Last updated on September 1, 2020
Question:
Hello,
I’m 15 close to 16. I used the puberty calculator and I was at 4.8. My question is: I have acne on my back, shoulders, and chest. It’s not a bad case of it, but I’ve been using anti-bacterial soap instead of regular soap. It had helped, but I don’t see it doing anything else. Will the rest of the acne just go away? Or do I need to try something else to clear it up?
Answer:
A lot depends on your skin type. It isn’t unusual for an adult to have outbreaks of acne even into old age. So, yes, your skin will most likely clear up more as you get older, but you may still need to deal with acne.
What I’m going to suggest is to take your battle up a notch. Get a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and some cotton balls. You can find it in any pharmacy and it is really cheap. After you bathe and before you dress, soak a cotton ball with the hydrogen peroxide and swab every spot you can see. It might sting a bit if there are any open wounds. It will also foam up a bit on your skin. Wait until it drys before getting dressed. Try it for a week or two and see if it makes a difference in the number of outbreaks. Be careful not to get hydrogen peroxide on clothing or carpeting because it can bleach out some colors.
If that doesn’t make a significant reduction, then the next thing to try is a soap or body wash that contains either benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid. Benzoyl peroxide is a chemical that kills germs. It’s biggest drawback is that it bleaches out the color in materials so you need to use a white washcloth and rinse well. You will also need to use a white towel to dry off with. Salicylic acid works by removing dead skin cells and causing the oil glands to stop producing oils for a while. Its drawback is that it can make you itchy if you aren’t overproducing oils.