Back-ne: How do I treat embarrassing acne on my back?

We all know that acne can form in places other than the face. One common place for people to develop acne is on the back. While back acne is not caused by clothing, backpacks or sweating, these things can promote breakouts. You may want to reevaluate certain clothing that promotes sweating, which causes excess build up in your pores and can promote breakouts on your back. As with facial acne, it is important to stick to a daily skin regimen to treat and prevent this stubborn acne.

We suggest two simple steps to help treat this type of body acne:

Step 1: Wash the back with a facial or noncomedogenic (won't plug pores) cleanser. Stay away from regular soap on your back. We recommend West Dermatology Acne Treatment Body Cleanser, specifically designed for use on areas of the body other than face.

Step 2: After the shower treat your back with an acne medicated gel or cream like benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid. We recommend West Dermatology Acne Treatment Toner Pads. These pads contain both glycolic and salicylic acid which can accelerate the removal of dead skin cells that can interfere with the proper oil drainage of the skin and help to reduce the number of acne blemishes (papules & pustules) and blackheads (comedones).

Remember that severe acne and cysts, should be treated by a dermatologist.

Dysport vs. Botox

Dysport is a new product, similar to Botox, that has shown to smooth out wrinkles and expression lines revealing beautiful, youthful skin. In fact, both Dysport and Botox injections are made from the same protein, Botlulinum Toxin A, and are both approved by the FDA. They are also similar in the way they are administered and in their results as well. So, are they any differences between the two products? The answer is yes. While the two products are very similar, there are a few differences:

1. Dysport might be slightly faster acting. Both have similar mechanisms, but some patients seem to have a faster response with Dysport. Dysport reportedly takes effect within 4 to 7 days and lasts up to 4 months. Botox reportedly takes effect within 5 to 7 days and lasts 3 to 4 months.

2. Unit sizes are different. The unit sizes for Dysport are slightly smaller so you should expect a higher unit amount of Dysport than Botox.

3. Dysport is competitively priced. Dysport is offered at a cheaper rate than Botox, but you may need to pay more to receive the same results as Botox.

As you can see, the differences between the two products are mild. So, the next time you visit West Dermatology you may want to ask your physician about these two products.