How to get rid of shoulder acne must be one of the most emotional and psychological pressures that most patients face, as this dreaded skin condition has to be continually hidden, wherever it may be.
You feel self-conscious, ashamed, angry, with a total loss of self-esteem and self-confidence. If you suffer from the severe form of shoulder acne such as nodules and cysts, which are sac-like lesions filled with dead skin and bacteria, you will feel like a social outcast and want to withdraw and disappear from society altogether!
Shoulder Acne Causes:
There are many possible causes:
- Wearing clothing that is too tight or not showering after strenuous exercise. Sweat will collect under shoulder pads, bra straps, oil (sebum) collects in the now clogged pores, bacteria thrive, and whiteheads and blackheads appear. This is called “acne mechanica.”
- Bleaching your clothes will make this acne worse.
- If you have sensitive skin or are allergic to certain shampoos, hair conditioners, these have run off your shoulders and back when showering, and if not cleaned and dried properly, the reaction will lead to breakouts on your shoulder and back.
- Antibiotics such as penicillin, doxycycline, and co-trimoxazole (the latter also prescribed by dermatologists to treat facial acne), will cause breakouts of pimples and pustules mainly on the shoulders.
- A form of yeast, known as Malassezia furfur, can grow on the shoulders and cause acne-like breakouts here.
- A severe form of acne, called Acne Conglobata, occurs on the shoulders, back, and face, usually in men ages 18 to 30. Here, large lesions appear everywhere.
How to get rid of acne on the shoulder in these cases?
- Wear loose cotton shirts and loose collars.
- Avoid bleaching and adding fabric softeners when you wash your clothes.
- Change your shampoos, hair conditioners until you get the right mix.
- Do not use penicillin or any antibiotics.
Your shoulder acne will go away when all these changes take place.
Get a more proactive natural and holistic treatment:
- Most of the treatments that work for acne on the face, such as antibiotics, tea tree oil, Retin-A, Tezaroc, Differin, cleansers, nourishers, exfoliators, skin scrubs, etc., have little effect on the shoulder acne. In addition to these temporary cures, they are expensive and have many serious side effects.
- When shoulder acne is accompanied by other acne conditions elsewhere on the body, the underlying causes are often hormonal and genetic factors.
- Also, stress is the main cause of all acne conditions.
- Daily walks, increased exposure to sunlight, and more sleep will greatly improve all types of acne cures. For example, walking increases life expectancy, helps lower blood pressure, keeps the mind alert, etc.
All of these methods are inexpensive, drug- and antibiotic-free, and stress-free!