We often see people talking about facial acne and how to overcome it but not many address body acne. Just like facial acne, body acne is triggered by the same factors too: overactive oil glands, excess dead skin cells and bacteria. 

The oil and dead skin cells will become trapped within the follicle of your skin, creating a blockage which will then cause a blackhead. When it gets infected by bacteria, the blackhead will progress into an inflamed pimple. This is because your body has sebaceous glands just like your face.

How to avoid body acne? Try to reduce friction as much as possible such as tight-fitting clothes, backpacks, bag straps, snug collars, and sports pads or active gears. This is because skin friction can trigger your acne to become irritated, slowing down the healing process. Always shower especially after you sweat to avoid any clogged pores on your body. Most importantly, don’t scrub your body harshly because it will only make your body acne worse.

You can try over-the-counter medicine such as Salicylic Acid and Benzoyl Peroxide (two famous ingredients in treating facial acne too). If your body acne is severe, it’s advisable to go straight to your healthcare professionals or dermatologist so you can figure out the root to your acne issues and treat it the right way. Though it might be costly, it's more pocket friendly in the long run as you won’t be wasting your money in testing various products that don’t guarantee effective results immediately as different people have different types of skin. 

Body acne is common, there’s nothing to be ashamed of. Remember, everyone is beautiful despite our ‘imperfections’. Treat your skin kindly and don’t be too hard on yourself. Just like everything else in life, healing takes time.