Back and chest acne

Airyfairy12

Ive recently noticed that ive started developing acne on my chest and back, my back is driving me crazy as its so itchy from the spots. I had this problem when I was a teenager but it cleared up and never appeared again until now, out of the blue and im in my 30's.
What could be causing it and is there anyway of clearing it up?

La_Gordy

I think you should get checked out by the doctor. At the very least they can prescribe some benzoyl peroxide topical solution, and also look into potential causes.

Lotus Flower

No idea of causes but I'd recommend La Roche Posay Serozinc spray to help treat

Humour Me

This may be a strange suggestion but have you changed your shampoo or conditioner recently? I developed some back acne after I started a new conditioner and realized it was leaving a residue on my back after I rinsed my hair in the shower. It stopped once I changed the conditioner.

Airyfairy12

Thanks everyone, I havnt changed my shampoo or conditioner but I did start the pill and im wondering if thats whats been causing it? Ive been on this pill before and dont remember it causing me acne but maybe this time its different. Ill check out the recommendations, the spray sounds interesting.

Mollyb60

When my doctor moved me from the pill to the mini pill my acne, which had been controlled by the pill went absolutely nuts. My skin is terrible now so the change in hormones from you going on the pill could potentially be the cause of it.

SusieBlue

Can not recommend IPL/Photofacials enough, its the only thing that's finally cleared up my skin for good. Creams and lotions of course can work (The Ordinary & Image in particular are fab) but they cannot penetrate the deepest layers of the skin to treat the problem at the root, which means its like putting a plaster on the problem. Its a short term solution to what's usually a long term problem for most people.
It helps improve the skin, but it doesn't get to the root of the problem.

The facials involve getting laser to effected area and it goes right down to the base layers to heal from within. It will draw out any impurities (so expect it to get worse before it gets better) but my results have been astounding.
As someone who suffered with cystic acne for over 15 years its been life changing.

Its not cheap at €90 a pop but for the first time in my adult life, I think I may be able to come off the pill. My skin has never been so clear, and bonus points for the fact that the IPL treats scars and pigmentation, so I've seen a massive improvement in my overall skin texture.

I would highly recommend anyone suffering look into getting it, but be sure to go to either a professional clinic or dermatologist. Its the best long term solution on the market besides Roaccutane.

Mollyb60

SusieBlue wrote: »

Can not recommend IPL/Photofacials enough, its the only thing that's finally cleared up my skin for good. Creams and lotions of course can work (The Ordinary & Image in particular are fab) but they cannot penetrate the deepest layers of the skin to treat the problem at the root, which means its like putting a plaster on the problem. Its a short term solution to what's usually a long term problem for most people.
It helps improve the skin, but it doesn't get to the root of the problem.

The facials involve getting laser to effected area and it goes right down to the base layers to heal from within. It will draw out any impurities (so expect it to get worse before it gets better) but my results have been astounding.
As someone who suffered with cystic acne for over 15 years its been life changing.

Its not cheap at €90 a pop but for the first time in my adult life, I think I may be able to come off the pill. My skin has never been so clear, and bonus points for the fact that the IPL treats scars and pigmentation, so I've seen a massive improvement in my overall skin texture.

I would highly recommend anyone suffering look into getting it, but be sure to go to either a professional clinic or dermatologist. Its the best long term solution on the market besides Roaccutane.

I don't want to hijack the OP's thread but how many sessions did you have done of this? Or is it a constant thing every few weeks/months?


I had a Obagi Blue chemical peel recommended to me by a dermatologist/beauty therapist (I can't remember which) about a year ago to treat my acne. I think she was recommending a peel initially every 2 weeks for about 2 months and then every 6 weeks or so to maintain the skin.

SusieBlue

Mollyb60 wrote: »

I don't want to hijack the OP's thread but how many sessions did you have done of this? Or is it a constant thing every few weeks/months?


I had a Obagi Blue chemical peel recommended to me by a dermatologist/beauty therapist (I can't remember which) about a year ago to treat my acne. I think she was recommending a peel initially every 2 weeks for about 2 months and then every 6 weeks or so to maintain the skin.

I had 4 sessions, one per month over 4 months. She reckons I'll need 1 additional session per year to maintain the results, but I haven't had a session since October (so 8 months ago) and my skin is still great.

My initial appointment was actually for a peel but after looking at my skin at the consultation she thought the IPL would be more suitable and convinced me to go for it. There is no down time at all compared to with a peel.

I'd highly recommend looking into it if your skin is still giving you trouble!

Mollyb60

That's brilliant Susie, thanks. I actually booked a consultation with a dermatologist over the weekend there so hopefully that'll sort it out. Your experience is really encouraging though. The price of the peel(s) as it was about 100 quid a go was what was putting me off. I would've been looking at well over 12 for the year so over a grand on treatment but at this point I've spent so much on skincare that I think I just need to bite the bullet and see what these sort of treatments can do.