As a pre-teen athlete, body acne and I had our fair share of confrontations.

What Is Body Acne, Exactly?

Hormones called androgens cause oil glands to increase in size, says Libby.

Rearview shot a young woman touching her bare shoulder

Getty Images/LaylaBird

This causes acne to appear over many areas of the body.

Its no secret excess oil production acts as a prominent conductor for clogged pores.

This, in combination with clogged pores and inflammation, is the perfect formula for body acne.

So, why are certain areas more common for body acne to crop up, athlete or not?

Chang even goes as far as to call topical retinoids the gold standard for treating acne.

As they say, patience is a virtue.