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Every summer it is time for less clothing and exposed backs for both men and women. Swim wear, backless dresses, or for men removal of their shirts outdoors can become quite embarrassing when back acne is a problem.

Back acne you might not see it, but if you have it, you'll certainly feel it. And although not everyone will get acne on their backs, this condition is common enough to have earned the nickname, 'bacne'. Sounds funny but it isn't really. The back area is home to thousands of sebaceous glands and each one is busy producing a lot of oil. Tight-fitting clothing and clothing made from fabrics that don't allow the skin to breathe are two of the biggest instigators of back acne. Even wearing a backpack has been attributed to triggering bouts of back acne.

These types of clothing and accessories trap the oil that's being constantly produced by the sebaceous glands on the back. And just like the acne that appears on other parts of the body, when the sebaceous gland gets clogged, dead skin cells become trapped inside the hair follicles and soon, bacteria is on its way, inflaming the tissues surrounding the affected areas and causing acne.

Any type of acne can appear on the back including whiteheads and blackheads, pustules (the surface type), papules (a bit deeper) or the acne can form deep in the skin and cause acne cysts. Back acne doesn't seem to be triggered by hereditary, stress or a poor diet, but long hair has been known to aggravate the pores on the back. If you have long hair and back acne, you might want to keep your hair off your back.