What causes pimples on the back and body and what helps

Pimples on the back and body form when sebum and dead skin cells clog the pores. Sweat and friction make this worse. The back, shoulders, décolleté, bottom and upper arms are most often affected. What helps: gentle cleansing with fruit acids (AHA) and salicylic acid (BHA) and a light lotion that does not clog the pores. Wear sweat-wicking clothing.

You can hardly see pimples on your own back. Still, they get noticed in summer, in a low-back dress or during exercise. With the right care and a few habits, you can get them under control.

What causes pimples on the body?

The back, décolleté and shoulders have a particularly large number of sebaceous glands. When sebum production gets out of balance, the pores clog. Blackheads form. If bacteria multiply inside them, the blackheads become inflamed and turn into bumps and pustules. The most common triggers:

• Hormones: Sebum production changes during puberty, before your period, in pregnancy and during the menopause. You can find suitable care for young skin in our skin care during puberty collection.
• Sweat and friction: Tight sportswear, rucksack straps and bra straps trap sweat on the skin, and the rubbing clogs the pores.
• Unsuitable care: Heavy, greasy creams and residue from conditioner or hair masks clog the pores on your back.
• Stress and too little sleep: This strain changes your hormone balance, and with it your skin.
• Shaving: Hair follicles in the armpits, bikini area and on the legs often become inflamed after shaving.

Whether diet plays a role has not been clearly established. Some women notice more pimples after a lot of sugar or dairy. Pay attention to how your skin reacts.

Why do women get back acne?

The back is where most pimples on the body appear. Several things come together here:

• Lots of sebaceous glands over a large area.
• Clothing, rucksacks and bras sit close to the skin and trap heat and sweat.
• Shampoo, conditioner and hair masks run down your back in the shower. Their conditioning ingredients stay on your skin.
• The middle of the back is hard to reach and often only gets a quick wash.

Tip: Wash your hair first and your body afterwards. This rinses hair care residue off your back. A soft sponge with a long handle helps you reach the middle of your back too.

Women also have some typical triggers of their own. The bra clasp and straps rub exactly where many sebaceous glands sit. Sports bras keep sweat on the skin for a long time. Change your bra after training and wash it regularly. Tie long hair back when you exercise, otherwise sweat and hair products end up on your back. Before your period and during the menopause, the balance of your hormones shifts. Many women then notice more pimples on the back and décolleté.

Where do pimples on the décolleté, upper arms, bottom and thighs come from?

Décolleté and upper arms

On the décolleté, pimples often come from sweat under the bra, from perfume or from rich body lotions. Our guide Neck and décolleté care explains how to look after this area properly.

Small, rough bumps on the upper arms are usually keratosis pilaris (chicken skin), a harmless build-up of keratin around the hair follicles. It rarely becomes inflamed and feels like sandpaper. Here too, care with fruit acids helps to smooth rough skin.

Bottom and thighs

On the bottom and the inner thighs, pimples mainly come from sitting for long periods, tight trousers and friction. Our guide Pimples on the bottom covers the causes and the right care for this area. For chafed skin on your thighs, read the tips in our guide Avoiding chafing.

How do you get rid of pimples on the body?

Cleanse gently with AHA and BHA

A shower gel with fruit acid (AHA) and salicylic acid (BHA) removes dead skin cells and cleanses the pores without scrubbing. The Clarifying Body Wash combines glycolic acid (AHA) and salicylic acid (BHA) with zinc, niacinamide and allantoin. It cleanses and clarifies rough skin and impurities on the body.

Shower soon after exercise or heavy sweating. Change your towel every few days.

Moisturise lightly

Blemish-prone skin needs moisture too. If it gets too dry, it becomes rough and sensitive. Choose a lotion that moisturises without weighing your skin down. The Clarifying Body Lotion is non-comedogenic. It contains salicylic acid (BHA), an AHA complex and zinc lactate. Panthenol and allantoin soothe the skin. Apply it daily after showering.

You get the shower gel and the lotion together in the Clarifying Body Duo. The duo is our care set for spots and blemishes on the back, bottom, décolleté, shoulders and upper arms.

Exfoliate without scrubbing hard

Exfoliating one to three times a week helps to loosen thickened skin. The 2in1 AHA Body Scrub removes dead skin cells and refines the skin texture. Avoid any kind of exfoliation on open, inflamed pimples. Adding the scrub turns the duo into the Clarifying Body Trio.

Important: AHA and BHA make the skin more sensitive to light. During the day, protect every treated area that is exposed to the sun with sunscreen of at least SPF 30. This applies to the shower gel, the lotion and the scrub.

Don't squeeze pimples

Squeezing pimples on your body pushes bacteria deeper into the skin and makes marks or scars more likely. Individual inflamed pimples settle with zinc ointment or healing clay. If you have many pimples or deep, inflamed ones, a dermatologist will recommend suitable active ingredients.

What causes lots of small pimples all over the body?

Small pimples all over the body often have one of these causes:

• Heat rash: When you sweat heavily, the openings of the sweat glands get blocked. Tiny, itchy blisters form and disappear again once you are somewhere cool.
• Irritated hair follicles: After shaving, waxing or wearing tight clothing, hair follicles become inflamed. You can read more in our guide Razor bumps.
• Keratosis pilaris: Small, rough bumps on the upper arms and thighs, usually without inflammation.
• Yeast: Small, itchy pimples of the same size on the back, décolleté and shoulders are sometimes caused by yeast in the hair follicles. The medical term is pityrosporum folliculitis. Have a doctor check it, because care products for pimples are not enough here.
• Stress: Skin often reacts to stress with redness and blemishes. You can read more in our guide Skin irritation caused by stress.

If your skin itches badly, a rash spreads quickly or you get a fever, have a doctor check it. An allergy or infection could be behind it.

How to prevent pimples on the body

• Shower soon after exercise and take off sweaty clothes straight away.
• Wear breathable sportswear that wicks sweat away from your skin.
• Wash your hair first, then your body.
• Change towels every few days and bed linen once a week.
• Avoid heavy, greasy creams on your back.
• Stick with your routine. Skin takes about four weeks to renew itself.

When should you see a dermatologist?

See a doctor if pimples on your body are deep and painful, leave scars or have not improved after three months of consistent care. Large, hard lumps, a fever or a spreading rash also need a doctor.

You can find all products for pimples on the body in the Clear Body routine and in the Body care category.

Sources: German Dermatological Society guideline "Treatment of acne", AWMF register 013-017 (in German). German Federal Ministry of Health, gesund.bund.de: Acne (in German).