What should you do about breast acne?

Zombiee asks…Alright, so I’m 15 and I have rather large breasts. I’ve finally gotten comfortable with my bra size but now a new problem has started up. It’s really embarrassing and it sometimes is really painful, I get pimples on my breasts. But mostly I get blackheads and other problems a teenager gets on their face and back. I’ve used acne treatments on it but they never seem to work, do you have any advice, like I should see a doctor or some kind of acne medication that will work?

The Right Brain responds:

Based on what we’ve heard from our Forum members and seen on other blogs, this is a fairly common problem. Some women notice increased breast acne when they exercise more often. (That’s assuming, of course, that the problem is really acne and not another skin condition. SarahF in the Forum pointed out that hairs that many women get on their nipples might look like blackheads when they first appear.

Acne or not, the Beauty Brains are very careful about not giving medical advice, Zombiee, so if this problem bothers you enough that you’re thinking about seeing a doctor you should go ahead and schedule an appointment with a dermatologist. Having said that our Forum members had some advice that you might find helpful: Disabling Mercury recommends exfoliating with a loofa sponge and using Neutrogena’s 3-in-1 Stress Relief gel, a topical salicylic acid treatment. And Lindygirl says Neutrogena’s Body Clear Body Wash, Pink Grapefruit also contains salicylic acid so it might be worth a try.

What do YOU think? Is breast acne a problem for you? Leave a comment and share your thoughts with the rest of the Beauty Brains community.