People with acne must maintain the same delicate balance when
they shower and shampoo their hair as they do in cleansing their
faces. As with facial cleansers, acne patients use a specially formulated,
gentle body cleanser when they shower, such as Dove or
Oil of Olay body wash. This helps protect sensitive acne-prone areas
of the body like the chest, back, and shoulders from being irritated.
Moreover, since many people with acne have oily hair, in order
to keep oil from the hair from being transferred onto the forehead,
neck, and back, where it can clog the pores and worsen acne outbreaks,
people with acne must shampoo their hair every day. In
addition, they must take special care to rinse their hair thoroughly.
Otherwise, residue from shampoos or conditioners can clog the
pores on a person’s back and forehead. A young woman with acne
explains how she solves this problem: “I have figured out how to
keep my back and chest clear of zits: when you’re in the shower,wash these areas with a gentle soap after you have rinsed the conditioner
out of your hair. I know this can be a problem especially
for girls with long hair; the conditioner goes down your back and
leaves this nice zit-causing film that water doesn’t wash off.”
