Body acne in summer? Dermatologist explains what you are doing wrong: ‘Sitting in sweat-soaked clothes after gym…’

Your summer habits may be making body acne worse. Find out about the treatment so you can reduce body acne.

Acne is associated with facial breakouts. But did you know you can also get body acne, which tends to become much more intense, especially during the summer? While facial breakouts have dedicated skincare routines to fall back on that help restore and heal the skin barrier, body acne does not get as much attention because of its environmental vulnerability, especially in summer.

In a conversation with HT Lifestyle, Dr Rinky Kapoor, co-founder and director of The Esthetic Clinics, explained why the summer season sees inflammatory breakouts on the back, chest, and shoulders, and what one can do to prevent them.

“The combination of heat, sweat, humidity, and friction creates the perfect storm for clogged pores, bacterial overgrowth,” she described the factors responsible for body acne in the summer.

Why does body acne happen in summer?

Body acne becomes more prominent during the summer months because of a combination of environmental and lifestyle factors. “Sweat mixes with excess sebum, dead skin cells, and surface bacteria to block follicles. Tight, synthetic clothing traps heat against the skin and compounds friction-induced breakouts, a specific subtype known as acne mechanica," the doctor elaborated.

She also mentioned how the habit of applying heavy, comedogenic body lotions or sunscreens without checking formulation labels is also responsible for the breakouts.

Improper post-workout routine in summer worsens body acne

Sitting in sweat-soaked clothes for a long time increases body acne. (Picture credit: Freepik)

Did you know that improper hygiene after workouts may unintentionally worsen body acne? Dr Kapoor clarified that post-exercise habits also play a major role in how breakouts develop and persist on the body, beyond just heat and humidity. She shared her clinical observation, “Many patients with regular body acne end up sitting in sweat-soaked clothes for a long time, delay showers after gym or use harsh scrub in a misguided attempt to 'deep clean' the skin, which can all worsen.”

So, other than your summer humidity and heat, improper post-workout hygiene also adds up. Post-gym practices need your attention, as you are also wearing snug activewear, which further creates the perfect environment for bacterial breakouts.

Treatment

The problem arises when the treatment for body acne is not as dedicated and structured as that for facial acne, but instead remains more fragmented. You need to instead adopt a consistent approach to the body, a full-body skincare approach with the same level of care, discipline, and targeted treatment used for the face.

Here are some of the tips Dr Kapoor shared:

1. Consistently using salicylic acid-based body washes helps exfoliate the follicular opening and reduce bacterial load.

2. Benzoyl peroxide, applied as a wash or leave-on treatment on affected areas, remains one of the most effective over-the-counter interventions

3. For moderate to severe cases, topical retinoids, oral antibiotics, or procedural treatments such as chemical peels and targeted light therapy work

In the end, she debunked the idea that body acne is a hygiene problem, asserting that it is a dermatological condition that requires the same clinical attention and evidence-based care as any other form of acne.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.