What Is Butt Acne And How To Get Rid Of It
Buttne - shorthand for butt acne, is a very common and unflattering skin condition. In addition to being unsightly and give you a bumpy butt, buttne can also be painful and itchy. So what’s the trick to getting rid of booty breakouts? Unfortunately, there is not quite one silver bullet to get rid of butt pimples. Rather it requires some lifestyle changes and a little commitment on your part. Let’s tackle the multiple ways to start getting rid of buttne.
What Is Buttne?
Buttne is actually a misnomer. The main reason for red bumps on the butt is due to folliculitis which is erroneously called “acne”. If you are going to get rid of the “buttne”, then it’s important to understand you need to treat butt breakouts a little differently than facial acne or bacne.
Though they both are types red bumps, the causes of body acne and folliculitis are actually quite different. Technically, acne only forms on the face, back and chest. Folliculitis is caused by infected or irritated hair follicles. An over-the-counter spot treatment from your dermatologist won't treat folliculitis in the same way it helps with acne. Similarly, oral antibiotics will likely only be prescribed in severe or recurrent cases. A staph infection of the hair follicles can be caused by something as harmless as leggings trapping moisture on the skin of your butt or a bad reaction to waxing. Even though it is not acne, there are still many ways of getting rid of buttne caused by folliculitis.
1. Learn How to Exfoliate
Exfoliation is the best way of getting rid of buttne. Put simply, exfoliating is the removal of the layer of dead skin cells on the most upper layer of the skin. Often times the cause of folliculitis is caused by dead skin cells that clog the hair follicles and thus irritating them - which causes bumps and dark spots. Exfoliation is very different from just plain scrubbing however and that is important to remember.
Scrubbing the buildup of dead skin cells off your butt with a physical exfoliant like a face scrub actually causes more irritation and can lead to worse buttne. Physical exfoliants have are abrasive, they remove the dead cells but also end up creating micro-scars on the surface of the butt. Same goes for loofahs, which can house loads of icky bacteria, or scrubbing too hard with a washcloth. Use a dedicated exfoliator, not excessive force.
A non-physical (chemical) exfoliant on the other hand, like the Bawdy Slap It Butt Mask, uses natural ingredients like orange peels full of citric acids containing alpha hydroxy acids which work to loosen the connections between the dead skin cells. Once those connections are weakened, the dead skin cells can be easily washed off- without physically scrubbing the skin.
2. Manage Your Sweating
Excess sweat is also a leading cause of buttne. Sweat, when trapped against the surface of your skin, will cause irritation against the skin. Similarly to how thighs are irritated when rubbed together while moist, a similar phenomenon happens with the sweat on your butt and your clothing.
Obviously, you have no control over how much your butt sweats and if you are an active person, sweating will be an inevitable part of your routine. However, there are ways of reducing the effects of the sweat on your butt.
For one, the type of clothing you were can be having an effect. Tight clothing, especially spandex yoga pants, are great at keeping in moisture. If you like to workout in yoga pants, odds are there's a lot of sweat being trapped against your butt and that's causing the buttne. Consider working out in clothing made primarily from cotton. Cotton breathes much better than spandex and thus will let the moisture caused by sweat leave easier.
3. Making Sure You are Showering In a Timely Manner
It’s a very easy mistake to make, you come home from the gym, you make yourself a meal, do the dishes, watch some tv - it may be several hours before you shower. This is not the right move for someone with buttne. Remember folliculitis can also be caused by bacteria infecting or blocking hair follicles. By not showering after the gym you are letting bacteria-filled sweat remain on the skin of your butt and multiply. By the time you shower, the bacteria have already entered your pores and are causing irritation. To reduce this issue you should shower as soon as you can after working out with a body wash or cleanser. While folliculitis won't be treated by your typical topical acne treatment, maintaining proper skincare is still going to help stop bacteria from clogging your follicles. If you use a cleanser with salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide for blackheads and flareups on the rest of your body, remember to give your booty a soft wash with an exfoliant or antibacterial treatment as well. Consult your dermatologist before starting any acne treatment for zits or whiteheads on your chest and back.
4. Remember to Moisturize as Well
Going back to dead skin cells - dry skin leads to an excess of them, which then leads to more cells blocking your follicles. A healthy regimen of using lotion to moisturize your butt can go a long way to reducing buttne. The Bawdy Bite It mask is also a great option. The Bite It mask contains Sodium Hyaluronate which is a natural, yet very potent, moisturizer. A few treatments with the Bite It mask will also help to keeping your butt from getting too dried up. Alternate between the Bawdy Bite It mask and a body lotion within your regular dermatology routine.