3 Ways to Zap Body Acne

If you are suffering from body acne (below the neckline), do not feel embarrassed or alone. Many teenagers and adults experience some pimples on their bodies from time to time. It is common during the Winter months when we are wearing lots of heavy, constricting clothing. Tight fitting clothing traps sweat against the skin, leading to clogged pores. Body acne most often occurs on the chest and back.

Acne Strikes Almost Everyone

Acne is a disease of the skin and the term is used to includes blemishes, pimples, blackheads and whiteheads. Acne is most common during the teen years but can strike at any age. Estimates say that 85% of us will experience some acne in our lifetimes. Effective treatment is difficult for some but preventive maintenance is always your best bet. Although acne isn't life threatening it can be uncomfortable and hard on your ego.

The Good News

The good news (if there is any) about body acne (as opposed to acne on the face) is that, because the skin tends to be tougher and it can be covered by clothing, you can be much more aggressive in your treatment of outbreaks.

3 Ways to Zap Body Acne

• Use all the preventive measures you can learn to stop the outbreaks before they start. Eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, avoid fatty and oily foods and, most importantly, drink plenty of water. The Western diet seems tailor-made to produce acne with its abundance of fast food and very little fresh. Add that 90% (by some estimates) of us are under-hydrated, and it's no wonder our skin suffers.

  Add a multivitamin with zinc and some form of antioxidant to your diet for even better results.

  Wash your body daily with a salicylic acid based cleanser. Look for this ingredient on product labels.

• Most of us like to keep ourselves clean and we do a pretty good job of it. But to really avoid acne we need to do better than "pretty good". Make it a habit to wash aggressively several times a day; especially in the morning, after exercise or physical activities and before bed.

  Use only mild soaps and avoid soaps that contains petroleum based products and animal based ingredient for this causes your skin to get dry and irritated.

  As state above, on your body you can afford to be more aggressive. Get a body brush or loofa and use them to really scrub your skin. But, be careful not to scrub too hard and cause irritation.

  Don't forget to frequently clean and change your brushes, wash rags and any other grooming item you use on your body.

• If an outbreak does occur, continue to follow your good grooming and washing habits and add in an acne fighting cream or gel. There are many good ones on the market. Experiment and find the one that works best for you.

  Since the affected area can be covered with clothing, you can apply the treatment liberally and frequently.

Body acne is different from facial acne in several ways and treating it is different. But one thing is the same with both of them. You don't want them! Practice preventive maintenance, treat outbreaks aggressively and knock out acne!

Mark Hester runs the http://myeverydaylife.net/stopacne website where you can learn many more effective strategies for fighting, curing and, more importantly, preventing acne. Acne affects 85% or more of teenagers and can continue well into adulthood. Visit http://myeverydaylife.net/stopacne/ today for aggressive treatments and advise for acne prevention.