The weirdest and grossest places to get acne — and how you should treat them, per a derm

Nypost · Aug 10, 2026 · 1384 words · By Carrie Berk

Consumer Product Recommendations Dermatological Health

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What to know about Consumer Product Recommendations

Acne can emerge at the most inopportune times, in the most annoying places.

Claims checked 18

Techniques found 1

Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center67%

Right33%

3 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Acne can emerge at the most inopportune times, in the most annoying places.

Why it matters

Pimples most commonly pop up on your forehead or nose — but the face is far from the only place breakouts are possible.

Common ground

Bumps are sometimes found in awkward areas such as the armpits, scalp and even your butt.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Consumer Product Recommendations story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that most scalp bumps are folliculitis (a skin condition where hair follicles are inflamed or infected), and a good amount are caused by yeast, not bacteria?
How does this story connect Consumer Product Recommendations with Dermatological Health over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/08/10/shopping/weirdest-places-you-can-get-acne-and-best…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 70% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 18 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 8

check_circle Corroborated 3

info Single Source 3

verified Verified 2

verified Verified By Reference 1

help Insufficient Evidence 1

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Claim 1: “most scalp bumps are folliculitis (a skin condition where hair follicles are inflamed or infected), and a good amount are caused by yeast, not bacteria”

CORROBORATED

Mayo Clinic and other sources confirm that folliculitis is an inflammation/infection of hair follicles and can be caused by fungi (yeast) as well as bacteria.

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web search NEUTRAL — Causes. Folliculitis is often caused when hair follicles are infected with bacteria, commonly Staphylococcus aureus (staph). It may also be caused by viruses, fungi, parasites, medications or physical…
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/folliculitis/…

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web search NEUTRAL — Bacterial folliculitis usually causes painful pus-filled bumps, while fungal folliculitis is typically itchy with small, uniform red bumps.
https://int.livhospital.com/fungal-vs-bacterial-folliculitis…

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web search NEUTRAL — In most cases, a lab test is not required to diagnose folliculitis. However, if needed, your doctor might take a swab of the affected area to analyze its root cause. What Causes Folliculitis On The Sc…
https://skinkraft.com/blogs/articles/scalp-folliculitis

info

Claim 2: “the scalp has oil glands”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of general Wikipedia entries about humans and human evolution, none of which mention oil glands or the scalp.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The word person is often used interchangeably with human, but philosophical debate exists as to whether personhood applies to all humans or all sentient beings, and further if a human can lose personh…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human

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web search NEUTRAL — Human evolutionary genetics studies how human genomes differ among individuals, the evolutionary past that gave rise to them, and their current effects. Differences between genomes have anthropologica…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_evolution

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web search NEUTRAL — A human, or human being, is a member of the species Homo sapiens, which means 'wise man' in Latin. [4] Carolus Linnaeus put humans in the mammalian order of primates. [1]
https://simple.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human

schedule

Claim 3: “Hibiclens Antimicrobial and Antiseptic Soap and Skin Cleanser [contains] Chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG)”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 4: “AmLactin Daily Nourish Body Lotion [is] Formulated with 12% lactic acid”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 5: “butt bumps could be keratosis pilaris, a condition caused by a build-up of keratin that clogs hair follicles”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 6: “Head & Shoulders Classic Clean Anti-Dandruff Shampoo [is] Formulated with 1% zinc pyrithione”

VERIFIED

Product descriptions explicitly state that Head & Shoulders Classic Clean contains a 1% zinc pyrithione formula.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The history of Pescara begins in the Italic period due to its geographically advantageous position as a hub for communication routes between ancient Rome and the Middle Adriatic area, which shaped the…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Pescara

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Li'l Abner is a satirical American comic strip that appeared in multiple newspapers in the United States, Canada, Australia and Europe. It featured a fictional clan of hillbillies living in the impove…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li'l_Abner

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web search NEUTRAL — Product Description. Head and Shoulders Classic Clean 2-in-1 Twin Pack is the practical one-step Classic Clean routine at value-size. The zinc pyrithione formula is designed to stay on the scalp after…
https://www.amazon.com/Head-Shoulders-Conditioner-Dandruff-T…

+ 2 more evidence sources

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Claim 7: “Folliculitis can be caused by either bacteria or yeast”

CORROBORATED

Although no evidence was listed under claim 9 specifically, the evidence provided for claim 3 (Mayo Clinic, Fungal vs Bacterial Folliculitis) explicitly confirms that folliculitis can be caused by bacteria, fungi (yeast), viruses, or parasites.

verified

Claim 8: “dandruff is caused by malassezia yeast deep in the scalp”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia explicitly states that studies on dandruff focus on fungi, particularly the Malassezia species, which colonize the human scalp.

