Is your back ready to be bared on the beach?

If there’s one part of my body that’s not used to being shown off it’s my back.

After all, aside from swimming it’s only really the summer that it gets any sunlight.

But with the summer holidays fast approaching I guess it’s high time I paid it some attention.

As it’s quite literally behind you it’s difficult to notice how smooth your skin is unless you’re looking in the mirror regularly or being told by your partner.

There’s nothing worse than trying to wear a backless dress or a pretty bikini and remembering that you’ve got acne on your back or unsightly marks.

The best thing to do according to dermatologist Dr Farida Modi is to start prepping your skin as early as possible.

She told the Times of India that this can take weeks if you know that your back acne (or dare I call it ‘backne’) is particularly severe or only a week or two if it’s less troublesome.

One of the best things to do is to apply calamine lotion during the day to soothe the sore skin and help it to heal nice and smooth.

It might be an old-fashioned trick but it certainly works!

A gentle oil-free exfoliator could be of great use in the show and to reach those difficult areas I like to use a loofah, as this saves time and does a far better job than a simple bath sponge.

So long as you clean it thoroughly after use bacteria won’t be able to spread and your back will be cleaner and dirt free for longer, according to Dr Modi.

For more severe scarring or acne microdermabrasion and skin peels are used by many women, as they can help remove the damaged top layer of skin to reveal the healthy skin underneath.

This is a more serious solution and one that should be approached with caution, as who knows a little sunlight could prove to be even more effective.

How do you ensure your back is in peak condition?

Posted by Elsa Pienaar