More Than 25 Million People in the U.S. Have Body Acne...So Why Is Everyone Still Hiding It?
This was just one of the many ways Kihal's body breakouts began to impact her life, both IRL and online. 'I'd spend two hours editing one Instagram photo just trying to blur every little bump,' she says. 'I was terrified of what people would say if they saw my real skin.' Though everyone's guilty of being their own worst critic every once in a while, unfortunately, the unwanted comments about her skin weren't just in her head. 'People did make comments,' she explains. 'Little jokes that stuck with me for years,' she adds. 'It completely messed with my mental health.'
By the time Kihal was diagnosed with Sharp's Syndrome—an autoimmune disease that made her breakouts worse—she felt invisible and deeply alone. So, in 2019, she started posting about her acne journey on Instagram. The response? Overwhelming. 'I realized so many people were going through the same thing. We just didn't see it anywhere.'
She's not wrong: According to the American Academy of Dermatology, acne affects around 40 to 50 million Americans, and approximately half have facial and body acne. According to Kunal Malik, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist, body acne is caused by the same factors as facial acne—think oil, clogged pores, bacteria, and inflammation. 'But body skin is thicker and the follicles are deeper, especially on the back and chest, which means breakouts can be more painful and harder to treat,' he says. Throw in friction from tight clothing, sitting for long periods, and sweating through heat waves, and it's a perfect storm.
Summer, unsurprisingly, turns up the risk for breakouts, heat rashes, and irritation. 'Heat and humidity increase oil production and sweat, which creates ideal conditions for acne-causing bacteria,' Dr. Malik explains. 'And when sweat isn't washed off quickly—like after a concert or beach day—clogged pores follow.' And just like chronic breakouts on your face, Dr. Malik notes that body acne can be hereditary.
Textured skin anywhere on your body is totally normal and common, but you'd never know it from your FYP or literally any festival-headlining pop star stripped down to their skivvies. Every visible body looks airbrushed into oblivion—so where's the buttne and chest breakouts? What about the KP, ingrowns, or hyperpigmentation?
Well, it of course still exists. It's just being covered up. While facial acne has become somewhat of an accessory that can be dolled up with kitschy pimple patches, but body acne has yet to get that treatment. 'Natural' makeup looks with hints of skin texture peeking through have become the norm, but those walking the red carpet in a low-cut gown or gearing for a photo shoot still get a full glam routine, just for their chest and back.
Celebrity makeup artist Neil Scibelli even has an arsenal of products specifically for covering up bodne (along with varicose veins, tattoos, you name it) for his pre–red carpet clients. 'I'll use a green color corrector for redness, then a matte, transfer-proof concealer, and finish with powder and setting spray to lock everything in,' he explains. 'I'll typically cover veins, tattoos, scars, or hyperpigmentation with a peach or orange color corrector and then add foundation over that.'
It's no big surprise that celebrities get every inch of their bodies primed and prepped before a big moment in front of cameras. But with filters and AI-supported editing apps added to the mix, real and curated images are becoming hard to distinguish. Social media's obsession with perfection isn't doing any favors for our collective mental health and self-esteem, including when it comes to our skin. 'Social media is still a highlight reel,' says Jessica Stern, PhD, licensed clinical psychologist and clinical assistant professor of NYU Langone Health's Department of Psychiatry. 'The more curated the image, the more people compare—and the worse they feel.'
For Kihal, the impact of that shame was deeply personal. 'I started believing my skin had to be perfect to be worthy of being seen,' she says. 'It took years to unlearn that, and honestly, I'm still working on it.'
She's far from alone. Acne—whether on the face or body—has been linked to increased depression, anxiety, and, in severe cases among adolescents, suicidal ideation. A 2011 study found that people with moderate to severe acne were significantly less likely to pursue romantic relationships.
'Shame thrives on isolation,' says Dr. Stern. 'The less something is discussed, the more it makes someone feel isolated, alone, or defective.' Because body acne is not commonly discussed in the media, Dr. Stern explains this lack of representation can falsely portray as if it is less prevalent, 'which then can make someone who has it feel like there is something wrong with them, which can lead to self-criticism, low confidence, self-rejection, and a poor sense of self.'
However, thanks to the rise of skin-positive creators like Kihal, a much-needed shift is slowly happening. Her followers send messages every day thanking her for helping them feel seen. 'Especially when I show my bacne or scars—things people are still scared to share—I get DMs saying, 'I've never seen someone with skin like mine before.' That's the whole point,' she says.
But as much as social media has helped normalize real skin, it's also part of the problem. 'There's so much pressure to keep up an image,' Kihal says. 'We see 'authentic' posts that are still filtered. Celebs and influencers rarely admit to editing. If more people were honest about what's real and what's touched up, it would change everything.'
Some brands are finally breaking the smooth-skin illusion. A few campaigns in recent years from brands like Billie, Starface, and Fur have showcased stretch marks, acne scars, and texture in an authentic, human way. Still, most beauty marketing treats body texture of any kind like a 'before' problem. Not something that's just there sometimes or that people can live with and feel good about.
So what needs to happen? We simply need to accept ourselves, bumps and all, regardless of what we see on TikTok. 'If you catch yourself thinking, Everyone's judging me, ask: So what? What would happen if you stopped hiding?' says Dr. Stern.
Kihal echoes her advice. 'For a long time, I thought I had to shrink myself to be accepted,' she says. 'Now, I know better. If I want to wear a backless dress, I will. If I want to go to the beach, I'll go. I'm not waiting for my skin to be 'perfect' anymore.'
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