Middle-aged acne?

April 28, 2009 5:26 PM

At age 39, I suddenly have bad acne on my back and neck. How did you make yours go away? Details inside.

I've never had acne this bad before, and don't know what is causing it. It's not on my face, only back and neck. My dermatologist prescribed both tetracycline and an astringint (forget the name), and they didn't do a thing. I cut my hair. I never wear sweaters that cover the neck. I recently stopped resting my chin in my hands while at work. My diet has improved enormously in the past few years since I started watching my weight. And it's still there. It started before I took up the violin again (and it spreads farther than the location of the instrument anyway). I don't mind the back so much because it's not visible, but the neck is just awful. How did you get yours to go away, and what could possibly be causing it? Thanks.

posted by Melismata to health & fitness (19 comments total)

Did you switch shampoo? Panteine Pro-V always, immediately, makes my back and neck break out.
posted by whimsicalnymph at 5:36 PM on April 28

What whimsicalnymph said. Conditioners can also do it - I asked a woman who cut my hair, and she pointed out a couple of ingredients to watch for. Some things aren't normally categorized as comedogenic, but some people are just sensitive to them.
posted by dilettante at 5:55 PM on April 28

Hormone shifts may be to blame - middle-age is when things start to shift around in our bodies, I'm told, so it might be worth having a blood test to find out whether you're balanced or not in that manner.

Switching shampoo, lotion, conditioners, etc. can definitely cause an outbreak of acne. So can a change in laundry detergent or fabric softener.

Make sure that your pillow case and your blanket/duvet/cover are washed regularly - while you're drooling at night, or sweating, your bedding is absorbing that and smooshing it back onto your skin.

You mentioned that you're working to keep your hands off of your skin while you're at work - but make sure you have very clean hands while sleeping. I tend to curl up in a ball while sleeping and, if your hands are covered in lotion or just generally not clean, that ends up on the neck/face area.

One of the biggest things people will tell you about acne is that it's from not washing your skin well enough or often enough - but the flip side is that over-washing makes it worse. Your skin shoves out more oil when it feels 'stripped' and that makes you wash more and.. on and on and on.. bad cycle!

After being prescribed some pretty harsh products, I learned that the more 'harsh' stuff just makes things worse for me.

Since you asked what worked.. I use Spectrojel "for combination skin" gel on my acne-prone spots at least once a day, cleansing my skin gently (not scrubbing hard, and using only my fingertips to wash - no washcloths or poofs or whatever). Once a week, or thereabouts, I use a very gentle exfoliating scrub (in my case, St. Ives for Sensitive Skin)

I use Cetaphil moisturizer only on spots where I have specifically dry skin (i.e., not on active acne) and, otherwise, HANDS OFF. No other lotions or potions. I wear makeup approximately once every 2-3 months and otherwise, nothing.
posted by VioletU at 6:03 PM on April 28

Anecdote: Ever since I've been swimming in a salt-water pool, my wife says she has noticed my skin clearing up significantly.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 6:15 PM on April 28

Also, my skin is very sensitive and I have found that the only thing that works for me is Ivory soap in the shower followed by Johnson and Johnson's Baby Lotion (in the pink bottle) after I dry off. (I have sensitive baby skin so I use baby skin products. This logic seems to have worked.)

This is after trying all kinds of expensive dermatologist crap.
posted by whimsicalnymph at 6:20 PM on April 28

Nthing the hormones. I developed cystic acne in my mid-thirties for the first time in my life - it's not that unusual for this to happen as one's hormone levels shift.

You didn't mention what gender you are - another cause of "bacne" can be oral contraceptives. Ortho Tricyclen made my back look like the surface of the moon!

