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Sitting, spanking, sweating, violently squeezing into too-tight spandex Lululemons — your butt goes through a lot year-round, even if your skin isn't prone to breakouts. If it is (or even if it's not, but you've somehow made contact with the subway seat when wearing a dress on a sticky Summer day) it's likely you've experienced the mysterious citadel of delight that is butt acne.
This is not uncommon. "Generally speaking, acne on the buttocks may be caused by other bacteria, either in addition to, or in place of, p. acnes, as well as a type of yeast, or even a small mite in the skin," said dermatologist Rachel Nazarian, MD. "Increased butt-ne in Summer can be a result of excessive sweating and friction in the area. When the bumps are caused by something other than p. acnes, the condition is called folliculitis, or an inflammation of the hair follicle."
In case you were wondering, this is all in addition to the regular culprits of acne, like hormones, oil production, and dead skin cells getting caught in the pores. "Compressive undergarments, lack of showering, and other poor hygiene habits could also be the cause," she said.
If you want to treat your badonkadonk before slipping into a bikini — which, hey, is a lot less restrictive than yoga pants (score) — Dr. Nazarian recommended a "combination approach, using products that exfoliate and others that help kill the bacteria." Check out the best acne treatments to try ahead — because don't you wanna coddle the one body part that's always 100 percent behind you?