Usually, when the dead cells and sebum clog the glands, acne develops. Acne on the arms is one of the most widespread skin disorders. In general, men are more prone to arm acne than women.

Arm acne is in genetics as well commonly called as keratosis pilaris. Keratosis pilaris is a condition that will most commonly affect the upper arms and back, but can also be seen when it come to the legs, thighs and sides. If you think that keratosis pilaris might be part of the problem, it is important that you are aware that there is no known cure for this condition. But many sufferes has control it very well by number of ways.

Upper arm acne is just as common as facial acne. Many individuals have upper arm acne but do not initially notice it. The major difference between face and arm acne is that the latter is easily concealed relatively more easily with your sleeves or jumpers. Arm acne occurs at the same time as facial acne and affects adolescents or some times it can affect individuals much in later life. In general, more men than women have arm acne.

The treatment of arm acne is no different from the treatment of facial acne. Like the facial acne, the same non prescription and prescription medications can be used to treat the acne. Initially one may want to try over the counter drugs to treat the arm acne if the acne fails to respond or appears to be getting worse, one may then try the prescription medications.

Causes of Acne on Arm:

90% of the causes of pimples on upper arms are due to dry skin. The skin of the upper arm tends to collect a lot of dead cells as it lacks proper attention. These dead cells clog the pores and lead to the formation of bumps on the skin. These bumps are related to acne but they are not acne in actual. Most people forget this upper portion of their hands. They would treat their elbows with extreme care by exfoliating it and moisturizing it. But the upper arms are neglected till summer sets in.

Other causes could be hereditary problem such as Keratosis pilaris, hormonal shifts and even vitamin D deficiency. Hormonal shifts occur most commonly among pregnant women which lead to the occurrence of pimples. Keratosis pilaris is not harmful and responds to the treatment through exfoliation and moisturizing. As far as the Vitamin D deficiency is concerned, you can take vitamin D supplements along with your daily diet or expose to sunlight for few minutes. However, tanning skin is unhealthy so it is best to avoid over exposure to sunlight.

Control Acne on Arm:

There are some recommendations for controlling arm acne.

• Never scrub the affected area on your hands otherwise it will just aggravate the acne problem.
• Those with long hairs and those falling on the shoulders and arms areas must keep their hairs short and tidy.
• Consider taking a bath daily as it helps in keeping your hands clean.
• Don’t get dehydrated as many times it aggravates or leads to develop the acne problems. As such try to drink plenty of water.
• Avoid using harsh soaps and instead try using some anti-bacterial ones that soothes the skins.
• A healthy and well balanced diet is very necessary for the keeping the body fit and also prevents from developing the acne problems.
• Consider taking plenty of sleeps as it helps in keeping the stress away which leads to more acne breakouts.