06 Jan, 2009
Understanding Body Acne – An Aid to Getting Clear Skin
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For many adults who thought that they would never have to deal with acne again once they were done going through puberty, it can come as a rude awakening to find that acne problems often persist into adulthood. While most people think of acne occurring on the face only, body acne can also be an issue. Body acne can be both uncomfortable and embarrassing.
Some of the typical causes of acne include hormonal changes, the menstrual cycle, and stress. In addition to these, body acne is frequently brought about by tight clothing and sweating.
Acne, regardless of its location is caused by a build up of sebum, the glands that provide moisture to the skin’s surface. When it mixes with dead skin cells or other dirt on the surface, it blocks the pores through which the sebum travels to the surface, causing body acne. Typically, people are used to seeing acne on faces and necks, but it may not be until they get to the beach in the bathing suit that they reveal body acne on shoulders, back, legs and even their butt.
People who exercise rigorously exercise in tight clothing may be more prone to outbreaks of body acne than others as their work out causes them to sweat, which is then help against the skin by their choice of clothing. In most cases, simple steps for acne care can reduce the outbreaks and help achieve clearer skin.
Prevention Is Best Cure For Acne
Although the severity of body acne cannot be directly controlled, the frequency with which the body breaks out can be reduced by taking some important steps for prevention. It is true that eating a good diet promotes good health, but the long held theory belief that certain foods cause acne is not supported in any way by medical science. Even though reaching the skin all over your body can sometimes be difficult, exfoliation is the most important step in preventing acne.
The skin on the back and legs is thicker than on the face so a five to 10 percent cream of benzoyl peroxide is usually able to be used in the fight against body acne without irritating the skin.
After exfoliating the skin, it is important to use a good moisturizer. This will prevent the skin from getting too dry after dead skin cells have been removed from the surface. It is important to shower after working out and to avoid wearing excessively tight clothes.