How Vitamin Deficiencies Affect Skin Conditions

Vitamins and Your Skin

Many skin conditions have been linked to vitamin deficiencies in one way or another. Psoriasis, for example, afflicts over seven million Americans and is believed to be triggered by a vitamin D deficiency.

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, which means the body doesn’t excrete it that readily. As a result, many people assume that it’s difficult to become deficient in vitamin D. That misconception couldn’t be further from the truth.

It’s estimated that as many as 40% of Americans are deficient in vitamin D. If this seems unlikely, consider for a moment how our lifestyles have changed in recent decades. We spend more time indoors, and when we do go outside, we slather on layers of sunscreen.

While sunscreen can help us avoid skin cancer, it also blocks out the rays that help our bodies manufacture enough vitamin D. Eczema has also been linked to vitamin D deficiencies.

Even the Experts Agree

As the medical community learns more about skin conditions, it is now more widely accepted that vitamin deficiencies trigger many skin conditions, and acne is no exception. Vitamin A is thought to be helpful for clearing up acne, leading many researchers to the conclusion that a vitamin A deficiency can trigger or aggravate acne.

Several prescription medications used to treat acne are actually based on vitamin A derivatives. If you want to avoid taking prescription medications that often have undesirable side effects, vitamin A supplements can be just what you have been looking for.

There is fortunately a growing acceptance among the mainstream medical community for alternative treatments. As a result, the way that skin conditions are treated is likely to change over the next decade.