We all universally agree that facial acne is THE WORST! They always decide to appear the day before a big presentation or a long-awaited date. While they are the most bothersome, acne at any place on your body is quite distressing, including annoying butt acne.
Suppose the weather is getting hot, and you want to show off your body in a bikini. But alas, you see that your butt has a few pimples.
Why? God!
In the beginning, you take comfort that you know how to treat acne as you have treated your puberty acne. But surprise, surprise! Those red lumps on your bum are not the same sort that develops on your face.
Various factors play a role in the development of butt breakouts, and thus the remedies are slightly different. Since the buttocks often don’t produce as much oil as other parts of the body, pimples that appear there are often due to skin irritation, unlike regular acne.
In this butt acne guide, understand the causes and tips to get rid of butt acne.
Everything You Need to Know to Getting Rid of Butt Acne
Skin Conditions Causing Butt Acne
If you’re experiencing butt acne, you most likely have one of the following three skin conditions:
Folliculitis
The red pus-filled acnes are folliculitis. It affects the hair follicles rather than the pores of the skin.
This inflammation of hair follicles may or may not be uncomfortable. For some, it is itchy and sore. These follicles can become infected by organisms that live on the skin, such as Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, yeasts, or fungi, and lead to red bumps and pus-filled follicles. These clogged hair follicles look similar to pimples or blocked pores, which is why many confuse the two conditions.
Contact Dermatitis
An allergic skin rash called contact dermatitis may develop as a reaction to an irritant like scented laundry detergent, cosmetics, or the preservatives in flushable wipes. While the skin condition isn’t contagious, it can be uncomfortable.
Pilaris Keratosis
The development of keratin around the pore entrance causes keratosis pilaris. It is a common, harmless condition that causes dry, rough patches, and tiny bumps on the buttocks. It doesn’t usually hurt or itch.
Whatever the underlying cause of butt acne is, it is possible to prevent and treat them in several ways.
10 Ways to Get Rid of Butt Acne
Wear Loose Clothing
Leggings, skin-tight jeans, yoga pants, and other tight clothing can trap moisture against the skin and cause butt acne. Limit the frequency or duration of wearing tight pants. For instance, change your sweaty yoga trousers as quickly as possible after yoga practice.
Underwear made of silk, polyester, or nylon can also accumulate moisture. Even if you are wearing loose cotton shorts or a skirt, hot and humid weather may put you at risk of developing butt acne. So, go for cotton or wicking athletic underwear.
Shower Immediately After Exercise
The hair follicles may become irritated by sweat that gets trapped against the skin and dries. It may produce the ideal environment for germs to flourish.
Try to plan your workouts and other physical activities in a way that you can immediately take a shower after them. Wait until you’ve showered and changed clothes before going on with your day.
Also, friction on the skin of the buttocks can be caused by sitting exercises like biking, rowing, spin classes, and other things. It might worsen butt acne. In these circumstances, switching to alternate activities might be the best practice, at least for the time being.
Exfoliation
Exfoliating is beneficial in folliculitis cure since it will stop the production of excess oil and aid in the dead skin cell removal from the hair follicle. Exfoliation, whether mechanical or chemical, can help treat folliculitis.
- Mechanical Exfoliation
An exfoliating glove, cloth, or loofah is helpful for mechanical exfoliation. Increased blood flow to the area and the ability to remove dirt from congested hair follicles are two benefits of the scrubbing action.
However, when mechanically exfoliating your butt, it is crucial to be quite delicate. Scrubbing too harshly can cause micro-tears on the skin, which can worsen the condition.
Sea salt is a common element in body scrubs because it works as an abrasive to exfoliate dead skin cells.
- Chemical Exfoliation
Another excellent method for removing dead skin cells and treating folliculitis is chemical exfoliation. Alpha-and beta-hydroxy acid-containing products can help clear clogged pores and cleanse the skin.
Salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, and glycolic acid are further exfoliating agents. While removing dead skin cells, glycolic acid will also balance out skin tone and lessen hyperpigmentation. Benzoyl peroxide can help kill harmful bacteria while eliminating dead skin cells. Salicylic acid can help treat acne by getting rid of excess sebum.
Must Read: BACK ACNE PROBLEM? HERE ARE SOME TIPS AND HOME REMEDIES THAT CAN HELP!
Use Warm Compress
To relax and clean up any butt acne, apply a warm compress to the skin to open and clear the skin’s follicles.
