Quick answer: You can’t tell from appearance alone whether a pimple on your butt is acne or something else, so before putting a name on it, sort out what you’re already doing to it. Stop squeezing with your fingers or a needle and stop scrubbing, read the area of use and the caution about broken skin on the package or container before using a bandage or cream, and pause the things that touch that spot, such as hair removal, hot baths, and tight clothing, one at a time. If one bump keeps getting bigger and hurts, the redness spreads, or it keeps coming back in the same place, stop handling it at home and consider seeing a dermatologist first.
This guide is for readers who have pimples coming up around the buttock crease or where the skin gets pressed when they sit, and who have been squeezing, scrubbing, or covering them at home. It sorts out which of those things to stop, which to keep doing, and when to hand things over to a clinic visit. It does not cover telling conditions apart or diagnosis, topical or oral medicines, how to care for a spot that has burst, or scar and discoloration care. This is a brand guide run by SKIN9HARI, and at the end we recommend a cream for the last moisturizing step of your face routine.
| Item | What’s documented |
|---|---|
| What tends to happen when you pop pimples yourself | Permanent scarring, more noticeable acne, more pain, and infection — guidance centered on facial acne (guidance on why you shouldn’t pop pimples) |
| What guidance says to avoid with acne on the body | Picking or squeezing, scrubbing, and harsh scrubs, loofahs, and back brushes — guidance on back and body acne (acne overview · guidance on back acne care) |
| When hair removal is the trigger | Guidance to stop shaving, plucking, or waxing for 30 days — guidance on infected hair follicles caused by hair removal (guidance on infected hair follicles) |
| Hot, wet conditions | After using an improperly maintained hot tub, a rash usually appears about 12 to 48 hours later on skin covered by a bathing suit — guidance on infected hair follicles, not data on Korean public bathhouses (guidance on infected hair follicles) |
| When guidance says to get care | Deep, painful acne, whether on the back or anywhere else (guidance on back acne care) |
Is it butt acne or something else — can you tell by how it looks?
It’s hard to tell. Infected hair follicles can look like acne, and guidance says a dermatologist can check which it is (guidance on infected hair follicles). In diagnosing acne, whether comedones are present matters most, and the diagnosis is made by a clinician (KDCA guidance on acne). The areas where acne mainly appears are listed as the face, neck, chest, back, and shoulders, and the buttocks are not on that list (KDCA guidance on acne).
“The infected hair follicles can look like another skin condition, such as acne.” — American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), guidance on infected hair follicles
So this guide doesn’t start by naming it. It starts by sorting out whether to stop or continue what you’ve been doing. In the sources this guide checked, we found no guidance from an institution that deals with the buttocks on their own. What follows applies guidance on facial and back acne and on infected hair follicles to the buttocks.
An illustrative image of someone checking where their clothes touch the spot they sit on for long periods.
Butt pimples: what should you stop doing, and what can you keep doing?
The table below isn’t for figuring out the cause. It’s a side-by-side chart that sorts each thing you’re doing now into stop, keep after reading the labeling, or decide at a clinic visit. Don’t score it or count how many rows apply.
