Back acne tends to be seen more frequently on adults, mainly men who participate in vigorous sports and wear tight cloths. One theory of how back acne occurs is as follows:
While playing vigorous sports, the perspiration absorbs into the clothing and ultimately some is absorbed by the skin, expanding it somewhat like overstaying your time in a hot tub or bath. This swelling puts pressure on the pore which can cause it to narrow or close. Once this occurs a plug can form which is the beginning of an acne liaison. If this is the cause of your acne then switching to baggy clothing or changing your sweat bands more frequently may help.
Back acne treatments can be somewhat different than what you would use on your face as the hair follicles are different. On your face the hair is about the same size as the pore it comes out of making the space for the sebum limited. The hair follicles on the back however are very small and therefore there is much more room for the sebum to escape and pour onto your skin.
For some reason it has been found that back acne responds slower to typical acne treatment products than one would expect based on facial experiences. As with facial acne one of the first places to start is to ensure you are cleaning your back on a daily basis using a body wash which contains one of the two main over the counter products: salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide.