Put a washcloth in warm water, drain off the excess water, and use it as a warm compress. You can also add a variety of drying ingredients to the water.
Use Natural Substitutes
For individuals who don’t want to use over-the-counter (OTC) pharmaceutical lotions, here are the following natural alternatives –
- Tea Tree Oil
A well-liked all-natural skin care product, tea tree oil seems to have antibacterial qualities. It can maintain the skin clear and eliminate folliculitis-causing germs.
- Turmeric
Some people assert that turmeric may help prevent folliculitis. According to a review article, the turmeric ingredient curcumin is effective in combating Staphylococcus aureus, a bacteria that can promote folliculitis.
Daily applying a paste made of turmeric and water to the affected area is a potential treatment. The skin may temporarily turn yellow after using turmeric, though.
- Vinegar
Another natural antimicrobial that could support skin balance is acetic acid, present in vinegar like general or apple cider vinegar. In a study, researchers found that acetic acid inhibited the growth of bacteria on burn wounds. Additionally, they discovered that the acid slowed the growth of germs in lab samples. It’s important to note that the study focused just on acetic acid, and not vinegar.
Adding a cup of apple cider vinegar to a warm bath can keep the skin clear and kill the germs that cause folliculitis.
Zinc Treatment
According to a review article in 2020, those with acne have significantly lower blood zinc levels than those who don’t.
Also, researchers discovered that those with low zinc levels who received zinc therapy experienced improvements in the number of inflammatory papules. Niacinamide and oral zinc are both more efficient at treating acne. Additionally, daily probiotic use is also helpful.
However, despite being a promising therapy, there is still a lack of clear proof that zinc may effectively treat acne. Clinical experiments are still being conducted to evaluate its efficiency.
Use the Right Moisturizer
Although maintaining moisture in the skin is important, some moisturizers might make pimples worse by plugging hair follicles.
For certain people, non-greasy moisturizers with ingredients like lactic acid stop folliculitis from occurring.
As salicylic and lactic acids are related ingredients and are components of various acne treatments. Additionally, coconut oil might be a good option for sensitive skin.
Avoid Fabric Softeners
Skin sensitivity to certain fabrics or laundry detergents can exist. Because of this, the majority of laundry detergent products provide a hypoallergenic variant.
You might benefit from switching to a detergent or fabric softener without dyes or omitting a certain brand of dryer sheets if you believe it is causing your problems.
Avoid using fabric softeners in the dryer, as the residue left on your underwear will impact the skin even more.
Salt Solution
When a skin pore becomes infected, it can lead to pimples. Since salt water has antibacterial qualities, applying it to your skin may, in principle, stop pimples from forming.
Although there isn’t any research on this yet, several people anecdotally claim that salt water helps get rid of butt acne.
If you want to treat your acne with salt water, mix 1 teaspoon of table salt with 2 cups of water and use a washcloth to apply the mixture to your skin.
Medication
Over-the-counter (OTC) remedies like creams, body washes, or lotions containing benzoyl peroxide may be helpful if pimples don’t go away on their own. In case over-the-counter medications don’t work, doctors may prescribe the following:
- Oral antibacterials
- Isotretinoin
- Cream retinoids
- Salicylic and glycolic acids
Boils and carbuncles impact your skin’s deeper layers. Your doctor might suggest an oral or topical antibiotic to treat them. Ask your doctor to puncture and drain the carbuncle. Also, consult your dermatologist before using any medication.
Things to Avoid to Get Rid of Butt Acne
- If you don’t want pimple scars on your butt, it’s crucial to resist popping acne. It may also allow bacteria to enter the area, increasing your risk of getting an infection. Similarly, it’s a good idea to refrain from picking at irritable pimples.
- It’s important to resist the urge to scrub your butt skin too hard if you exfoliate it. Scrubbing might make your irritation worse.
- Unless your doctor specifically instructs you to do otherwise, you should refrain from utilizing drugs meant to treat facial acne. Since pimples on your butt have distinct underlying causes than facial acne, many treatments for facial acne are ineffective for treating them.
We hope you picked up some beneficial tips from this article. The suggestions and methods cited here are relatively straightforward, so hopefully, you get good results without much hassle.
Whatever you do, just make sure to keep yourself clean and dry down there, as moist, unclean skin conditions will only worsen the problem.
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Feature Images Credits – Photo by Drobotdean on Freepik!