| What you’ve been doing | For now | Why we see it that way | What to check before continuing | See a dermatologist if |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Squeezing or popping with fingers, nails, or a needle | Stop | Guidance that popping pimples yourself tends to cause scars, more pain, and infection (guidance on why you shouldn’t pop pimples), and guidance not to pop acne on the body either (guidance on back acne care) | Don’t continue | It fills with pus and grows, or hurts so much that sitting is hard |
| Exfoliating scrub mitts, scrubs, or loofahs | Stop | Guidance that harsh scrubs, loofahs, and back brushes can worsen acne (guidance on back acne care), and body acne guidance that scrubbing can irritate skin and make it worse (acne overview). Not a source that looks at Korean exfoliating towels directly | Don’t continue | The scrubbed area stings and the redness spreads |
| Covering with a bandage or patch | After checking the labeling | This guide found no source on the pros and cons of covering the buttocks or body | The area of use, directions, and when to remove it on the package, and whether it can be used on broken skin | It grows or the redness spreads while covered |
| Applying a cream, moisturizer, or body lotion | After checking the labeling | This guide found no source on applying products to pimples on the buttocks | The area of use on the container, the caution about broken skin, and whether fragrance appears in the full ingredient list | It stings and spreads into an itchy rash after you apply something new |
| Topical medicines (ointments and the like) | Decided at a clinic visit | Guidance that something that looks like acne may be a different condition, so having a dermatologist check comes first (guidance on infected hair follicles) | If you already have a prescription, follow the prescription instructions | It gets worse even though you used it as prescribed |
| Shaving, plucking, or waxing | Pause | Guidance that shaving and hair removal can damage hair follicles, and to stop for 30 days when hair removal causes the infected hair follicles (guidance on infected hair follicles) | The date you paused | New ones appear or they grow even while paused |
| Public bathhouses, hot baths, or saunas | Pause | Guidance that hair follicles are more easily damaged when skin is wet and hot, and guidance on a rash after an improperly maintained hot tub (guidance on infected hair follicles). Not data on Korean public bathhouses | The date you went | It swells painfully or the redness spreads after you go |
| Tight clothes, damp workout clothes, or sitting for long periods | Change one at a time | Guidance that tight clothing, skin rubbing against skin, and friction can damage hair follicles (guidance on infected hair follicles), and guidance to wash and change clothes soon after sweating (guidance on back acne care). We found no source on sitting for long periods itself | The one thing you changed and the date you changed it | It hurts every time you sit and keeps getting bigger |
Squeezing and scrubbing are at the top because the evidence for them is clearest. Guidance says persistent picking or scratching can increase the risk of scarring (acne guideline), and in a cross-sectional online survey of 225 people with acne in Thailand, squeezing or picking also showed up as one of the risk factors for scarring (study on acne scar risk factors). That study relied on self-reports about facial scars, so it doesn’t tell us about cause and effect or about the buttocks.
“Persistent picking or scratching of acne lesions can increase the risk of scarring.” — National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), acne guideline (NG198)
Stopping or pausing something is not a way to confirm the cause. Whether things improve or stay the same can’t tell you the name or the cause of your pimples.
What should you read before using a cream or patch?
In the sources this guide checked, we found nothing on whether covering pimples on the buttocks with a bandage or patch, or applying body lotion or cream, helps or harms. So instead of deciding whether you can or can’t use them, we only suggest reading three things on the package and container before you do.
- Area of use: Check whether the directions name the face only, or say the product can also be used on the body.
- Caution about broken skin: If the label says not to use it on broken skin, avoid spots where squeezing or scratching has broken the skin.
- Fragrance labeling: Note whether “fragrance” appears in the full ingredient list, and if it stings or spreads into an itchy rash after you apply something new, stop that product (this guide’s suggestion).
Whether you need a topical medicine isn’t something to decide at home; it’s decided at a clinic visit.
Change sitting time and clothing friction one at a time
Guidance says tight clothing, skin rubbing against skin, and frequent friction can damage hair follicles, more easily when skin is wet and hot (guidance on infected hair follicles). Gear and clothing that trap heat and sweat and rub against the skin can cause acne, so loose, moisture-wicking clothing is recommended (guidance on sports equipment and acne), and there is also guidance to shower and change clothes as soon as possible after sweating (guidance on back acne care). All of this is based on sports gear and the back, and we’re applying it to the buttocks, which get pressed and rubbed when you sit.
Among how tight your underwear and pants are, how long you stay in damp workout clothes, and how long you sit, change only one at a time and write down the date you changed it. If you change several things at once, it gets hard to tell what you changed (this guide’s suggestion).
An illustrative image of someone changing out of sweaty workout clothes.
