Chest and shoulder acne is a condition that can really knock the self-esteem you down as the chest and neck areas are very intimate places. It can dictate where you go comfortably, what you do, and what clothes you wear, as well as how you feel overall. For example, some people with chest acne wouldn’t dare venture on to the beach in a skimpy vest or bikini. Those with chest acne may not want to exercise at the gym, in case the clothes they wear show off the acne or it is seen in the showers. The confidence can take a real battering from chest acne, and even being seen in the altogether by a partner can become a nightmare. Your chest acne may be caused by hormonal imbalance, friction during exercise, or even by the clothes that you wear.
Chest Acne in Summer
Ah, summer fun! Time for outdoor activities, the beach showing more skin. During the summer, however, many women worry about acne not only on their faces, but also on their backs, chests, and necks.
The most important cause of acne is the overproduction of sebum within the hair follicles and the back, chest, and neck are the body parts that excrete the largest quantities of this thick sticky skin oil. Sebum offers a fertile breeding ground for acne on the chest, and other parts of the body, since it’s available to combine with dead skin cells and dirt, on a skin moistened by summer heat.
Acne on the chest can also appear when sweat gets trapped between the night clothes and the skin. Normal turning during sleep can create friction as the chest and back rub against the sheets. Even adorning ourselves can create a problem. The chest area can be constantly irritated by necklaces, which, when combined with perspiration, more skin oils, and dead skin cells, often worsen the acne problem. Close-fitting warm weather fashions can also trap sweat and worsen breakouts.
To treat chest acne, it’s always a good idea to minimize any causes of irritation and use shower or bath gels formulated for acne troubled skin. Aggravation can worsen acne, so using a rough surfaced towel or body scrubs should be avoided. Apply gentle astringents to your skin after taking a shower, instead of lotion or oil. While it may drive you crazy, and you tend to touch or even squeeze pimples in the chest area because they’re easy to reach try to concentrate on never doing this. Avoid saunas when acne is in “full bloom” and at its worst and be sure to deep cleanse the troubled area about once a week using a mud or clay-based mask. Always use clean cotton linens and sleepwear.
Fortunately, a little bit of sun can actually improve your skin’s condition. Always be mindful, however, that sun exposure is a double-edged sword. In moderation, it can help clear breakouts on the chest. Overdoing it will cause surface burning, discomfort, and even premature aging.
Chest Acne in Winter Time
All the layers and layers of clothing we wore during the winter months hid a multitude of sins. The little blemishes on our chests not to mention the ones on our backs and arms. As women, millions of us neglect our bodies during the winter because we’re able to hide it under layers of thick, comfy clothing. But we’re missing something. The only way to be sure you’ll have summer ready skin is to maintain your body care throughout the year. We wouldn’t have to work so hard every spring to get rid of those hidden horrors that we could have prevented.
The chest and back are probably the most neglected parts of the body unless you count your feet (that’s a different article). We don’t pay an awful lot of attention. You have quite a few sebaceous glands all over your chest. Those are the oil producing bodies contained in the hair follicles. In the winter time, these areas are mostly covered so it’s easy for oil and sweat to build up to cause back acne and chest pimples. Friction from snug clothing rubbing against the skin can also create enough irritation on the chest to bring on a breakout.
If you have pimples on your chest, don’t press or squeeze them. This could leave scars and hyperpigmentation (spots) on the skin, or even spread the bacteria that grows within each lesion and aggravate the problem.
On a regular basis throughout the winter, it’s always a good idea to remove dead skin cells from the surface by using a gentle facial scrub on your chest to exfoliate this area. Twice a week should be just about right. Remember when exfoliating your chest that you make sure you don’t pull at your skin as this could damage it. Always moisturize afterward there are many oil-free products that will do the trick. As spring draws near, buff your body, focusing on your chest and back, at least every three days during one month in early spring, as this will get rid of all dead skin cells. By removing dry and dead cells you’ll allow fresh, smooth skin to emerge. When you buff your skin, use a brush that has natural bristles and brush upwards in a circular direction. Dry brushing your skin will help your body to get an all over glow and will also boost your circulation, which will help fight cellulite an added benefit. Take a tepid (not hot) shower to get rid of all the debris and apply moisturizer. Continue to buff your body every third day for one month and then give your skin a rest the next month. By taking care of your body year-round you will ensure that your skin looks healthy and radiant during summer.
Chest Acne caused by Steroids
Lots of publicity about steroids has been hitting the media for years. But, did you know that there’s another reason that we need to be concerned about steroid use? One that’s not often talked about? Did you know that there’s such a thing as “steroid acne”? Absolutely!
Steroid acne is an acne-like skin condition that follows the use of steroid medications. It occurs on the chest most of the time but may also develop on the face, neck, back, and arms. Adolescents or adults who have been taking moderate or high doses of oral steroids such as prednisone over a period of several weeks are most susceptible. Small skin bumps, which may itch, begin to appear on the chest. Sometimes they are pustular, or large firm lumps that seem buried under the skin. Unlike the acne that most of us are used to, most of the lesions are the same size and tend to be small. Pronounced nodules are rare.
It’s true that steroids may aggravate the skin of people who have had acne in the past or who have a family history of acne breakouts. However, most of the time, steroid acne is really not traditional acne at all, but a type of yeast infection. It would not be correct to call this yeast condition an infection per se. It’s the overactive growth of what is normally there. External factors may contribute to the worsening of these chest eruptions, and/or reduced resistance in the affected individual may be the culprit.
The yeast that causes this acne like chest lesions is a type that normally lives on the skin, making it different from food yeast or the yeast that causes feminine infections. The condition shows up on the chests of young to middle-aged adults of either sex. We all walk around with this yeast on our skin and, in most cases, we can peacefully co-exist and it causes no problem. At times, like after a prolonged period of steroid use, the yeast gets down into the hair follicles and multiplies, setting up an itchy, acne-like eruption. External causes can include hot, humid, sweaty environments where the yeast tends to overgrow; clothing that blocks airflow and encourages sweating; and the application of cream based sun products.
Within the affected individual, certain contributing conditions can lead to a tendency to develop steroid acne on the chest. A natural tendency toward oily skin, a compromised immune system, stress, fatigue, diabetes, oral steroid or contraceptives, overweight and oral antibiotics.
Most patients seek advice because of the itch, which tends to come in episodes, along with a stinging sensation. Treatment must take care of both the yeast overgrowth and any contributing factors, otherwise, the condition will recur. The condition also tends to return once any anti-yeast treatment is stopped before the overgrowth is eradicated.
Chest Acne and Clothes
Are your clothes causing your chest acne? Tight clothes that rub against acne aggravated skin on the chest tend to disrupt the area even more and give rise to new pimples by spreading the oil and bacteria. They also prevent the dead skin cells from escaping, which along with the oil, plug the pores and create ideal conditions for bacteria to flourish. The chest and back are covered up most of the year it’s not easy for the skin to breathe.
A debate is raging among dermatologists, and no one can seem to decide whether or not tight clothing might be a cause of chest acne. Changing the way you dress to a looser style, without considering other factors, will not necessarily make the acne blemishes on your chest go away. Smoking the credit cards on a whole new closet full of clothes won’t do it, but being more selective about the shirts, tops, and sweaters you wear could make a difference.
Shirts made of polyester and other man-made fabrics are often cited as culprits, since they don’t allow your skin to breathe, and can make you sweat even more. More sweat, more oil. Mix in the dead skin and any dirt that may accumulate on the chest, and you’re in for serious bacteria growth. However, not all artificial fibers are off limits. Some athletic apparel companies have designed synthetic fabrics that are able to wick perspiration away from the skin on your chest, and isolate the wetness in the outer layers of the fabric, where it can evaporate more quickly.
When working out, resist the temptation to wear that tight shirt to show off your flat abs or bulging muscles. The workout is already making you hot and sweaty. The added heat from the friction of a tight shirt rubbing against your chest or neck will further aggravate your acne.
Everyday staple items like book bags, sweaters, tank tops, etc. rub against your chest, neck, shoulders, and back. If something is rubbing against your acne, then it is most likely spreading the bacteria, and causing more irritation to already inflamed tissues. Why continue to wear a wool sweater that’s driving you nuts? If it’s making you itch, chances are the fabric is probably too rough on your skin. And to combat the itch, you keep scratching it. You’ll end up aggravating any pimples already on your chest, which will then take longer to heal and will be more likely to scar.
Use common sense when choosing what to wear, especially if you’re experiencing chest acne. You’ll have a lot fewer headaches later on.
Natural Chest Acne Treatment Solution
It can be embarrassing. When faced with chest acne before an important event, like a wedding or prom, many of us whine and complain, maybe even feel a little desperate.
Your breakout could be caused by some type of hormone imbalance, which can be corrected with the proper treatment. There are a number of other possible causes as well. Think about your lifestyle. Do you spend a lot of time stressed out from work and situations going on in your personal life?
If you’re uncomfortable about wearing a tank top or vee neck shirt, there are tried and true remedies you can try. Try an acne body wash; there is a number of them on the market. If your chest acne is too stubborn and doesn’t seem to improve after using the body wash, try using a “natural” soap in the shower. Don’t slather on the body lotion, try not to wear tight-fitting tops, change your bed linens often, and drink lots of water.
You can also try avoiding products made with oil or wax. Either one can leave a film on your skin that could eventually clog pores. Try bathing in baking soda or sea salts; they’ve been known to really purify your skin. If the baths make you feel dry you can use an oil-free moisturizer afterward while your skin is still damp. And, never forget that exfoliation is very important even if you don’t have acne. Removing dead skin cells from the surface can prevent them from mixing with the body or product oils. Be careful when exfoliating your chest you wouldn’t want to make it look worse. In addition, use a mud or clay mask twice a week to unclog dirty pores.
Working out can help too. Sweating will help flush dirt and grime out of your pores. Just be sure to wash immediately afterward. Limited exposure to sunlight can benefit you as well. Just make sure you don’t overdo it!
To keep your decolletage at its blemish free best, and slow down perspiration that could lead to pimples, try to wear only cotton tops or breathable activewear. When cotton clothing becomes sweat-soaked, change frequently.
If your big dress up event arrives before you can get zit free, there’s a crafty way to hide the evidence. Using a cotton swab, dab on peroxide to disinfect, then apply a concealer containing salicylic acid. Picking a shade slightly darker than your skin tone will give you the best coverage. Follow with a little foundation, using a very light touch, and set it with powder.
Your special occasion doesn’t have to be spoiled by acne breakouts on the chest, or anywhere else. Prevention is always a better idea, but keep these quick fixes in mind and relax.
Chest Acne Treatment
Whatever the cause of this condition, most people will do anything to find an effective chest acne treatment, which can give them back control of their lives. However, as you may already know, finding a good chest acne treatment is not as easy as it looks. You will find a wide range of over the counter chest acne treatments, but you may already have tried many of these and found them to be a waste of time on your acne. Although there are prescription drugs available, you never know whether they will improve the problem or exacerbate it due to the chemicals.
However, a drug-free chest acne treatment can give you the facility to try a new chest acne treatment without risking any drug based side effects.
