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Will Vitamin-A Supplements Cure Acne?

Posted on Fri, 10 Apr 2015

Question: I'm suffering from moderate acne. I've been offered to take accutane. But before that I'd like to try supplementing with strong vit a at a safe level (also been allowed to drink alcohol once a week with it). How much can I take at safe level for attempt to help acne?

Answered by Dr. Dr. Rovena (4 hours later)

Brief Answer:
detailed below.

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

Welcome to Healthcare Magic.

I read carefully your query.

Considering your age the recommended dose of Vitamin A supplement is 3000 units (900 mcg/day).
You should not exceed the dose of 10000 units per day because larger doses can cause serious side effects.

I would suggest to take it in the recommended dose of 3000 units/day and see if it helps.You can also eat foods high in Vitamin A like orange, yellow fruits and vegetables (carrots, squash, mangoes, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, papayas, peppers and kale).

Hope it helps.
Let me know if you have any other question.I will be happy to help.

Kind regards,

Dr.Rovena Murati

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Rovena (26 minutes later)

Thanks for reply do you think this will cure my acne?

Answered by Dr. Dr. Rovena (17 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
detailed below.

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

Several studies have documented the positive effect of Vit A to treat acne.
Vit A acct by boosting immune system and fight infections in body,also infection of skin pores that result in acne.
So Vit A is very important for a healthy skin but the studies are not conclusive to determine if taking Vit A supplement will be effective to treat and prevent acne.
Every person can have different results by taking the same dose of Vit A .

Taken at the recommended dose and not for long periods of time ,this supplement is pretty safe so you can try it and see if it works for you.

Take care.
Dr.Rovena

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Rovena (24 minutes later)

Thanks for reply I'll try it. Im also considering vitamin D, what do you think is the best higest dose as I read it is also good for acne?

Answered by Dr. Dr. Rovena (16 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
detailed below.

Detailed Answer:
Hello.

There are no evidences to sustain the use of Vit D supplement for acne.
If you live in a place with sun and if you get exposed every day at least 30 min to sunlight, you don't need any Vit D supplementation.
It is know that being exposed to sunlight can improve acne and boost immune system.
The recommended dose of Vit D supplement is 5000 -10 000 Unite per day.
You may need to check the level of Vit d in blood before taking the supplement to avoid problems related with high levels of Vit D.

Take care,
Dr.Rovena

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Rovena (9 minutes later)

Thanks where I live not very XXXXXXX and have office job i never see the sun. I heard stories about people who had acne for so long and the vitamin d cured it for them.

Answered by Dr. Dr. Rovena (23 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
detailed below.

Detailed Answer:
Hi there,

Vit D is necessary for a healthy skin.If you don't get enough sunlight ,you may need to take Vit D supplements.
It would be a good idea to check the level of the Vit D.If it is low or normal you can start taking Vit D supplement 5000 unite a day and see if it helps.
You may need to repeat the tests every 8 weeks to to make sure the level is not too high.

Take care,
Dr.Rovena

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Rovena (13 minutes later)

Thanks I'll try it i ordered vit d test to see my current results and will tell you them.

Answered by Dr. Dr. Rovena (2 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
you are welcome.

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

This is a good thing.

I will be here if you need further help.Let me know the result of the test.

Take care.
Dr.Rovena

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Rovena (19 hours later)

Hi,
My result for vitamin D last year was 46 nmo/l and wasn't brilliant. My new test shows that my supplements have done great as result is now 130 nmo/l - so I should continue to take 2000 iu to keep my result at this level?

For vitamin A i've ordered 5000 iu as it seemed to be the lowest I could find.
The vitamin D helps my skin and this is why it went bad after having to stop for 2 weeks before my test (my own choice). Now I start supplement D again i expect spots to go mainly. Also, this vitamin A dose should be also good for keeping sebum lower and better skin?

Thanks

Added: this is the vitamin a supplement i've purchased, is this the right sort for helping acne? http://www.healthYYYY.co.uk/YYYY.aspx?id=2

Thanks

Answered by Dr. Dr. Rovena (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
detailed below.

Detailed Answer:
Hello again,

Hope you are doing well.

Your level of Vit D now is in normal range .A dosage of Vit D 2000 iu daily will keep it in normal values.
Since your level now is normal ,higher doses are not recommended.

Regarding Vit A ,the recommended dose is 3000 iu a day but taking 5000 iu won't cause any problem.Important is not to exceed 10 000 ui a day.
The supplement you have bought is contains Vit A ,so it is ok.
There is no specific sort of Vit A for acne.It is just Vit A.

Take care,
Dr.Rovena

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Rovena (15 minutes later)

Thanks for answering. My last question is about antibiotic for acne, can it be taken with 5000iu for vitamin A?

Answered by Dr. Dr. Rovena (27 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
detailed below.

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

The most widely prescribed antibiotic for acne is Tetracycline.All the antibiotics of this class of drugs are not recommended to be taken together with Vitamin A.
This combination can cause a very rare but serious complication.

Your doctor may prescribe you another antibiotic for acne like Erythromycin,which is another common antibiotic prescribed for acne and doesn't interact with Vit A.

Take care,
Dr.Rovena

Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar