What is back acne?
Back acne is same condition as facial acne. The sebaceous glands on skin get stimulated by androgen and produce excess sebum. Sebum is an oily substance produced by oil glands of skin. Over produced sebum clog’s pores on skin and prevent the release of dead skin cells. Thus dead cells, sticky sebum attract bacteria which thrive in these pores to form acne. Back acne have to be treated very carefully as back skin is very thick and oil glands produce more sebum. Back acnes leave ugly scars when healed. The texts of Ayurveda mention many wonder herbs which help in back acne and scars.
What exaggerates Back acne?
Any thing which irritates skin exaggerates back acne. Few are mentioned here.
Back packs which rub the skin surface.
Rough back massages with unsuitable oils.
Tight fitting cloths.
Synthetic clothes which do not absorb sweat.
Rough back seats
Rubbing back vigorously with hard brush or loofahs
Home remedy for Back acne:
Wash your back with mild soap than harsh ones.
Do not use loofahs or long rough back brushes, as they irritate skin and increase break outs..
Mild skin cleansers are best to clean back skin.
Prefer baths than showers as soaking in warm water for 20 minutes help to release dead skin cells.
Avoid tight fitting clothes
Do not wear synthetic clothes as they do not absorb water and allow the moistness to accumulate on skin. This is a favorable condition for bacteria which thrive in skin pores.
Stay away from rough scratchy clothes as they irritate skin.
Wear lose fitting soft cotton clothes.
Do not get your back massaged with rough scrubs or irritant oils.
Put a hair band to avoid falling of hair on back. The sweat and dirt accumulated on hair may fall on back skin through hair strands
Vata and Kapha are two main doshas, which are involved in eruption of acne and pimples The oil produced by oil glands is called as meda (body fat). Kapha (one of the tridoshas) is dominant in meda. The presence of Kapha in meda makes it sticky. Vata is dominant in skin. When vata gets aggravated due to unhealthy diet and life styles, it activates the oil glands of skin to secrete more sticky oil or sebum. Thus the sticky oil or sebum oozes out to clog skin pores.
Ayurveda Diet and lifestyle as home remedy for back acne:
Avoid foods which are spicy, dry and oily. These may cause indigestion and lead to vitiation of vata.
Keep a habit of emptying bowels regularly this always normalizes vata.
Avoid fast foods and soft drinks.
Avoid exposure of skin to severe climatic conditions.
Drink plenty of water.
Consuming fresh vegetable salads and fresh fruits keeps the skin healthy and resistant to blemishes.
Do not consume foods, which lead to indigestion
Drink plenty of water (15 glasses a day)
Avoid excess usage of curds, fish , sour and salty foods, Bengal gram (urad), radish, sesame, horse gram and jaggery.
