If you have acne on your back, the old adage "out of sight, out of mind" probably doesn't apply. Back acne can hurt, and a bad case of it can make you unwilling to take off your shirt during swimsuit season. Fortunately, a variety of skin care manufacturers offer spray-on medications intended specifically to treat acne on your back.
Causes
Acne results primarily from oily skin and clogged pores caused by overactive sebum production in your skin's oil glands. Because you have oil glands nearly everywhere on your skin, you also can suffer from pimples almost anywhere on your skin. The back represents one of the most common places for pimples to appear, along with the shoulders, face and chest.
Features
Spray-on back acne medication helps people with back acne because it's very difficult to reach some areas of your back to apply lotions or gels, no matter how flexible you are. You can buy several different medicated sprays from respected skin care product manufacturers. Most provide a significant reach with the spray, so it's possible to treat your own back without needing to ask for help from a friend, family member or roommate.
Function
When shopping for a spray-on back acne medication, look for a product that contains either salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide as the active ingredient. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, both of these work effectively to treat acne. Most of the back acne medicated spray products on the market contain salicylic acid as the active ingredient.
Effects
Salicylic acid treats acne because it forces your skin to peel. In the process of peeling, your skin sheds not only its top layer but also the clogs in some of your pores. Salicylic acid can cause some side effects, particularly within the first month of treatment. Users report burning, excessive peeling, stinging and other forms of irritation.
Considerations
Because it's difficult to see your back, even when you're treating it with a spray-on back acne medication, it's possible to develop a severe form of acne back there without realizing it, according to Columbia University Health Services. If you suffer from large, painful pimples on your back, and they hurt even when you're not touching them, have a dermatologist check them out. If they're a form of cystic acne, you may need prescription antibiotics to clear them.
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