne.com
