Keep getting spots on neck, it's getting me down

[gabbylo]

Wasn't sure which section to post this in, just having a bit of a moan tbh.
I'm in my late 30s and still keep getting spots... No so much on my face (although they're are a few).. But on my neck, all over tops of arms and on my back. Also have stubborn clusters of blackheads on my breasts. I've been plagued for years despite having good personal hygiene, a good diet and healthy lifestyle.
The spots on my neck at usually hard and take 2 to 3 weeks to clear up. They stick out like marbles... I wear polo neck tops and lightweight scarves in an attempt to cover them.
I've been applying apple cider vinegar to them morning and night as I've heard this helps, but still struggling with them.
No allergies that I'm aware of and I only use good quality and sensitive-skin friendly products.
Anyone else in the same boat?

Yes me. I get these and they are awful.

I have had quite a lot of success with the following:

Being very disciplined with cleansing
Using a BHA product
Changing my pillowcase every couple of days
Washing my dressing gown at a high temperature
Really trying to keep my hands away from my neck/jawline
Duac from the GP

This is the BHA I like best :COSRX BHA 4% Blackhead Power Liquid 3.38 fl.oz | Facial Exfoliant | Blackhead Remover | Korean Skin Care, Vegan, Paraben Free | CPNP Registered amzn.eu/d/4nsUT5d

Thanks for the reply. May I ask what a BHA product is?
Thanks, Gabby x

The biggest culprit for me is touching my face/neck (resting my hands on my chin etc) and my neck/chin/jaw touching the collar of my jacket, my scarves etc. I now wash scarves after one wear and keep the collars lower and it makes such a difference.

I get cystic acne on the back of my neck. It’s painful and looks horrendous. The only thing that ever helped was Clinisoothe Skin Purifier. Applied to a cotton pad and wiped over my skin twice daily. If I miss a day the acne comes back pretty quickly.

There are acne treatments readily available from your GP that are much more likely to work than cider Vinegar or cleansers etc. Get yourself an appointment.

BHA is beta hydroxy acid. As opposed to an alpha hydroxyl acid. AHA.

This sounds like cystic acne and I’d recommend seeing your gp if topical over the counter treatments aren’t helping.

I know it’s difficult to get an appointment these days but persevere! This is really affecting your life and mood x

Be careful with hair products. Wash your hair over the bath to avoid pore clogging conditioners washing over your skin in the shower.

I use benzoyl peroxide cream; it’s available at pharmacies- brand name Acnecide.

I've had bacne my entire adult life. Frank Body wash and a back scrubber have really helped.

www.boots.com/frank-body-everyday-a-clearing-body-wash-360g-10315620

Also I got a salicylic acid spray from Superdrug which I spray over my back most days, that's really helped too.

Oh yes agree with a PP about being very careful not to leave conditioner in your skin after a shower.

I also stopped using hair products with silicon in as that was definitely a culprit for me.

*on your skin

Do you find that these spots are around where your hair sits when it’s down? I had this kind of thing from hair styling products. I found that I was particularly reactive to Argan oil and Tamanu oil. (Maroccan oil was a particularly bad culprit for the cystic acne and blackheads for me and I don’t normally get acne of any kind.)

Might be worth trying a restricted diet and reintroducing food groups gradually so you can identify if any foods exacerbate it. I think some people find avoiding dairy products helps.

I need to be careful with both diet and hair products to control my skin outbreaks.

I generally eat a healthy diet but the one thing guaranteed to bring on acne for me is crisps - every time! Problem is that I love crisps so if I am out at a party and see a bowl, I can't resist!

I also need to keep my hair tied back. If I leave it down, it can cause my skin to breakout so I only leave down occasionally, and only when it is clean with no conditioner or other products.

I noticed when I started wearing a necklace 24/7 it was giving me spots - think shampoo etc was getting caught in the chain and causing them. Could be an issue?