Recently I have been having black spots on my back and they are dry and sometimes itch.

Your problem seems quite unusual, and it will probably be necessary for you to visit a doctor for treatment. The combination of black spots on the back with dryness and itching is rather odd, and it is not possible to properly diagnose the problem over such a forum. For many such skin problems, it is necessary to actually see the affected skin, and also have a discussion with the patient so as to understand the medical history and detect any other related symptoms that may be present.

Black spots on the back could be of many different types, ranging from blackheads to moles to spots of hyperpigmentation. Blackheads are of course most common on the face and neck, but it is not impossible for them to develop on the back too. However, blackheads do not itch, so it is possible that you have two separate problems – the itching may be related to the dry skin, and not to the black spots. Blackheads are the result of blocked skin pores, which leads to a build up of sebum in the pores. This sebum then gets oxidized, thus becoming dark and black. These blockages always occur due to the accumulation of dead skin cells on the skin’s surface. Normally, the dead cells are discarded at a steady rate, but sometimes this process goes wrong. The only safe treatment for you would be to use a loofah while bathing; the resulting exfoliation would reduce the possibility of pores being blocked. Any other treatment is not advisable, as it may aggravate your problem if the spots are not blackheads.

Hyperpigmentation is often in the form of sun spots, which occur due to excessive exposure to sunlight over a long period of time. Due to sun damage, the skin eventually produces melanin unevenly, resulting in dark spots. The problem in your case is that the spots are on your back – normally, areas such as the face and hands are affected, as these areas have more exposure to sunlight.

For the dry skin, the simplest and most obvious solution is the best. You should moisturize your skin regularly, and this should be done soon after bathing so as to trap the moisture that the skin has just absorbed. If you have severe dry skin, then the itching is almost certainly a secondary symptom of the same problem. In this case, you may need to use a thicker moisturizer than standard moisturizing lotion – this could be a thick cream or petroleum jelly.