Back Acne or something - how do I clear this up?

[ArtVandelay]

Hello, I had a few months on Cerazette last year as was still BFing and wanted to try oral contraception. Well, it turned me into a fat, spotty harpy so I stopped after 5 months. The spots on face and chest have long gone but the back spots are just awful. They come out in clusters, they hurt, they are hard and often won't squeeze out despite being angry and red and quite swollen. The worst clumps are on my shoulder' shoulder blades and upper back but I've got some lovely ones that are months old just sitting on my spine and above my bum. Up till now I hadn't had this problem since I was in my early teens and I'm mid 30's now.

I stopped the Cerazette in October and I stopped BFing in August so I would have thought hormones would have levelled out by now.

I have got a GP that will take me seriously and send me to a Dermatologist but I wondered if anyone had any experience of this because I hate all the rigmarole of Drs. Also not keen on medicine unless I really have to in case of side effects.

So if anyone knows what to eat, drink, rub on it or wash it with I would be very grateful. Sorry its such a yuck problem, I hope noone is eating and reading this.

shower with Australian Body Care tea tree skin wash - it has proper high grade tea tree (I know you can buy tea tree for £1 a bottle but it is shit) and is brilliant for acne. I'm sure you can buy it elsewhere but check out the reviews on the qvc product link here...ABC Skinwash

Hmmm. Thats 20.99? for 500mls and free postage from Look Fantastic or QVC 1 litre 22? with probably about 12? postage to Germany. Its not cheap, especially if it doesn't work... Thanks for the pointer though - will mull it over.

See if it is on ebay/amazon???

I don't know of any products but I find washing my back with a loofa on a stick thing (as opposed to a brush) really helps - gentle and exfoliating enough but not too rough.

I take the Boots Skin, Hair and Nails vitamin complex and that helps too.

I only really get spots on my back, but they got so bad (after babies/the pill) that I avoided the beach and had to keep very covered up last summer as I was so concious of them. They also hurt, the pressure that build in them is quite immense! I have actually found a good scrub can make things worse.

I have tried lots and have had a couple of courses of Retin A gel prescribed by my Dr, which really has helped. I also now take perfectil nail, skin and hair vits, I still get monthly hormonal lumps that take a while to clear, but my skin on my back is much better now, just hope it stays like that til the summer. I use sudacream for the big eruptions and I find this reduces the inflamation. I was keen to use topical treatments first rather than antibiotics as those tehnd to give me other fungal things to worry about!!

Try Jason Tea Tree Satin Body Wash, you can get in in Health Food shops or on Amazon, worked for me!

I had the same after being on microgynon and I went to my GP who prescribed me some cream that worked very well or you can use a small face "sun-bed" type tanning device for your back.

Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences. Shirley its like you describe - so hard and painful. I think I'm just going to suck it up and go to the Drs. My concern with the Tea-tree is that it might irritate my folliculitus and keratosis by being drying. I sound a right mess don't I?! Actually the last two problems are well under control at last which is why developing a lumpy back is most disappointing.

Might give the sun-bed a go Missy as I remember that being quite effective when I was a teenager. Just a couple of goes though as I know that brings its own problems...

DH has this problem and has found that Lush's 'coalface' soap - black stuff - worked really well and not too expensive.

Coal face is fab, also the rassoul and other 'muddy' ones. I can't bear scrubbing the bath afterwards though!

It's definitely hormone related - spots on upper back/chest/shouldersare a testosterone issue. I have suffered myself and spent most of my 20's and early thirties covering my back/shoulders up.
The only thing that worked for me was finding the right contraceptive pill. I've been on Marvelon, Dianette and Microgynan but finally, Yasmine has sorted me out. Took a few years before, between and after pregnancies, of trying these different pills. Not happy to be on drugs but have PCOS issues so if I don't go on one of the pills, I'll end up fat and hairy. It's not a difficult decision