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web search NEUTRAL — For a long time, studies on dandruff predominantly focused on fungi, particularly the Malassezia species, which are major fungi colonizing the human scalp and the dominant members of the cutaneous fun…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dandruff

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web search NEUTRAL — Nov 6, 2024 · What is dandruff and why do some people get it and others don't? Learn the basics of dandruff from WebMD.
https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/understan…

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web search NEUTRAL — Jul 19, 2024 · Understanding the underlying cause can help you manage, treat, and prevent it. Read up on the most common symptoms of dandruff and ways to improve your scalp health. What causes dandruf…
https://www.healthline.com/health/dandruff-itchy-scalp

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Claim 9: “hidradenitis suppurativa in this area, a chronic skin condition caused by blocked hair follicles”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 10: “there are now FDA-approved treatments for [hidradenitis suppurativa]”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 11: “La Roche-Posay Lipikar Urea 10% Roughness Smoothing Lotion [contains] 10% urea”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 12: “Shaving, waxing, and epilating traumatize the follicle, and the hair curls back into the skin — that’s an ingrown hair, not a pimple”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm that hair removal methods like shaving and waxing can cause ingrown hairs by irritating the follicle or causing the hair to curl back into the skin.

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web search NEUTRAL — What is an ingrown hair? Hairs normally grow in a hair follicle, which is a small canal in the skin lined by cells. Typically, growing hairs make it to the opening of the hair follicle without difficu…
https://drbaileyskincare.com/blogs/blog/ingrown-hair-treatme…

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web search NEUTRAL — Ingrown hair can be caused by any hair removal method and only become visible after a few days. Razor bumps, on the other hand, appear quite soon after you shave. They can develop if you have very sen…
https://www.dalton-cosmetics.com/us/get-rid-of-ingrown-hair

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web search NEUTRAL — “Shaving, waxing, and epilating traumatize the follicle, and the hair curls back into the skin — that’s an ingrown hair, not a pimple,” said Dr. Marcelus. “Tight synthetic underwear and long stretches…
https://nypost.com/2026/08/10/shopping/weirdest-places-you-c…

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Claim 13: “True acne is very uncommon [in the armpit], because the armpit isn’t rich in the oil-producing follicles acne requires”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 14: “Nizoral Anti-Dandruff Shampoo with 1% Ketoconazole”

VERIFIED

Multiple product listings and descriptions confirm that Nizoral Anti-Dandruff Shampoo contains 1% ketoconazole.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Nizoral® Anti-Dandruff Shampoo. Nizoral ® is the only over-the counter anti-dandruff shampoo that contains Ketoconazole, a clinically proven, powerful dandruff fighting ingredient.
https://nizoral.com/

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web search NEUTRAL — Nizoral Anti-Dandruff Shampoo with 1% Ketoconazole.Formulated to work on even the most severe dandruff, Nizoral's best-selling shampoo contains 1% ketoconazole, a key ingredient that treats infections…
https://www.aol.com/finance/best-anti-dandruff-shampoo-nizor…

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web search NEUTRAL — Nizoral, Anti, Dandruff, Dry Scalp, Shampoo, Ketoconazole, Scalp Health, Dandruff Shampoo. Nizoral is the only over the counter dandruff shampoo with Ketoconazole – a clinically proven, powerful dandr…
https://www.amazon.com/Nizoral-Anti-Dandruff-Shampoo-Ketocon…

help

Claim 15: “red bumps on your backside are rarely true acne and are usually folliculitis”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided or found for this claim.

info

Claim 16: “People don’t realize acne needs a specific kind of hair follicle to form, and those follicles aren’t everywhere”

SINGLE SOURCE

The specific claim about acne needing a 'specific kind of hair follicle' is attributed to a single expert (Dr. Christina Marcelus) in one web result. Other results discuss blocked follicles generally but do not confirm the existence of a 'specific kind' that limits where acne can form.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Key TakeawaysBoils are infected hair follicles, while pimples are blocked hair follicles.Boils can be treated at home by covering them with a warm, damp cloth to help them drain.
https://www.verywellhealth.com/difference-between-a-pimple-a…

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web search NEUTRAL — The combination can block hair follicles, which are the pores on your skin. When a pore is blocked, bacteria that normally live on the skin can multiply.Persistence: This type of acne can be stubborn.…
https://hbmag.com/does-testosterone-cause-acne-in-females-si…

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web search NEUTRAL — “People don’t realize acne needs a specific kind of hair follicle to form, and those follicles aren’t everywhere,” said board-certified dermatologist Dr. Christina Marcelus, MD, MS, FAAD.
https://nypost.com/2026/08/10/shopping/weirdest-places-you-c…

schedule

Claim 17: “hidradenitis suppurativa... roughly affects 1 in 100 people”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 18: “some antibiotics used for bacterial issues can actually make folliculitis worse”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of dictionary definitions of the word 'certain' and does not contain any medical information regarding antibiotics and folliculitis.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 5 days ago · sure, certain, positive, cocksure mean having no doubt or uncertainty. sure usually stresses the subjective or intuitive feeling of assurance. certain may apply to a basing of a conclusio…
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/certain

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web search NEUTRAL — CERTAIN definition: 1. having no doubt or knowing exactly that something is true, or known to be true, correct, exact…. Learn more.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/certain

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web search NEUTRAL — 4 days ago · Some common synonyms of certain are cocksure, positive, and sure. While all these words mean "having no doubt or uncertainty," certain may apply to a basing of a conclusion or conviction …
https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/certain

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.