(two questions in one day from me!)
My daughter (almost 13) has a few zits on the top of her back. I bought some Neutrogena body wash with salicylic acid for her. I assume she will use our regular soap (Dove body wash) for most of her washing and shaving and then just spot wash with the Neutrogena on the top of her back where the zits are. Am I correct in thinking this? I never dealt with back acne so I'm not sure how it's done, but I figured the body wash for it might be a little strong to use on her entire body.
Aww poor girl. Yeah, you are right. Just have her use it where she gets acne. I agree with the prior poster too about the exfoliation. She might be getting it also because she can't reach her back to wash it very well, so make sure she is finding a way to wash her back every shower (that's where the brush might come in handy). Also, have her take a shower after she sweats (like if she does sports).
You might want to try getting her a back brush.
A little gentle exfoliation can be enough to keep the pores open.
http://illkid88.hubpages.com/hub/Backne
http://www.bustle.com/articles/28784-how-to-treat-back-ac...
My son has severe acne as well. This site has been a Godsend.
acne.org
I always had bad acne on my shoulders when I was young. Big red pimples all over my shoulders. When they first started coming on the market I bought the shower puffs and use them from head to toe every time I take a shower.
No more pimples on my shoulders but I do still (at 60 yrs old) get them on my butt.
The dermatologist recommended Panoxyl for back acne. You only use it on that area and let it sit 5 minutes before washing it off. It comes in two strengths 4% and 10%. If your daughter's skin is ultra sensitive than try the 4%.
Apparently back acne is more persistent and takes longer to clear than the face.
If it were me, I would have her seen by a dermatologist as a proactive move so you are prepared for this and can control it.
Talk to the doc about this. A lot of kids get bumpy skin and there are certain ways to treat that compared to other ways to treat actual break outs and blackheads. That way you'll be doing it right. Our pediatrician told us what to do and it was good. It was not using chemicals. It was cleaning it well and using a lot of moisture to keep the Keratin clogs from becoming hard and stuck in the pores.
