Acne and hormonal changes go hand in hand. Every time you see a pimple, you blame hormones. But have you ever had a clear face but pimply neck or shoulder? Suspicious, right?
Even though you might criticize hormones and bacterias for acne, there are plenty of other reasons behind the red pimply spots on your body.
From medication to changes in diet to wearing tight clothes, everything causes acne.
That’s right. Friction or pressure on your skin can also result in nasty painful bumps called acne mechanica.
And if your skin is already acne-prone, that’s a bonus for acne mechanica to ruin your skin.
Thank goodness. An effortless skincare routine and some proven home remedies can cure acne mechanica without any side effects.
Want to know how? Let’s shed more light on how to get rid of tiny evil pimples and make your skin clear again.
What is acne mechanica?
Your skin reacts to the frequent pressure or friction by popping out small reddish pimples.
Tight clothes, sports uniforms, equipment, bra strap, backpack strap, and anything that rubs or squeezes on your body is the culprit of sudden acne breakouts.
Rigorous rubbing of clothes on the skin surface disturbs the hair follicles on your skin, causing inflammatory pink and red papules, pustules, and nodules, AKA pimples.
While papules and pustules are irritating, nodules are more severe deep pimples and painful ones.
Friction or heat is more likely to open up the skin pores and clog them with dirt, oil, bacteria resulting in angry little spots.
Usually, sportspeople who wear jerseys, caps, knee pads, helmets for a longer duration are more likely to get acne mechanica.
The shoulder, forehead, neck, arms, legs, buttocks, and face are the most commonly affected areas.
How To Identify Acne Mechanica?
Identifying acne mechanica could be a tricky subject if it’s on your face. Because facial acne could be hormonal, it could be an allergy or due to a bad diet.
Then how would you distinguish?
Hormonal acne wouldn’t leave your face out of misery. It’s not merciful. So, the very straightforward way to identify acne mechanica is when your face is clear, but your neck, back, or arms are all pimply.
Initially, you won’t be able to see any pimples. Your skin would get rough, dry, and itchy without showing any acne. However, the red angry bumps will start popping out on your skin soon.
Here Are The Common Observations To Identify Acne mechanica
- If you see reddish-pink painful blemishes on the part of your skin after performing a few sporty activities.
- There are pimples on your shoulder around your bra strap. Or only on one shoulder where you carry your bag.
- You have a sudden acne breakout after joining a gym or after you started working out.
- Your entire face was clear, but you have sudden acne breakouts on face after using
forehead bands or frequently wiping sweat from your face after an activity. - Your skin was flawless in the summer holidays but popped out acne on your back after you started going to school/college carrying a backpack.
Those pimples might be painful to touch or might have a burning sensation. That’s how you know it’s acne mechanica.
There are various ways to treat and prevent painful acne mechanica. And of course, you can quickly try some of the remedies at home.
How to Treat and Prevent Acne Mechanica?
The easiest acne mechanica treatment is to prevent it from happening.
1. Wear loose clothes: Try not to wear a tight bra or a skinny pair of jeans. I prefer loose and comfortable clothes that are not rubbing or squeezing your skin. Thigh to thigh friction can also cause acne.
Prefer wearing soft cotton clothing. Be careful how you touch your face or skin. Do not scratch or rub near the acne-prone area.
2. Let your skin breathe: Your skin reacts to almost everything. The reason being, it needs to breathe as much as you do.
Leave the skin surface open for a while. Don’t apply anything to the acne. Give enough opportunity for your skin to breathe.
3. Thorough cleansing: Clean the skin pores using a soft cleanser. Use an acne mechanica mask or a face wash with salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide.
Salicylic acid products are gentle exfoliants that deeply clean your skin.
You need a cleanser that will remove all the dirt and reduce inflammation. Averr Aglow’s Radiant Cleansing Nectar is the best product suiting all skin types.
Care Tips:
- Do not scrub cleansers on the affected area
- Gently apply cleanser on the skin
- Wash and dry it by tapping a soft towel
4. Simple skincare routine: Setup a suitable skincare routine. Exfoliate your body at least twice a week for sports-people who must wear safety gear and a helmet, remove the kneepad or helmet when you are not playing.
Take an exfoliating and cleansing bath immediately after you remove sports gears. Everyday skin care routine can do a lot of benefits to your skin.
The above home remedies will work most of the time, but what to do if it doesn’t help?
See a doctor
Surely, you can treat mild acne mechanica at home. Eventually, it will go away if you follow the above prevention tips and home remedies.
However, prolonged acne mechanica might cause serious skin problems. Untreated acne might cause acne vulgaris, dermatitis, or other skin conditions.
If you do not see any positive results from the home remedies, it’s time for you to consult a dermatologist to understand your symptoms and suitable treatments.
Beautiful ladies, don’t entertain that annoying acne try to have a skincare routine. Avoid any pressure or rubbing on your skin. Pamper your skin like a baby!
