Arm Acne

Most of us feel that acne is something that is confined to only the face! But there are many who suffer from acne on the arms, back and even the neck! Dealing with acne can be a difficult job. It is worse if it goes out of control and spreads in the visible areas of the body like the face, neck and arms. Many people tend to develop low self-esteem and even get into depression, which further adds to the condition! Yes, acne can increase if you don't handle stress and depression well! So get out of all the lows, and start educating yourself about the causes of acne, and how you can keep it under control.

What Causes Acne on Arms?

The main reason of acne is the excessive production of oil in the skin, which is also known as the sebum. The sebum is produced under the skin surface to lubricate both your skin and your hair! The sebum first travels through the hair of your body and then comes to the surface of the skin through the opening of the hair follicle. If your body is unable to shed the dead skin cells, then the sebum teams up with the dead skin cells to form acne. Mentioned below are some common causes of acne on arms.

• Excessive sweating of the arms can lead to acne, especially when you don't clean up the sweat by taking a shower or washing it with a mild soap. The sweat accumulates in the skin along with other bacteria, which can make the acne more worse.
• Secretion of excessive sebum from the sebaceous glands which are located in areas like your arms, neck, back, etc. Since the glands are located here, there are more chances for you to develop acne in these areas due to the excessive production of sebum and clogging of the hair follicles with dead skin.
• If you think that constantly rubbing and scratching the acne will help you get rid of it, then you are so very wrong! In fact, rubbing and friction can worsen the situation! If you tend to wear tight clothing with rough surfaces which constantly rub the surface of your arms, then you must stop wearing that if you want your skin to be acne free.
• Females have more acne prone skin during their menstrual period. This happens due to a hormone named estrogen. Even this can lead to acne in arms and back area, even the chest.
• For males who are prone to arm acne, it is due to a hormone known as androgen. These hormones tend to make the sebaceous glands larger than normal, which means increase in the sebum. This hormone also makes the arms and back more prone to acne due to the clogged hair follicles.
• Acne can also be the result of some allergic reaction. Many people tend to have extremely sensitive skin which can easily get irritated when in contact with the skin.

How to Get Rid of Acne on Arms?

The main reason for acne is the clogging of pores around the hair follicles when the dead skin cells mix up with the sebum. In order to get rid of the arm acne, you need to follow the remedies mentioned below.

• As discussed already, people who wear tight clothing are more prone to suffer from acne. Therefore, start wearing loose clothing to allow shedding the dead skin cells and prevent the clogging of the hair follicles of the skin.
• Make sure that you keep your arms, or any area which has acne or sweats a lot, as clean as possible. If you exercise, then make sure you take a shower as soon as possible.
• Change your clothes everyday to prevent the dust particles to make the acne worse.
• Never ever scratch or try to rub the acne on your arms, unless of course, you want your arms to be filled with scars and wounds.
• There are many skin care products available in the market containing effective ingredients like salicylic acid and benzyl peroxide. You can use these products to massage the acne affected area for about 30 seconds and rinse it off. Be careful of the benzyl peroxide as it tends to bleach the clothes. Also consult your doctor before using these products as they might have some additional reactions.
• You can always experiment with some natural acne cures which includes application of tea tree oils, fish oil, honey, aloe vera, etc.

It is best to consult a doctor if your acne is getting out of control. He/she will give you the correct guidance and treatment to get rid of acne. Even in the worse case scenarios, laser treatment can be used to get your body free from this condition. So make sure that you use mild soap to keep your arms and body clean. The more you allow the dead skin to shed and prevent from clogging the pore, the better it would be to keep your skin more healthy and free from arm acne, or, any kind of acne for that matter. Take care.