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Acne is so annoying. Whether you’re a teenager navigating inflammatory and cystic acne, in your 20s dealing with hormonal acne, or an adult acne sufferer trying to fade acne scars, nobody actually wants a pimple. And it’s not just a facial issue—acne can affect your chest, back, and shoulders too. 

While there are tons of products and advice dedicated to clearing facial acne, we couldn’t help but notice the lack of information about clearing stubborn chest and back acne once and for all. We consulted double board-certified dermatologist Dr. Brendan Camp on how to manage acne-prone skin, body breakouts, and treatment options to help you get a handle on your body acne.

Why does body acne happen?

According to Dr. Camp, acne occurs most often in areas of the body with a high concentration of oil glands.

That means places like your face, chest, and back are common sites for acne to form and cause breakouts. Sure, acne on your face can result from oily skin, dry skin, hormones, inflammation, or not removing your makeup. But why can acne happen on the rest of your skin? And is it any different from a pimple on your face?

“Back acne, just like facial acne, can be associated with increased oil production, hormonal changes, exercise, and sweat accumulation,” Dr. Camp explains.

“Body acne, such as chest acne and body breakouts on your back and shoulders, can also be triggered by friction, tight clothing, and anabolic steroid use.”