When should you see a dermatologist instead of handling it at home?
You don’t have to wait a set period before getting care. If any of the following apply, stop squeezing or covering it at home and consider seeing a dermatologist first.
- The pimple is deep and painful, or one bump keeps getting bigger. Guidance says deep, painful acne needs a dermatologist’s help wherever it appears (guidance on back acne care).
- It hurts so much that sitting is hard and it gets in the way of daily life.
- A spot you squeezed or that burst becomes more swollen and painful. Guidance says popping pimples yourself tends to cause infection and more pain (guidance on why you shouldn’t pop pimples).
- Redness spreads to the surrounding skin, or you have a fever.
- It keeps coming back in the same place, or it looks different from acne and you’re not sure what it is. Something that looks like acne may be a different condition (guidance on infected hair follicles).
An illustrative image of someone looking into booking a clinic appointment.
For general guidance on when to get care for large, painful breakouts, see Painful Breakouts: When to See a Dermatologist, and When It’s Okay to Wait.
Related guides
- Pimple Patches: When Should You Put One On, and How Long Should You Leave It?
- Keratosis Pilaris: Can Skincare Get Rid of Rough Bumps on Your Arms?
FAQ
I have a pimple on my butt that looks like it’s about to pop — can I put a bandage on it?
This guide found no source that settles whether you should. Not squeezing or popping it comes first (guidance on why you shouldn’t pop pimples), and if you do put something on it, read the area of use and the directions on the package first. If it keeps getting bigger and hurts, consider seeing a dermatologist rather than keeping it covered.
What should you do when a pimple on your butt pops?
Don’t squeeze it any further. Guidance says popping pimples yourself tends to cause infection, more pain, and scarring (guidance on why you shouldn’t pop pimples). If you want to put cream on that spot, first check the container for a caution about broken skin, and if it grows again or the redness spreads, consider seeing a dermatologist.
Is it okay to pop butt acne?
Guidance points toward not popping it. Squeezing or picking acne on the body can also leave scars (acne overview), and persistent picking or scratching can increase the risk of scarring (acne guideline). Pricking a pimple with a needle to pop it counts as the same kind of handling as squeezing, so stop that too.
How can you tell whether a bump on your butt is acne or something else?
Don’t decide by appearance alone. Infected hair follicles can also look like acne, so having a dermatologist check helps (guidance on infected hair follicles), and acne is also diagnosed by a clinician (KDCA guidance on acne). Leave what it is to a clinic visit, and until then, start by stopping squeezing and scrubbing.
Can you exfoliate or scrub your butt when you have pimples there?
It’s better to stop scrubbing. There is guidance that harsh scrubs, loofahs, and back brushes can worsen acne (guidance on back acne care), and body acne can get worse when scrubbing irritates it (acne overview). These sources don’t look at Korean exfoliating towels directly, so we’re reading them in the same direction.
Can you put body lotion or cream on butt pimples?
This guide found no source on whether you can. If you do, first read the area of use on the container, the caution about broken skin, and the fragrance labeling, and avoid spots where squeezing or scratching has broken the skin. Whether you need a topical medicine is decided at a clinic visit.
Can you go to a sauna or public bathhouse when you have butt acne?
We found no source that settles whether you can. There is guidance on infected hair follicles saying hair follicles are more easily damaged when skin is wet and hot, and that a rash usually appears about 12 to 48 hours after an improperly maintained hot tub (guidance on infected hair follicles), so one option is to pause for a while so it doesn’t overlap with other conditions. If it swells painfully or spreads after you go, consider seeing a dermatologist.
What should you do if butt acne keeps coming back?
If it keeps coming back in the same place, it’s time to have it checked at a clinic rather than keep handling it at home, because something that looks like acne may be a different condition (guidance on infected hair follicles). Until your visit, pause the things that touch that spot, such as hair removal, hot baths, and tight clothing, one at a time, and write down the dates.
