What Causes Bacne? It Could Be This Daily Habit
You’ve Googled what causes bacne a hundred times, tried all the tips, and still — nothing.
Meanwhile, your favorite summer dresses and backless tops are buried in the back of your closet. But not for much longer!
It’s time to get real about the true bacne causes and finally learn how to eliminate bacne for good. Ahead, we show you what causes back acne and how to clear bacne for good (and for real this time round).
Best Bacne Treatments 2025
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What is Bacne?
Back acne (or bacne) is acne that develops on your back. It occurs when the hair follicles under your skin become clogged with sebum, impurities, and dead skin cells. Since your back has a decent amount of hair follicles, back breakouts are pretty common. More common than you think.
Acne affects as many as 50 million Americans every year. Facial acne affects 99% of people while 60% also deal with body acne, most commonly on the back and chest.
Types of Bacne
Different types of acne can appear on your back, including:
• Blackheads: Small, dark bumps on the skin caused by clogged pores that are exposed to air.
• Whiteheads: Tiny, white or flesh-colored bumps that form when clogged pores remain closed.
• Pustules: Red, inflamed pimples filled with white or yellow pus.
• Cysts: Large, painful lumps under the skin filled with pus, often deeper than other blemishes.
What Causes Bacne?
Bacne is caused by a combination of factors that contribute to clogged pores, irritation, and inflammation on your back. Here are the most common culprits.
1. Sweating
When sweat mixes with dirt, oil, and bacteria on your skin, it can clog your pores and lead to breakouts. Sweating heavily during exercise or in hot weather can make bacne worse, especially if you don’t shower immediately after.
2. Hormones
Fluctuating hormone levels, particularly during puberty, menstruation, or pregnancy, can increase oil production in the skin, leading to clogged pores and acne. This is why bacne often worsens at certain times of the month or during periods of hormonal change.
3. Hot Showers
While a hot shower feels relaxing, it can strip your skin of its natural oils, causing it to overproduce oil to compensate. This can lead to clogged pores and bacne. Try lukewarm showers instead to keep your skin balanced.
4. Friction from Clothing & Gear
Tight clothing, backpacks, and sports gear (like shoulder pads and bras) can rub against your skin, causing irritation and trapping sweat and bacteria in your pores. This friction leads to what's known as mechanical acne, contributing to bacne.
5. Diet
Certain foods, especially those high in refined sugars, dairy, and greasy or processed foods, can trigger inflammation and excess oil production in the skin. Although diet affects people differently, cutting back on these foods may help reduce bacne flare-ups.
6. Hair Products
Shampoo, conditioner, and styling products can drip down your back during showers, causing product buildup and clogged pores. Look for non-comedogenic, gentle formulas if you’re prone to bacne.
How to Get Rid of Bacne
Now you know what causes bacne. Let’s find out how to treat bacne once and for all—plus, the best products for bacne.
#1: Try Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil fights back acne by targeting the bacteria that trigger breakouts and soothing inflammation. With its natural antibacterial, anti fungal, and anti-inflammatory properties, it helps reduce pimples and redness, making it an effective natural bacne treatment.
Try Truly’s Black Jelly Blemish Body Serum which contains a blemish-busting blend of tea tree oil, charcoal, and witch hazel that work together to extract dirt and impurities, leaving your skin visibly clearer.
Or, mix several drops of tea tree oil with 80ml of water in a spray bottle. After showering, spritz it on your back daily.
#2: Cleanse Every Day
You’ve heard this before, we know. But here’s how things need to be different this time round. First, you need to look for a body wash that contains one of these acne-fighting ingredients: salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, retinoids. Second, you need to use it every single day consistently for at least one month.
Start with Truly’s 24K Gold Black Soap Luxury Impurity Cleanser. This African black soap bacne cleanser clears acne breakouts in no time. Powered by salicylic acid and charcoal, it gently exfoliates and resurfaces, removing dead skin cells and excess oil to clear pores. Your skin will look noticeably clearer after just a few uses.
#3: Moisturize
Yep, you still need to moisturize even with bacne. However, you need to use the right moisturizer. Avoid rich heavy body creams and lotions that will likely clog your pores and trigger more back breakouts. Instead, opt for a lightweight moisturizer with barrier-supporting ingredients.
So, why do you need to moisturize with body acne? Because moisturizing supports your skin barrier. And by supporting your skin barrier, skin stays healthy and protected against external irritants. Plus, keeping your skin hydrated prevents your skin from drying out which can lead to further oiliness and clogged pores.
