Hi Kelly! I would like to ask for advice on how to improve the skin on my back. You see, I have uneven skin due to back acne when I was younger. And very soon I will be attending a major event that will require me to wear a strapless gown. Help please! —Gracelee C. Fernandez

Getting breakouts on your body is more common than you think. It happens to the lot of us when our sebaceous glands produce too much sebum. As a result, our pores become blocked, dead skin accumulates around the hair follicles, and bacteria begin to develop. This leads to inflammation of the skin, causing pimples or back acne to occur. Treating “bacne”  (back acne) with a body wash formulated with salicylic acid, along with applying a spot treatment on pimples will effectively treat it. (For worse cases, a trip to the dermatologist is your best option.)

While I’m glad you were able to overcome your bout with bacne, you will still have to deal with what it has left behind, like pimple scars and uneven skin tone. These are easily treatable with products, but sad to say, it takes time to take effect. Depending on when your big event is, I should say a good three to four weeks of constant treatment will significantly improve the condition of your back. There is no hard or fast way around it, but rest assured, you’ll be able to wear any dress that will show off your smooth, even back after this. As always, I’ve listed down some easy tips for you to follow in order to quickly see results.

The old adage, “an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure,” is the best way to attack your bacne problem and prevent it from coming back.Whenever I get breakouts I stock up on products with salicylic acid, as these effectively disinfect and exfoliate skin to prevent pimples in the future. You can find these at your local drugstores and department stores. The skincare aisle carries many brands and gives us many options; simply read the label to check if it contains the ingredient. Personally, I’ve found Mario Badescu Skin Care Acne Facial Cleanser quite good in minimizing pimples. Murad also has a good pimple-fighting range. Other powerful pimple-zapping products contain retinoids (Vitamin A) or tea tree oil. Introducing these into your daily regimen will surely keep breakouts at bay and prevent bacne.

Look for products with AHAs. Alpha hydroxy acid has been one of the best-kept secrets for keeping skin clear and even. We don’t realize it, but many of the popular skincare brands include it in their formulation, but in varying proportions. Also known as glycolic acid, AHA and those products with it renew skin by sloughing away dead skin cells while improving the overall condition of acne-prone skin. These come in different forms: facial washes, face creams and peels. If you can’t seem to find it in your everyday range of products, consult your derma about it.

Apply Vitamin C or Kojic Acid. In the past two weeks, I’ve had to endure covering up two stubborn pimple scars with concealer. I finally asked my derma for a solution and she handed me Melaz-K Cream. It basically contains kojic acid, a powerful antioxidant that lightened the scars in two days. I had to apply on the dark area, which means just two tiny dots on my face. Many popular brands also carry effective pimple scar erasers. Just scan the ingredients to see if they contain Vitamin C or kojic acid.