Everything You Need To Know About Getting Rid of Body Acne For Good

​Is that a zit… there?! Whether it's on your boobs, back or anywhere in between, body breakouts are The. Worst. Not to mention, dealing with below-the-chin bumps is a totally different beast than facial acne. Here's the scoop on what causes it — plus, how to treat and prevent future body breakouts.

The Cause

Acne is caused when oil gets clogged in a pore and it becomes inflamed, says Dr. Hadley King, dermatologist at New York City's Skinney Medspa. Body blemishes tend to be red, raised and tender, and they usually pop up in areas that have a high concentration of oil glands (like the chest and shoulders).

Your hormones effect how much oil your glands produce, so the more oil your bod makes, the higher the chance you'll have to deal with breakouts. During puberty and a few days before your period are when your skin's oil levels spike and could trigger a pimple SOS.

Another cause of body acne? When perspiration and bacteria get trapped in the pores and cause infection due to tight or sweaty clothing. (That's why it's a good idea to get out of workout gear after practice or a gym sesh.)

The Treatment

Ready to zap some zits? Here's your clear skin cheat sheet:

Boob-ne and Chestne

Sports bras, tight crop tops or even your favorite bralette can give you a serious case of boob sweat, which can lead to blemishes. Try to get out of your top as soon as you can and treat any chest flair-ups with a salicylic acid toner. Use it at night to exfoliate and reduce oil build-up on the congested spots. Also keep blemish-busting towelettes in your bag, so you can wipe away grime right after a sweat-sesh or on a super steamy day.

Follow the same game plan for any zits that pop up on the upper chest as well. But, do pay attention if your spots tend to be more puss-like. There's a chance you could be dealing with folliculitis, an infection of the hair follicles. "It can occur anywhere on skin," says Dr. King. "If over the counter treatments with salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide don't seem to work, go meet with your dermatologist to see."

Back-ne

The struggle is real when it comes to back breakouts. Not only is it hard to apply treatment to your backside, but also the skin is thicker, making it difficult for acne-fighting products to soak in and start working. Back breakout can be triggered or amplified by your conditioner (especially if it's an oil-based one), which can clog pores, too. Make sure to wash, condition and thoroughly rinse your hair before cleansing your body. Then apply an antibacterial benzoyl peroxide wash with a body brush. With the brush, scrub the upper shoulders to make sure any leftover conditioner residue is removed. 

Butt-ne

Yoga pants and leggings are comfy, but wearing gym clothes all day can cause zits on your booty. "The tighter the material, the more likely you'll have a breakout," says Dr. Elizabeth Tanzi, Founder & Director of Capital Laser & Skincare.

The best way to treat flair-ups is with glycolic pads. The glycolic acid in them gently exfoliates and helps turn over skin cells on your bum. Avoid using a physical scrub down there since that can make acne worse. If there's just one zit, dab on a spot treatment. Also ditch your thongs and slip into a comfy pair of cotton undies. "Cotton is great since it lets skin breathe and won't trap anything in pores," says Dr. King. Similar to boob-ne and chest-ne, if you don't see improvement, go see your doc since it could be folliculitis.

Arm and Leg-ne

First, make sure it's really a pimple. If it's a tiny red or skin colored bump that's painless, it may be keratosis pilaris or KP. KP tends to be on the backs of arms and legs and occurs when skin builds up around the hair follicle. It's a genetic condition and tends to run in families, so there's a chance you got KP from your mama. It's also more likely to affect people with drier skin or eczema, so use a lotion with urea if your bod is on the dry side. It moisturizes and exfoliates at the same time without clogging up pores.

"But even if you don't have eczema or dry skin, KP can still be happen," says Dr. King. "If it does happen to you, treat it with a 12% lactic acid lotion," says Dr. Tanzi. One similar to AmLactin's Moisturizing Body Lotion helps smooth out skin by gently turning over skin cells. And, if it's definitely a zit? Use salicylic acid wipes daily and opt for a pimple-busting wash in the shower.

When It's Time To See A Doc

If your skin hasn't improved after four weeks of consistent use of over-the-counter treatments, book an appointment with your derm. Why? Body acne is much harder to combat than facial acne. Bodne tends to be more inflammatory (think: big red bumps or cysts instead of just blackheads), making it challenging for drugstore creams to clear everything up on their own—especially with severe breakouts. Also, your body is a much larger area compared to your face. "It's much harder to put three to four different products on your back like you can on your face," says Dr. Tanzi.

There are two main ways doctors treat body acne: Topical creams or oral medication. For milder cases, prescription level benzoyl peroxide creams or retinoids may do the trick. A retinoid is a treatment that has a high-level of vitamin A, which helps unclog pores. Aczone gel is another great option. Unlike benzoyl peroxide, it won't bleach clothes and it tends to be gentler on skin than a retinoid. But even with heavy-duty topicals, there's a chance you'll need something more to really clear skin.

Enter: Oral medication. Depending on your needs, your derm may decide to put you on a pill to help. From antibiotics to birth control to other drugs such as spironolcatone or accutane, there are lots of options. Make sure you discuss with your parents and your doctor the best one for you then get ready to say hello to a blemish free bod.