We recommend Truly’s Dragon Milk Anti-Blemish Body Lotion. It’s an oil-free moisturizer made with a hydrating blend of non-comedogenic shea butter and squalane along with exfoliating lactic acid and glycolic acid to leave your skin significantly clearer with daily use.
#4: Spot Treat
And finally, don’t forget to spot treat those red, pus-filled pimples. Spot treating with pimple patches will extract dirt, pus, and oil from the blemish while protecting against your picking fingers. Ultimately, pimple patches are a great back acne treatment for healing active breakouts and preventing back acne scars.
Patch up your bacne with Truly’s #Heart Your Imperfections Blemish Patches. They contain a healing blend of hydrocolloid, niacinamide, and witch hazel to erase blemishes overnight.
Bacne Before and After Photos
Truly Beauty has won awards for our groundbreaking bacne treatments. Browse our back acne products and start getting clearer today.
How to Prevent Bacne
Preventing bacne starts with being mindful of the factors that trigger it. To keep your back breakout-free, try these simple yet effective steps.
• Shower Right After Sweating: After exercise or a hot day, make sure to shower immediately to wash away sweat, dirt, and bacteria that can clog pores. Keeping your workout clothes on can contribute to clogged pores and bacne.
• Wear Loose, Breathable Clothing: Avoid tight clothing or backpacks that can cause friction and trap sweat. Opt for loose-fitting clothing and breathable fabrics like cotton to keep your skin cool and dry.
• Switch to Lukewarm Showers: While hot showers feel amazing, they can strip your skin of natural oils. Opt for lukewarm water to avoid irritating your skin and causing more oil production.
• Use Non-Comedogenic Hair Products: Make sure your shampoo and conditioner don’t contain heavy oils or ingredients that can clog your pores when they drip down your back.
• Exfoliate Regularly: Gently exfoliate your back with a salicylic acid-based body wash to remove dead skin cells and unclog pores. Regular exfoliation helps keep your back smooth and clear.
• Change Your Diet: Consider reducing your intake of dairy, processed foods, and refined sugars to help minimize oil production and inflammation that can lead to bacne.
How to Get Rid of Bacne Scars
Bacne scars are the result of inflammation caused by acne breakouts on your back. When pimples or cysts form, they can damage the skin tissue. As the blemish heals, the skin may not fully recover, leaving behind scars that range from dark spots to more pronounced indentations.
Back acne scars can stick around long after the acne has cleared, but with the right treatments, you can fade and improve their appearance over time. Here are some of the best bacne scar treatments.
1. Exfoliate Regularly
Exfoliating helps remove dead skin cells and encourages cell turnover, which can fade scars and promote smoother skin. Look for products with salicylic acid or glycolic acid, which gently exfoliate the skin and clear clogged pores.
2. Apply Vitamin C
Vitamin C is known for its brightening and skin-healing properties. It can help reduce discoloration from scars and even out skin tone. Incorporate a Vitamin C serum into your routine to support the healing of bacne scars.
3. Try a Topical Treatment for Scar Healing
Choose products that contain ingredients like niacinamide, retinoids, or alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) which are proven to improve skin texture and fade scars over time. These topical treatments stimulate collagen production and promote cell renewal, which can reduce bacne scars.
When to Seek Professional Help for Bacne
While the right at-home treatments can work wonders for mild bacne, sometimes you may need professional help. A board-certified dermatologist can help diagnose the cause of your skin condition and recommend the most effective treatment options, whether it’s topical solutions, oral medications, or even laser therapy for more severe acne like cystic acne or nodules.
For cases of severe acne, over-the-counter products may not be enough. In these instances, your dermatologist might prescribe isotretinoin, corticosteroids, or other prescription medications to target the root of the problem. For stubborn cases, chemical peels can help clear out pores and reduce inflammation, promoting clearer skin. It’s always best to consult a dermatology expert if you're struggling with bacne that doesn’t improve with at-home remedies or if it becomes increasingly painful or inflamed.
Your dermatologist will guide you through safe, effective skin care products and may even suggest combining different treatments, like oral medications alongside topical solutions, to get the best results.
Will Bacne Go Away On Its Own?
So now we know what causes bacne and how to treat it, but will it go away on its own? Bacne can sometimes improve on its own, but dermatologists say it’s unlikely to fully disappear without proper treatment. That’s why we recommend following the steps above and staying consistent so you can finally say bye-bye to those bacne flare-ups and confidently rock your favorite summer dresses and backless tops again.
Feature photo by Yan Krukau
