Summer is all fun and rosé until somebody breaks out on their butt: Hotter weather equals more sweat equals a greater likelihood of dealing with all kinds of annoying body blemishes, butt acne included.Yes, pimples can and do pop up on your (other) cheeks, an issue that can be especially frustrating (and confidence-deflating) during bathing suit season. But here’s the thing: While it’s certainly possible to get zits on your backside, what you may think are run-of-the-mill pimples might actually be something else entirely different than body acne.So, how can you tell what’s causing your butt breakouts? And, more importantly, how do you get rid of them, and keep them from cropping up in the first place? We asked a couple of dermatologists to explain what may be, uh, behind these irksome spots—and to share their top butt acne treatment tips and tricks.Are butt pimples different from regular ones?In a word (okay, two words), yes and no. “It is possible to get traditional acne, just like you would on your face, chest, and back, on your butt,” Omer Ibrahim, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Chicago, tells SELF. There’s one exception though: Comedones—a.k.a. whiteheads and blackheads—don’t typically show up back there (although experts aren’t sure why, exactly). Instead, you’re much more likely to see angry cysts, pustules, and nodules, because there’s a lot of friction in this area that contributes to inflammation, Marisa Garshick, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York, tells SELF.However, all of the dermatologists we spoke with were quick to point out that what’s frequently called butt “acne” actually isn’t acne vulgaris at all. More often than not, it’s really folliculitis, Kristina Collins, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Austin tells SELF. The misnomer makes sense. Simply put, folliculitis is the inflammation of a hair follicle, which manifests as small red bumps that are sometimes pus-filled, Dr. Garshick says. (In lighter skin, these blemishes may also look white, and in deeper skin tones, they’re typically darker, Dr. Ibrahim adds.) So, yeah, it’s not surprising that these spots can be mistaken for zits.Finally, your bumps could also be keratosis pilaris (a.k.a. KP, a.k.a. chicken skin). While this skin condition typically develops on the backs of the arms and thighs, it can pop up on your butt as well, Dr. Ibrahim notes. Like folliculitis, KP bumps tend to be red or flesh-colored in lighter skin and more pigmented in darker skin, he says.If you want to clear up your “buttne,” it’s important to figure out what’s triggering it in the first place so you can treat it accordingly. Given the visual similarities between the three conditions above, identifying the cause may require a trip to the dermatologist, but there are some key differentiating factors to keep an eye out for…What causes butt acne, exactly, and how do you know what kind you have?If you’re dealing with actual acne, there are a variety of possible culprits: an overproduction of sebum or oil (which can lead to clogged pores), bacterial overgrowth, and inflammation, explains Dr. Ibrahim. The interplay of these factors, as well as sometimes hormonal shifts (which can trigger that excess oil production), is what leads to acne anywhere on your face or body, your butt included, he says. (Note: While extra sweat during the hot and humid summer months won’t cause acne alone, it can definitely exacerbate the situation by increasing the amount of bacteria on your skin, both derms say.)
These Are the Best Butt Acne Treatments, According to Dermatologists
