spotty back, how do i clear it up???
Discussion
ive always had a spotty back and ive just got to do something about it.
i get a range of spots and boils on my shoulders and a series of large boils and spots down where my spine runs. they are a nightmare when sitting on some wood seats, patio furniture etc.
when i go on holidays in the sun, it seems to dry my back out and it's spot free until i get home, then after about 3 weeks it returns to being boily and spotty.
i shower 2 times daily and use a back scrub, dont really have a sweat breaking job. my back does sweat a fair bit though just walking and doing some things my job entails. after a shower my mrs has starting putting talc powder on my back to dry it out but im not seeing any great results.
any advice is appreciated
i get a range of spots and boils on my shoulders and a series of large boils and spots down where my spine runs. they are a nightmare when sitting on some wood seats, patio furniture etc.
when i go on holidays in the sun, it seems to dry my back out and it's spot free until i get home, then after about 3 weeks it returns to being boily and spotty.
i shower 2 times daily and use a back scrub, dont really have a sweat breaking job. my back does sweat a fair bit though just walking and doing some things my job entails. after a shower my mrs has starting putting talc powder on my back to dry it out but im not seeing any great results.
any advice is appreciated
Firstly adult acne/boils can be a sign of high blood sugars and/or insulin resistance. For example they're a fairly common sympton of type 2 diabetes and of PCOS (the latter in women). So it might be worth looking at your diet and cutting back on the junk food, beer and refined starches, and even thinking about visiting your doc if you have any other symptoms (e.g. reactive hypoglycemia, thirst, peeing a lot etc.)
As to controlling spots already there, I find tea tree very effective. That was recommended to me by a very good GP eons ago and now I swear by it. You can get a bottle of the neat oil and add a few drops into the bath. However I tend to use Holland and Barratt's Herbal Authority tea tree body wash - it's rather stronger than the stuff you can buy in the supermarket.
As to controlling spots already there, I find tea tree very effective. That was recommended to me by a very good GP eons ago and now I swear by it. You can get a bottle of the neat oil and add a few drops into the bath. However I tend to use Holland and Barratt's Herbal Authority tea tree body wash - it's rather stronger than the stuff you can buy in the supermarket.
cheers guys, i am 27, and dont really suffer from acne on my face etc. just my back.
i think i will go and see my gp next week and get some blood tests done and see if they can prescribe me some cream or tablets.
i am changing my diet and lifestyle as of monday. i dont smoke and hardly drink, maybe one night out with the lads every 2 months if im lucky
i think i will go and see my gp next week and get some blood tests done and see if they can prescribe me some cream or tablets.
i am changing my diet and lifestyle as of monday. i dont smoke and hardly drink, maybe one night out with the lads every 2 months if im lucky
plumAJP said:
cheers guys, i am 27, and dont really suffer from acne on my face etc. just my back.
I never got spots on my face, even as a teenager, but I started getting huge ones on my legs from my mid-twenties. It turns out I'm also insulin resistant. These days I only break out if I eat grains/starches/veg oils for a few days (I usually eat paleo style).
Edited by oldbanger on Saturday 18th July 21:31
plumAJP said:
if your insulin resistant what other symptons would there be? apart from spots boils? would it effect my wieght or would certain foods make me feel different
Well in my case I have PCOS, of which insulin resistance is an underlying cause, but since you're a guy it's probably not relevant to list off those symptoms.However other symptoms I've heard of include skin tags, fatigue, darkened skin on areas such as the neck, armpits, feeling very sleepy after a meal, getting irritable/giddy when hungry, being prone to put on weight especially around the middle, increased blood pressure, elevated triglycerides, depression. ... IR is very very early stage type 2 diabetes (and it doesn't just affect fatties - many type 2 diabetics are slim/normal sized)
By the way, high fructose intake may cause IR
e.g. see http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/2/1/...
i have a fair amount of skin tags, no dark patches, not really irretable when hungry. as for blood pressure im not too sure, never felt wierd or dizzy etc. unless im starved. been in and out of hospital for various things, had blood tests and bllod pressure tests, no one has said anything about them, so presumed i was normal.
i know i will have high level of bad cholesterol as my diet is poor.
im going to start to change my lifestyle but would be nice to know if im insulin resistant so i can void foods that contain the nutrients/ingredients that i shouldnt be takin in.
i have 2 sisters, one has PCOS the other doesnt. my mother and father are fine and no one else in the family tree has anything similar to this, my sisters' sister (aunty) has under active thyroid if thats anything to link to this.
thank you so much for youe help and info so far. im so glad i posted now as i would have plodded along thinking i was just normal with a sweaty back lucky really as if i had left it, it could have lead to type 2 diabeties
i know i will have high level of bad cholesterol as my diet is poor.
im going to start to change my lifestyle but would be nice to know if im insulin resistant so i can void foods that contain the nutrients/ingredients that i shouldnt be takin in.
i have 2 sisters, one has PCOS the other doesnt. my mother and father are fine and no one else in the family tree has anything similar to this, my sisters' sister (aunty) has under active thyroid if thats anything to link to this.
thank you so much for youe help and info so far. im so glad i posted now as i would have plodded along thinking i was just normal with a sweaty back lucky really as if i had left it, it could have lead to type 2 diabeties
Looks like you know what gets rid of them.
Ive seen them mentioned as helping a few times, got to be worth a try.
plumAJP said:
when i go on holidays in the sun, it seems to dry my back out and it's spot free until i get home, then after about 3 weeks it returns to being boily and spotty.
I`d say get yourself on the old sun beds.Ive seen them mentioned as helping a few times, got to be worth a try.
The talc may dry your back out, but it could also be blocking your pores, causing more problems.
Have you tried Savlon cream?
My missus shaved parts of my back recently, so I didn't get mistaken for a silverback on holiday this week. Savlon cream worked a treat, as it did after my tattoo.
Have you tried Savlon cream?
My missus shaved parts of my back recently, so I didn't get mistaken for a silverback on holiday this week. Savlon cream worked a treat, as it did after my tattoo.
I had this problem, with really bad spots on my shoulders and back. I tried prescribed antibiotics, but they didn't do much.
I ended up having my back lasered with "n-lite", which did the job brilliantly. The therapist who did it said it was a bacterial infection, that kept getting spread as i sweated.
Make sure you shower immediately and scrub immediately after any exercise.
I ended up having my back lasered with "n-lite", which did the job brilliantly. The therapist who did it said it was a bacterial infection, that kept getting spread as i sweated.
Make sure you shower immediately and scrub immediately after any exercise.
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