Should you see a doctor if a butt pimple hurts when you sit?
Guidance says deep, painful pimples need a dermatologist’s help wherever they appear (guidance on back acne care). If it hurts so much that sitting is hard or it keeps getting bigger, don’t wait out a set period; consider seeing a dermatologist.
In one sentence
With pimples on your butt, rather than naming them first, stop squeezing and scrubbing, use patches or creams only after reading the area of use and the caution about broken skin, and pause the things that touch the spot one at a time — but if they’re deep and painful or getting bigger, consider seeing a dermatologist first.
SKIN9HARI products we recommend for this concern
Even while you’re cutting back on what you apply to and rub on your body because of pimples on your butt, SKIN9HARI recommends the Revive Therapy N.F Cream for the last moisturizing step of your face routine. There are three reasons.
- The labeling this guide asks you to read before using a cream is published. Its full ingredient list shows no added fragrance, and its check-before-use note asks you to avoid using it on broken skin.
- It is a cream formulated with 4 ceramides (NP, NS, EOP, AP), 5 types of hyaluronic acid, and panthenol (dexpanthenol).
- It is irritation patch-tested.
| Item | Revive Therapy N.F Cream |
|---|---|
| Size and price | 50 mL (1.69 fl oz) / $28.00 |
| Formula and labeled ingredients | Cream · formulated with 4 ceramides (NP, NS, EOP, AP), 5 types of hyaluronic acid, and panthenol (dexpanthenol) · no added fragrance (per the full ingredient list) · contains dimethicone |
| Test labeling | Irritation patch-tested (finished-product patch test) — a test that looked at skin irritation, not data that sets the area of use |
| Step in the routine | After the ampoule, the last step of the routine |
| Directions | After using toner and ampoule, dispense a suitable amount. Spread it gently over your face from the center outward. On areas where dryness bothers you, layer on a small extra amount to finish. |
| Check before use | “If red spots, swelling, itching, or other abnormal reactions appear during or after use, stop using it and consult a dermatologist. Avoid using it on broken skin, and check the full ingredient list and expiration date on the latest container first.” |
| Source | Step in the routine, directions, and caution wording: product detail page (checked October 1, 2026; not compared against the wording on the physical container) · size and price: manufacturer’s published information · ingredients and fragrance: full ingredient list (2026 renewed formula) · test labeling: finished-product patch test. The directions on the product detail page are for the face, and there is no guidance on use on the body or buttocks |
How to use it for this concern. After toner and ampoule, take a suitable amount of the Revive Therapy N.F Cream as the last step of your face routine and spread it from the center of your face outward. The area of use in the directions is the face, so handle the spots on your butt separately, following the side-by-side chart above, and use the cream on your face. Keep the week you cut back on what you’ve been doing to your butt separate from the week you add a new cream to your face routine, and write the dates down separately. If you’re using a prescription medication, or have spots on your face where squeezing or scratching has broken the skin, read the check-before-use note first. This product is a cosmetic, not a medicine.
If any of the signs for seeing a dermatologist above apply to you, seeing a dermatologist comes before products. Results may not be the same for every skin type. Product information is on the Revive Therapy N.F Cream product page.
Sources
- American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). Guidance on why you shouldn’t pop pimples. AAD public information.
- American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). Guidance on back acne care. AAD public information.
- National Health Service (NHS), UK. Acne overview — caring for acne on the body. NHS public information.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), UK. Acne vulgaris: management, NG198 recommendations. NICE guideline.
- American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). Guidance on the causes and care of infected hair follicles. AAD public information.
- American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). Sports equipment and acne. AAD public information.
- Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), National Health Information Portal. Acne. In Korean.
- Yan et al. Cross-sectional study of acne scar risk factors in patients with acne in Thailand. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025.
This guide is general skincare information, not medical advice. SKIN9HARI products are cosmetics and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. If a skin problem is painful, spreading, or persistent, see a dermatologist.