Acne on my bottom
I have pimples on my bottom! Help.
Question: Please don’t laugh. I have pimples on my butt. I can’t wear a bikini, and I hate the zits. Is there help?
Mimi: Acne can occur on any place on your body. At least back or bottom acne is usually covered by clothes. But now that summer is here, let’s get it cleared up.
Use an exfoliating scrub cleanser made for back acne. Apply an acne treatment. Try one that sprays on the back or bottom even if the bottle is held upside down. Dot an acne spot treatment on pimples as they arise.
Call your esthetician and ask if she will give you a back or bottom “facial.” She was trained in school on back “facials” and may have taken extra training in bottom “facials.” If you have pimples ready to be extracted, expect uncomfortable extractions. Request that she use High Frequency electricity on the pimply areas.
Read my past articles on acne. Treat your bottom and back acne the same as you treat your face. Your diet plays a large part in the condition of your skin. Same as for a beautiful face—drink lots of water; eat fruits, veggies, whole grains, beans, and nuts. See if cutting back on milk and cheese helps.
Your esthetician may have an oral nutritional supplement designed to minimize acne. Try it. It will have a money back guarantee, so what have you got to lose but your zits. Increase zinc supplements. Read the label on your multivitamins. Do not take a supplement containing iodine if you have pimples with pus in them. Also, if you get pimples with pus in them, avoid seafood, especially crab and lobster. Change from iodized to plain salt.
If you have somebody willing to help you, you can pop the pimples at home. Wash your hands and the affected area. Hold a warm, damp washcloth over the area. Then use Q-tips to squeeze the pimple. Be gentle. If nothing comes out, then leave it alone until it is “ripe.” After popping a pimple, apply hydrogen peroxide.
If you get pimples at “that time of the month,” you can talk to your doctor about birth control pills that help minimize acne. If you get cranky just before or during that time, try taking essential fatty acid supplements (flax seed or fish oil are good) at night all month long. The oil helps with mood swings and depression.
As much as I write warnings about sun exposure, I will tell you to get a tan. Your butt is not exposed to the sun all day every day as your face, chest, and forearms are. So, always wear sun block on those over-exposed areas. However, if you have acne on your bottom, I recommend putting sun block everywhere except your bottom. Put on a thong and get some sun. Be careful not to get sunburned. Remember, this is almost baby skin and can’t take much sun exposure. The sun will help dry and heal the acne. Lie out before 11 am or after 3 pm so you don’t get direct rays.
Please do not expose your face to the sun in hopes of clearing facial acne. The free radical damage isn’t worth it.
And my totally inappropriate closing comment is to laugh at the Junior High School or College Fraternity song (which is better sung than read): She’s got pimples on her butt she’s pretty.”
Mimi Barre is the owner of International Day Spa, 325 Cajon St., Redlands.
Send your skin care questions to her at MimiB@INTLdayspa.com. She and her estheticians are available for personal consultations. (909) 793-9080. Past columns of Ask Mimi are on the web at www.INTERNATIONALdayspa.com.
