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Embarrassing Bodies , 9:00pm Friday 12th March 2010 on Channel 4. Catch up for free »

Conditions

Acne

Acne vulgaris on the back

When talking about how we switch on to the opposite sex during puberty, comedian Eddie Izzard once said: “You think, ‘I want to get off with people, so I’d better look my best. Then Mother Nature says, ‘No! You will look the worst you’ll ever look in your life!’”

The common skin condition, acne, is often to blame, with around 80% of teenagers afflicted with some degree of acne between the ages of 13 and 18 years (although, a minority of cases may also start in adulthood). Commonly occurring on the face, arms, back and chest, acne occurs in puberty because of changes to hormone levels, which cause the sebaceous glands to produce increased amounts of sebum that blocks the hair follicles and causes spots ranging from blackheads to painful red nodules. Acne can often correct itself, but there are also a number of over-the-counter and prescription treatments available.

What the Men in White Coats Say

Comments and Questions

The EB doctors have been looking at your comments and have answered some of the common questions below. Remember that it is always best to check with a health professional if you have any concerns about your health.

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i have spots on my bum and its really affecting my relationship because I wont let my bf see me naked. How do i get rid of them?please help.





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spots shouldnt matter in the relationship, it more so that you feel less confident because you have them. try and be more confident about yourself, love who you are,then that will be when you can show yourself naked to your bf

Hey, Im 17 years old and have had awful acne since i was 11 on my face, back and chest. I've tried every cream and tablets you could think of that doctors perscribe and none of them touched it. I then went on the pill 'dianette' If your a girl i'd definately recommend this as it really improved my skin. However i had to come off the pill and my acne not worse. I went to a dermatologist.. They know what their talking about! If your acne is that bad, Get an appointment with them. Im not on roaccitane and my skins never been clearer!





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hi im 29 and ive had acne ever since i was a teenager, ive tried over the counter stuff and a whole host of other things with no luck, so i went to see my gp at the time, and i was put on roaccutane i was about 17 at this time, i took it for the time they recomended, altough it cleared it up for a few years, not completely tho the acne returned as bad as ever, now i have acne scarring,and still get acne, i feel so depressed i avoid going out there for rely on my partner to take the kids to school, and normal every day stuff, i really dont want this to affect my children, and be a burden to my partner, please can u advice me on the best thing to treat this. thank you.





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I’m 13 and I have loads of acne on my face! It makes me feel less confident. I’ve tried tea tree, witch hazel, savlon, face masks, Clearasil face washes and wipes and a topical treatment from the doctor. But none of them have worked, is there anything else I can use that might help?





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i am 14 and i ave really bad acne on my face chest and back and i am really self concious. i cant wear low cut tops because of it and recently they ave gotten really bad. i ave gone 2 the doctors and they said their is nothing they can do. they did say i could go on the pill but i cant because i ave a kidney problem. wot can i use i am allergic 2 most things. please help me. i feel adnormal and a freak. i need help and fast.





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I'm 15 and ever since i was in primary school i've suffered acne on my face , i was prescribed some orange and yellow tablet thing but it didn't work , when i hit secondary school around 3rd year they cleared up around my cheecks and forhead but left me big ones on my chin and some under my chin , also down my clevage line ive gotten quite a few spots and blackheads and theyre driving me crazy . My back and tops of my arms are pretty bad aswell . None of the creams from chemists help and i'm really desprate to get rid of the ones on my face and chest atleast





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I have an extremely irritating problem with hair follicles around my mouth that is very embarrasing and causes me to avoid going out and effects my social life etc. I am nearly 31 and male, and a few years ago saw a dermatologist for acne. This was on my upper arms, chest, moderate on my face and on my upper legs, which I was told was common for young men. I took a course of Roaccotane (not sure if correct spelling), and this helped. A big trouble for me is the irritation. I have thick dark hair and often get ingrowing hair around the mouth area. Sometimes the follicles are literally a millimetre or two and trapped or under the skin and have a pin pricking sensation if touched. It drives me absolutely mad and I drive myself mad because I cannot NOT touch it and end up making it look red and angry giving the appearance of cold sores. When I say not touch it, I mean I am not at ease until I have removed the hair. And half the time it is a cluster of hairs in the same tiny area that are causing me irritation. There is a visible whiteness attached surrounding the root of the removed hair (compared to a hair mistakingly removed adjacent to the one causing irritation). It is obsessive behaviour I guess and I have had a couple of comments labelling it self harm. An ex girlfriend even said I have OCD which I don't believe to be true. I have caused redness in the skin on the moustache area and slightly on the top of the chin. And seem to be in a contiuous cycle of flare-ups, skin healing, clear skin andback to flare-ups. I currently apply bio-oil and aloe vera from inside capsules, and have had peroxyl cream and anti-biotic cream from the GP in the past. Do I have a gland problem? Am I producing to much hormone or something? Is scarred skin preventing hair from growing through normally? I also suffer with depression which is up and down and wonder if it is even connected with this?





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I'm 19 and have never had spots as a young teen, as soon as I hit 18 I started to get spots so badly that I was getting upset all the time. I went to my doctor and they gave me an antibiotic called lymecycline I was told it would take 3 months for them to start working. While waiting I found an acne cream called quinoderm, I apply 3 times a day and the cream and tablets have cleared all my spots although I get a few now and then. I advise people to try the cream as it was a big help!





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I'm 19 and have never had spots as a young teen, as soon as I hit 18 I started to get spots so badly that I was getting upset all the time. I went to my doctor and they gave me an antibiotic called lymecycline I was told it would take 3 months for them to start working. While waiting I found an acne cream called quinoderm, I apply 3 times a day and the cream and tablets have cleared all my spots although I get a few now and then. I advise people to try the cream as it was a big help!





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hi. your right that was the sme cream i found at chemist dosent cost much but dose miracles.. dose have a strong cent 2 it. who cares aslongas it works.. try it

Hi - i'm 25 years old and suffer with bad acne on my face and back. I've had various treatments from the doctor, antibiotics and contraceptive pills but none of them work. I eventually asked my doctor to be referred to a skin specialist and have been given a course of isotretinoin. I've been on the tablets since late november and am now starting to see a difference although not as quickly as i thought. Not nice side effects terrible dry skin and the acne did get worse for while, but i still suffer with the acne on my face although my back seems to be getting better. So there are options out there for people, dont suffer in silence see the doctor or a skin specialist because they can help and make you feel normal again!





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It looks like no one else has asked this question, so please fill in the rest of your details below.





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Content supplied by NHS Choices

Acne is a chronic skin condition that affects most people at some point during their life. It causes spots to develop on the skin, usually on the face, back and chest. The symptoms of acne can be mild, moderate or severe. Read More »

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