Whiteheads and blackheads are often not just contained to the face, and can sneakily crop up where you might not immediately notice. What we’re talking about is bacne — when dead skin cells, bacteria and oil sebum from the sebaceous glands accumulate and block the pores of the skin, triggering an inflammatory response on the back of the body.
The skin on our backs are thicker than the rest of our bodies, which makes it especially prone to skin troubles such as blocked pores. The upper half of the back, where there are more sebaceous (or oil glands), is especially susceptible to clogged pores. Although really, acne can appear on other areas such as the chest too.
Here’s how you can avoid it:
1. Shower after exercise and use a loofah
Excessively sweating might be a sign of a solid workout but it can later cause dirt to cling onto the skin, leading to acne and pimples. Prevent this by showering after a workout or time spent under the hot sun.
When in the shower, use a loofah or brush to gently scrub shampoo and conditioner residue off your back. A word of caution: antibacterial soaps, astringents and abrasive scrubs might make your acne worse so it’s best to try them out with caution or straight up use a body wash with acne-fighting ingredients.
If it’s inconvenient to take a shower, use an oil-free cleansing wipe to remove as much sweat from your body as you can. The least you would want to do is change out of tight clothing to let your skin breathe a little. And it goes without saying that sweaty activewear should not be reworn.
2. Eat more fruits, vegetables and lean meat
Ever heard the phrase “you are what you eat”? Your diet plays a part in causing acne. The good news: this also means your diet can reduce it. Research by the American Academy of Dermatology has shown that food high on the glycemic index (GI), which can cause your blood sugar to rise quickly, might also worsen acne. We love a fast cai fan on busy work days and indulging in croissants on weekends, but consider a balanced diet that isn’t carb-loaded with white breads, white pasta, white rice and white potatoes all the time. Eat more greens — your body and mind will thank you for it.
3. Exfoliate gently
Growing pains? Body breakouts are sadly one of them. Influenced by hormonal imbalance and stress, you’re likely to see acne pop up during puberty and menstruation. The culprits: high testosterone levels could increase the production of pore-blocking sebum and falling estrogen levels in the menstrual cycle can trigger breakouts.
Get yourself a gentle exfoliating scrub with ingredients such as salicylic acid to remove excess dirt and oils from your skin. This would help reduce the amount of dead skin that clogs pores.
For mild back acne, over-the-counter acne creams and gels containing ingredients like benzoyl peroxide, resorcinol, salicylic acid, and sulfur can also help get rid of blemishes and prevent new ones from popping up.
4. Give IPL Skin Solution a go
The anti-acne treatment at Japan IPL Express targets the acne area using the heat emitted from the IPL handpiece, stimulating oxygen into the skin. This kills the bacteria that causes acne as the bacteria’s anaerobic and hates oxygen. Once remaining bacteria are released from the pores, swelling will be reduced and allow new skin tissue to grow!
On top of getting rid of acne, customers can opt for whitening treatment, which helps to lighten scars by breaking down the dark pigments (also known as melanin) underneath the skin. With consistent sessions (once every two weeks), these pigments that were broken down will rise to the skin surface and flake away — leaving one with enviable smoother and brighter skin! Talk about a glow up.
We’ve got your back!
If you’d like more information about our practice, come on into any one of our Japan IPL Express outlets or reach us at @japaniplexpress on Instagram or Facebook.
P.S. New to Japan IPL Express? We give every new customer 20 Free Shots™ upon walking into any of our outlets islandwide. New customers are also entitled to our New Customer Promo — $70 for 100 Shots (U.P. $240, *price is subject to GST).
