What Can You Do To Reduce Acne On The Chest?
April 27, 2011 by Admin
Filed under How to Reduce Acne Redness
Article by Jamie Lewis
Acne on the chest is not something that people tend to associate with acne, as it is usually thought of as only affecting the face or the back. However, like facial acne, chest acne can result in similar symptoms such as red and inflamed pus filled pimples that can be tender to the touch.
But unlike facial acne, chest acne tends to be much more widespread as it covers a larger area on the face. As a result, treating chest acne may involve making a modification to your normal treatment routines that you normally use on your face.
Below are some of the things that you may want to consider when treating this form of acne.
Showering
When you work up a sweat such as if you go running or when playing sports, it is a good idea to have a shower to rinse the sweat off your chest as if it is left on your chest it may result in your pores becoming clogged which could then create new outbreaks and also spread acne bacteria to other parts of the chest.
Since the chest can also be quite oily, you may also want to use a facial exfoliant or a back brush on your chest to remove excess sebum deposits and surface dead skin cells. Doing so will expose newer layers of skin which will then make it easier for any antibacterial washes or lotions to penetrate your skin thus enhancing their effectiveness.
Some people find benefit from using a shower filter to reduce the amount of chlorine that they are exposed to when showering, as this can help to reduce inflammation of pimples on the chest and on other parts of the body. Reducing chlorine in the water can also help to prevent the skin from becoming overly dry, which may be especially beneficial if you are using topical medications such as Benzoyl Peroxide which tend to have a drying effect on the skin.
Cosmetics
The primary cosmetic that is used on the chest region and underneath the arm pits is deodorant. Cosmetics may also be used in the form of body washes. For some people this may not cause any problems, but for others the chemicals and fragrances found in such products may cause inflammation of the skin and other adverse reactions which can aggravate existing patches of acne making them more severe and delaying the rate at which they heal.
It is therefore worth paying attention to how your acne reacts to any cosmetics you apply to your skin, including your facial skin. If you notice that your skin is reacting badly to the products that you are using, discontinue those products and find something else instead. You may have more success using natural based products that do not contain many artificial ingredients.
Clothing And Bed Sheets
Due to the nature of acne, pus from pimples can spread onto clothes and bedding which can then cause the chest to become reinfected with acne bacteria. It is important to bear this in mind because you can spend a long time trying to cleanse your skin, but if your clothing and bedding is dirty then all you will be doing is reinfecting yourself whenever you put on dirty clothes or hop into bed. To prevent this from occurring avoid wearing tight fitting clothes such as t-shirts or vests more than once and change your bed sheets at least once a week.
Avoid Squeezing Spots
Spots and pimples should not be squeezed because this will increase the risk of acne spreading to other regions of the chest. Most people are aware that they should not do this with facial acne because of the risk of scarring, but because the chest is hidden by clothing many people feel comfortable squeezing spots and pimples on their chest.
In addition to not squeezing, you should also avoid scratching your chest if you can avoid doing so as this can easily result in pimples being torn open and also transferring acne bacteria to your fingers and underneath your fingernails which you could then transfer on to your face and to other regions of the body.
About the Author
For more information on chest acne skin care and facial skin care tips please visit my website.
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