Acne problems

[ga>me>ak]

When I've done 2 wk trips, my back breaks out horribly/painfully( Yes, I use a external frame). I am curious if others have had this problem and what you did about it. Alcohol back scrub by trail angels I know this is a kinda bad subject, but, I have some real concerns with this considering it's a 5-6 month trek. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

[max patch]

The best advice that anyone can give you is to see a dermatologist and explain what is going on. There are medications available which suppress acne formation.

One thing that may be relevent to a hiker...some acne is caused by excess perspiration in conjunction with clothing that does not breathe. You may want to sponge bath your back nightly (no big deal; I warmed water each night and wahed my face with soap and water because it felt good) and change the type of shirt you wear (i.e., if you are wearing polyester change to cotton) and see if that makes a difference. Might make a difference. Might not. Best bet though is to see the doctor.

[Jumpstart]

"Back"-ne is a really common problem, so don't feel embarrassed about asking questions about it. Most people we hiked with had flare-ups of it quite a few times. Usually where you waist-belt rests on your hips all day, everyday...

The advice to sponge bath your back nightly will certainly help, and make sure you're clothing breathes and wicks sweat very well, anything you can get off your skin will help keep your pores open. Take your pack off when you are just standing around and let your skin "air out". If it's a really serious problem, aside from a visit to the determatologist, you might want to consider carrying a small, refillable bottle of a toner that has salicyclic acid in it..it's an acne medication and dries out the skin fairly well, and is found in lots of over-the-counter acne stuff. You can treat painful bumps with over-the-counter creams, as well, and they come as small as 1/2 oz. tubes, Neosporin Plus (the stuff you put on cuts and burns), suprisingly, works wonderful for healing acne. Might be worth the weight if it's truly a painful problem.

Good luck!

[gravityman]

Could this be an allergy? I know that I break out when we use certain soaps to wash our clothes. The sweating could leach the soap out of our clothes and cause a more sever reaction. And the pack pushing it up against you could also add to the problem.

Is it only in summer, or also in winter (when you aren't sweating). What clothing are you wearing?

Of course rinsing your back at night will probably be the most help.

Just a thought...

Gravity man

[MadAussieInLondon]

sweat pimples. i used to get it in summer on my back (but only on my waistline). heat depending. usually i had to be out in the sun all day working to get it.

[fancyfeet]

I too get acne when hiking, especially in the summer when I sweat a lot. I like Clearasil pads, because they're relatively lightweight and you don't have to carry a liquid which can spill.