Vitamin D and the Skin: A Review for Dermatologists

Abstract

In recent years, the growing interest in the role played by vitamin D in skin disease has given rise to the publication of many studies of the relationship between this vitamin and certain skin conditions. As dermatologists, we need to understand, among other aspects, how vitamin D is synthesized and the main sources in humans, as well as plasma levels and the factors that can modify them. Of particular interest are the latest discoveries about the role of vitamin D in skin diseases such as lupus erythematosus, ichthyosis, atopic dermatitis, hidradenitis suppurativa, acne, alopecia areata, androgenetic alopecia, melanoma, and nonmelanoma skin cancer. Also of interest is the importance of vitamin D as adjuvant therapy in patients on long-term treatment with corticosteroids. In this review, we provide an overview of the most important and most recent information regarding the relationship between vitamin D and skin disease and discuss the importance of assessing individual vitamin D status and correcting deficiencies.

Keywords: Acne; Acné; Alopecia; Atopic dermatitis; Dermatitis atópica; Hidradenitis suppurativa; Hidrosadenitis supurativa; Ichthyosis; Ictiosis; Lupus eritematoso; Lupus erythematosus; Melanoma; Vitamin D; Vitamina D.