Remedies for Sports Acne

For both the teenage and adult athlete, the skin goes through as much of a workout daily as do the muscles, brain and heart. The largest organ of the body, the skin is also susceptible to injury, just as all other body parts are. Fortunately, for many athletes, skin injuries are far less severe than sprains and pulls, and generally come in the form of acne. When discussed medically, most acne that is induced by sports is commonly referred to as sports acne.

Sports Acne Problem Areas

Before delving into great sports acne remedies, it’s good to understand what causes a bulk of acne related issues in athletes. Many athletes who wear helmets suffer from a specific acne outbreaks, often on the chin, cheeks, forehead and possibly on the back of the neck around the hairline. The latter is especially true for football players.

Other athletes, such as runners or those who wear padding such as football, hockey or lacrosse players may regularly experience acne on the shoulders back and chest. And of course, for nearly every athlete, there is the occasional pimple or outbreak of acne on the buttocks. This is true for even the “artistic” athletes such as dancers. In order to deal with sports acne, there are a few great remedies, some falling into the category of skin care, while others can be categorized in “common sense.”

Sports Acne Remedies

There are many acne remedies for the athlete suffering from sports acne, whether it’s mild, severe or only occurs on occasion and in specific trouble spots. First things first, when dealing with sports related acne, you want to offer the skin the best environment to thrive. This means bathing after sports related activities, both practice and games. This will ensure that many skin irritants, as well as dried sweat and skin cells that have been shed are properly cleansed from the skin’s surface.

During a shower, you can exfoliate potential problem areas, any areas where sports equipment was in prolonged contact with the skin. Follow the exfoliation with a great cleanser, such as an astringent. If you have regular acne problems, a good over the counter acne product such as benzoyl peroxide will help do the trick. Just be sure to moisturize your skin after you have allowed any acne treatment to dry.

One of the most important things to remember is that equipment can become a breeding ground for bacteria. Newer equipment is often equipped with foams and products that aren’t as susceptible to germs, but even so, the dried sweat and dead skin cells found in equipment can add to the possibility of developing sports acne.

Clean your equipment regularly with soap and water, and if you play football, lacrosse or hockey, consider scrubbing the shoulder pads good with a sponge and an anti-bacterial soap, then rinsing them clean.

For dealing with acne on the back, shoulders, chest and buttocks, be sure to clean the areas properly right after competition or practice, and treat this skin as you would your face. Put them through a good skin care regimen. Try to wear loose clothing that allows the skin to breathe when you’re not competing, and that should allow the skin to breathe and remove it from an environment of irritants.