Hey guys, Sandra Lee, M.D. (aka Dr. Pimple Popper), here!

I see you’ve found The Pretty Pimple — I hope you’re enjoying the articles and learning something new! I’ve heard your requests for effective, acne-fighting products, and that’s why I’m so excited to introduce SLMD Skincare to you guys. This line exists to provide solutions for the skincare concerns you popaholics have always asked me about. These products bring together the most effective, blemish-banishing ingredients, so you can treat your skin with clinical confidence.

xo, Sandra

Shop SLMD Skincare

Bring Your Sexy Back: How To Clear Up Body Breakouts

Noticing pesky (sometimes painful) bumps on your body but can’t seem to figure out why they’re cropping up? You’ve likely got what’s fondly referred to as bacne — body acne. As it turns out, so do a lot of people! Nearly 60% of people with acne experience breakouts on their bodies as well. Most commonly, bacne appears on the neck, chest, back, and butt, but it can also show up anywhere you’ve got skin. Annoying, we know!

What’s the best way to figure out why you’re getting bacne and how to get rid of it?! First, let’s determine just what you’re working with by examining the possible causes of your body acne, because sometimes treatment can be as easy as making a small change to your routine.

The most common causes of bacne!

Behold the most common culprits behind your frustrating body acne. You’ve got bacne because…

You’re hanging out in sweat-soaked clothing.

Getting a good sweat in with a great workout is a wonderful way to relieve stress, stay in shape, and rid the body of toxins. A sweat sesh can be counterproductive, however, if you don’t take care to clean your skin after you’ve worked out. Hanging around in your workout clothes might be tempting, especially if your workout wasn’t especially rigorous, but allowing tight, sweat-soaked fabrics to linger on your skin can result in breakouts known as acne mechanica, which is caused by friction when your skin isn’t exposed to air. It can also result in folliculitis, the result of pores that host sweat glands and hair follicles becoming clogged when they are blocked.

You’re using harsh, comedogenic products.

Most people with acne-prone skin know to steer clear of comedogenic ingredients and unnatural oils, but all too often, that stops below the neck. As the chest and back are also covered in countless hair follicles, they provide an opportunity for pores to become clogged, which can result in acne symptoms such as pimples.

Sometimes, the residue from our hair products can exacerbate skin irritation and acne, so if you noticed an increase in breakouts after using a certain product, take a break and browse the ingredients. If your symptoms subside, avoid that ingredient when making your next purchase.

Your skin is overdue for a good scrub-down.

Many people assume that acne is caused by overactive oil production. They aren’t entirely wrong, but there’s more to the formation of a pimple than excess sebum. In order for the bacteria that leads to breakouts, known as P. acnes, to become active, that excess sebum must combine with debris in your pores. Most often, that debris is dead skin cells. Just as you should exfoliate your face 1-3 times a week, your entire bod — we’re talking chest, shoulders, arms, back, thighs, and butt (not just the areas of the body where you’re experiencing breakouts) — should be treated to a good sloughing on a regular basis as well. Be warned, however, that physical exfoliants (little scrubby granules and beads) can irritate active acne, so stick with a chemical exfoliator, like the salicylic acid that’s in the SLMD Salicylic Acid Body Wash and SLMD Salicylic Acid Body Spray.

Your pillowcases or towels need a run through the wash.

Sometimes, a breakout can be attributed to something as simple as not doing that load of laundry. When we sleep on the same pillowcase or use the same towel for too long, oil, dead skin cells, skincare residue, sweat, dirt, bacteria and all sorts of other fun residue collect over time, any of which can easily become transferred onto our skin, possibly clogging pores. If you notice breakouts on the side you sleep on, you might have your pillowcases to blame.

Your Mom and Dad’s genetics are to blame.

It’s unfortunate to say, but acne, like pore size, is somewhat linked to genetics, so if either of your parents have or had acne-prone skin, chances are you will too.

Your hormones are running rampant.

Simply put, the condition of acne is often attributed to a hormonal imbalance. When certain hormones are out of balance, our sebaceous glands, which work to create the oil our skin needs to stay healthy and protected, can go into overdrive, producing more than what’s needed to keep our complexions hydrated. This is why many women notice an increase in acne symptoms around their monthly period, during pregnancy, amid times of stress and of course, during puberty.

2 Comments

Leave a Reply to rosalia estafia Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

Bitnami