Benzaclin has helped me the most. Had to fight my insurance company to get it, but it's the only thing that works without irritating my skin.
posted by chez shoes at 6:25 PM on April 28

Granted I was in college, but mine cleared up almost completely when I when I started taking ortho birth control. The last bit went away when I quit wearing make-up, and switched to non-comedogenic (sp) facial cleanser and moisturizer. (i.e. dove)
posted by debbie_ann at 6:27 PM on April 28

Did you try using a good scrubby brush for your back and neck?
posted by Fleebnork at 6:46 PM on April 28

Scrubby brush/loofa + benzyol peroxide wash. Salacylic acid (beta hydroxy) lotion (example) during the day.
posted by ch1x0r at 6:59 PM on April 28

It could be something more serious than basic acne caused by hormones or toxins on your skin. I'm working with my dermatologist to figure out what's causing me to suddenly develop acne on my scalp, but so far she hasn't identified the source of the problem. First she thought it might be staph or folliculitis, so she took a culture of puss; results: negative. Then she thought it might be some type of bacterial infection, so she put me on topical and oral antibiotics. Didn't help. Now she put me on a steroid shampoo to stop the inflammation and I'll have a biopsy taken next week. She says there could be several causes of the problem, but at this point she needs the biopsy because I'm not responding to textbook treatments. Many dermatological conditions are exacerbated by a high level of stress, which I'm also experiencing. Ask your derm to take a culture to see if there's something bacterial causing your acne.
posted by HotPatatta at 7:11 PM on April 28

Having lived in high humidity areas most of my life, I've learned that breakouts can be an indication of a low-level fungal infection. Washing the area with a medicated dandruff shampoo such as Head'n'Shoulders or SelsunBlue ends the breakout and helps the skin clear up.
posted by LOLAttorney2009 at 7:37 PM on April 28

I got the same when I was about 36. Just like you, out of the blue, and it was getting really bad. After looking around on the net for a while, I came upon acne.org and the forums there strongly recommended washing my back with Head & Shoulders.

I was beyond skeptical, but they were really earnest and reporting fantastic results, so I gave it a try.

WOW. My back was much better in a week and completely clear in less than a month. I still can't quite believe it. Go over there and read for yourself.

Good luck.
posted by Cobalt at 9:21 PM on April 28 [1 favorite has favorites]

Have you recently started exercising? If so, take a shower immediately after, and wash all workout clothing after one wear. I have breakouts on my back occasionally, and I'm pretty sure it's from working out.

In the shower, you can try using an acne wash on your back. You can get one specifically for your body, like this by Neutrogena, or even a whole regimen with wash, toner, and topical cream, though that's harder to do on the back than your face.

It seems like with acne, what works for one person won't necessarily work for another, and with so many factors at play it can take awhile to find the right solution for you. Definitely get advice from your doctor or even a dermatologist, as they can tell you if the acne is indicative of something more serious. They can also prescribe oral or topical medication. I really regretted suffering with acne for so many years before consulting a doctor. I ended up finding the most success with something over the counter, but my doctor's involvement spurred me to be more aggressive in finding a solution.

(This is what finally worked for me, for what it's worth. I just hesitate to recommend it because it is so expensive, and isn't that practical for the whole back.)
posted by JenMarie at 9:44 PM on April 28

I don't know very much about what could cause your particular outbreak, but I do know that Dial antibacterial soap helped tremendously when I had severe acne on my neck and back when I was younger. It worked even better than most washes and astringents my dermatologist prescribed.
posted by chicago2penn at 10:02 PM on April 28

Alpha Hydrox which is 10% Glycolic AHA worked for me. It's pretty harsh and your skin will need to get used to it, but I've seen a huge improvement with it. It's technically for wrinkles, but don't let that discourage you --> all the good wrinkle stuff doesn't do much for wrinkles but does a lot for acne.
posted by whoaali at 10:27 PM on April 28

Oh and I've also used Head and Shoulders as a leave on type lotion (heavily diluted) it worked pretty decently, but having to dilute it to basically sudsy water and letting it dry was a lot more complicated than just the glycolic AHA which is a regular lotion. I never could find a particularly good way to apply it, but it is definitely worth a shot as others have said.
posted by whoaali at 10:29 PM on April 28

Rosacea? Looks like acne sometimes.
posted by FauxScot at 1:14 AM on April 29

Soy is also a common culprit.
posted by P.o.B. at 7:12 AM on April 30

I'm 38 and I went through a full course of Accutane about 6 years ago and really stopped having bad acne after that. Then a few months ago, my hairline, arms, chest, and back started breaking out like they did prior to Accutane therapy.

I've been in a hotel room working since Sunday night (four days ago). I forgot my shampoo, so I just went out and bought something cheap, and in four days, my skin has almost completely cleared up. The shampoo I used at home was Pantene.
posted by 4ster at 8:52 AM on April 30