Darn! It's bad enough for some people to have to deal with acne breakout problems on the face, but for those of you who suffer with acne constantly breaking out on the buttocks, I feel your pain. And what about that acne's nerve? I mean, it doesn't care. It doesn't discriminate. It has no sympathy. It will affect anyone at any age, race or gender at anytime and anywhere on the body - including the butt.

Pimples on the butt are an annoyance that you are constantly reminded about every time you sit down, or go to the bathroom, or take a shower, or put on a bathing suit, or whatever. They're just there and you know it and you want them gone. I'm sure it's disheartening when you find that your butt is sometimes literally covered with zits, even between the butt cheeks at times! These zits are unsightly and embarrassing, and they can also be very sore when they get inflamed - can't they? And you've tried everything to get rid of them. You've tried scrubbing and scrubbing them hard and long, you've tried popping them, you've tried different over-the-counter and prescription medications, you've tried eliminating chocolate, just about everything you can think of, but they still seem to hang around.

What Exactly is Acne?

The most common form of acne develops when hair follicles on the skin become blocked with dead skin cells, coupled with the over-production of oil secretion by the sebaceous glands under the skin. When pores are blocked, oil builds up beneath them, causing bacteria to grow and multiply. Because of this, the affected area becomes inflamed and produces acne lesions or pimples in the form of pustules, cysts, whiteheads or blackheads.

What Causes Butt Acne?

The causes of acne on the buttocks vary but some common causes include irritation from non-fragrance free detergents or fabric softeners, stress, hormonal changes (not just women, men can have hormone fluctuations too), or perspiring under tight-fitting clothing. When you perspire with snug clothing on, perspiration from your sweat glands, your natural body oils and bacteria can clog pores and cause acne to start.

#1 "Get Rid of Butt Acne" Mistake

The biggest mistake that you can make when trying to get rid of acne on your rear is to overdo scrubbing the affected areas and not following an effective cure regimen. Do not scrub, scrub, scrub. This will only cause more irritation and encourage the bacteria and infection to spread and to fester.

What Can You Do?

Part of an effective butt acne cure regimen includes gently exfoliating the affected areas, by using a loofah or acne cleansing sponge to lightly wash your bottom, as opposed to abrasively scrubbing it.

Be sure to shower as soon as possible after perspiring heavily. Also, while exercising or doing other physical activities which cause you to sweat, be sure to wear cotton clothing that fits loosely. This will allow your skin to get more air and hinder the development of acne in undesired places, like your behind!

Do not pick or squeeze the pimples on your butt, this will cause them to become infected.

Follow an effective skin care regimen for your behind, just as you would your face. Note, the key word here is effective. So find one that actually works.

Acne or Keratosis Pilaris?

If you have a bunch of red or white bumps all over your butt, and possibly the legs too, that seems to be a little hard pimple rash, but you're not really sure. It could be a condition called - Keratosis Pilaris. This condition develops when hair follicles become blocked and get inflamed because of the over reproduction of keratin proteins in the skin cells. This causes bumps to develop which usually seem to be worse in the winter months, more so than in the summer months. Also your doctor can prescribe Erythromycin 2% to help with the symptoms, but it probably won't clear it up completely in most cases. Be sure to inquire about this type of butt acne at your next doctor's visit.