Clearing Back Acne and Hyperpigmentation

Commentary and a Complete Protocol

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, just a deer with a background in chemistry and a hyperfixation on skin. This is not medical advice.

Like many gym rats, Alex Feinberg suffered from cystic acne for most of his life. We used benzoyl peroxide and an alpha hydroxy acid lotion to make this magic happen:

While acne is sometimes caused by diet, for plenty of people, it’s a product of genetic predisposition to enlarged sebaceous glands and/or excess sebum production. This is common among men with high testosterone levels as sebum production is yoked to androgen levels.

The issue here was two-fold: 

• Acne across his back and shoulders, likely influenced by bacteria caused by sweat and skin genetics

• Hyperpigmentation, likely due to excess melanin production as his body’s response to inflammation from the acne 

Here’s exactly what we did to clear up his back acne and hyperpigmentation: