Pam Ponders…I have a persistent back acne problem and my dermatologist recommended Clindamycin solution and Ketoderm cream to treat it. Do they really work? How? (By the way my back acne has not improved at all).
The Right Brain responds:
Clindamycin is an antibiotic cream that is frequently prescribed for severe acne. Why? Because one of the causes of acne is bacteria and antibiotics kill bacteria. So, although not everyone responds the same, it does make sense to try it as a treatment approach.
Ketoderm is an antifungal cream, which is not typically used as a treatment for acne since acne is not caused by a fungus. The Beauty Brains are not doctors and we’d never contradict something your doctor tells you, but you might ask why he or she is prescribing an antifungal for a non-fungal induced condition.
Here’s another over the counter treatment you might try: According to acne-resource.org concentrated Benzoyl Peroxide (10%) is good for bacne, as they call it. While this high dosage might irritate your face, the skin on your back is thicker and less likely to be irritated. Finally, you might try changing your wardrobe. Some sources say that tight clothing or chafing from backpack or purse can irritate the skin and trigger inflammation.
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Antifungals seem to do the trick for me and lots of other people for what looks like acne but isn’t quite. I’ve had luck with topical applications of Head & Shoulders after having read about it on the Acne.org message boards, and it’s cleared me up quite well. The zinc in it is an antifungal.
I honestly had extremely bad face acne cysts and all. While searching the web I came across an article about Pantothenic Acid. I started it and my face broke out, but I was persistent. So about 2 -3mths into it my face , neck, chest, and back is clear. My pores are smaller and I no longer has cystic acne or overly oily skin. I swear it worked for me. Also my face stayed sensitive and red, but now it seems less sensitive and redness is gone. I LOVE IT!!! Right now I would say my face is 97-98% clear and I have maybe 2-3 pimples that are smaller than normal. Much smaller.
http://orthomolecular.org/library/jom/1997/pdf/1997-v12n02-p099.pdf
Here’s the link I have stored on my laptop.
If you use benzoyl peroxide, beware it’s bleaching properties. Wear a white t-shirt over it to save your clothes!
Washing with Head and Shoulders and applying Alpha Hydrox every evening really cleared up my back and shoulders. However, my body acne was only moderate.
Clindamycin works well in combination with benzoyl peroxide, so that might be helpful. It’s also possible that it isn’t really acne but rather a folliculitis or keratosis pilaris. I would follow up with the derm.
Do you condition your hair after washing in the shower? The residual conditioner on your back (and butt) can sometimes trigger pimples and acne, or make it worse. It is better to rinse the conditioner out of your hair and then thoroughly wash your back to remove any conditioner on the skin. A long handled back brush or whatever, is useful to make sure that every area of the back is washed.
The only period of time I have regularly had pimples on my back and butt was when I left the conditioner on as long as possible and washed it out just before getting out of the shower. When I started washing back after rinsing the conditioner out. The pimple problem slowly went away and has never returned. It took a little while to stop getting them.
Hope this is helpful.
you need not just to treat visible acne but to find out whats the main reason you have acne,so you need to treat the cause…make lifestyle changes like eating natural and healthy,aerobics or jogging,lose weight and avoid greasy cosmetics.Use an aloe vera based soup and apply tropical tea trea oil…source 24drug.com
Ya know what stopped by back acne? Not washing it. When it first started breaking out a couple years ago, I started washing/moisturizing it like my face. Then I got tired of the effort and lack of results, so now I just rinse my back off in the shower daily, and exfoliate with baking soda/water twice a week. It’s cleared right up!
I used to get bacne until I started buying those medicated wipes and swiping them quickly over my back before bedtime (I shower in the morning). Feel free to choose your poison — benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid or glycolic acid are all easy to find. The little pad cleans off any dirt and the benzoyl peroxide/AHA fights off any acne. It’s an extra step, but it only takes an extra few seconds, and it works really well — I only get pimples on my back when I run out of the wipes!
Argh, I meant BHAs, not AHAs. Whatever.
Avoid putting harsh chemicals on your face/ body to remove Acne, dark circles, age spots, freckles or even dark circles. For clearing acne, drink lots of water, use facial cleansers and lay off form the unnecessary sugary products, like soda.
Thanks for all the threads.The general consensus especially when it comes to adults is that if you keep your face clean and well nourished, acne has very few chances of cropping up.I’m going to have to try out all your suggestions.
Great suggestions.
With back acne just keep the area clean and don’t sweat and if you do sweat then take a shower. It’s a good idea to watch what you eat as this can put toxins in your body. Also take on lots of water so your body can clear out toxins and chemicals.
good luck
T.
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