The preponderance of evidence suggests zinc has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects and that it may decrease sebum production.
Sebum is an oil that lubricates the skin, but too much sebum can cause follicular occlusion and acne. Zinc stops the over-production of oily sebum, and it also lowers the impact of DHT androgen hormones that induce sebum in response to inflammation and stress.
In addition to its anti-inflammatory properties, topical zinc may help clear acne-causing bacteria from the skin and reduce oil production. The form you use ultimately depends on the severity of your acne, your skin type, and your current dietary habits.
The recommended daily intake for an adult is no more than 40mg. Any amount between 40-150 mg helps treat acne, depending on the severity. Most over the counter supplements only go as high as 50mg, so combining with a healthy diet should be enough.
Vitamins A and D are fat-soluble vitamins that affect our sebaceous glands. Vitamin A is one of the most important vitamins for healthy skin, and Vitamin D helps reduce oil production. We've already talked about zinc in skincare, but it can also reduce the quantity of your skin surface sebum upon consumption!
The main cause of an overproduction of sebum is hormonal imbalances, including as a result of puberty and pregnancy. “As well as hormones, heat, exercise and genetics play a part,” says Kate Kerr, acclaimed clinical facialist.
Adults should avoid taking more than 40 mg of zinc each day. If you accidentally take more than this, it's more likely to cause stomach symptoms than any serious health problems. Check with your healthcare provider if you are considering taking zinc supplements.
What are the symptoms of zinc deficiency? Zinc deficiency can result in skin changes that look like eczema at first. There may be cracks and a glazed appearance on the skin, often found around the mouth, nappy area and hands. The rash doesn't get better with moisturisers or steroid creams or lotions.
As Dr. Patel explained to us earlier, using a topical zinc twice a day should show a decrease in acne within 2 weeks. When taken orally there should be a visible difference in about 4 weeks.
Zinc is known to support wound healing. With its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, it enhances skin repair function and reduces redness and inflammation. It helps to relieve eczema, acne rosacea, irritation, dermatitis, itchy and dry skin.
Androgens are the hormones mostly responsible for oil production, and sometimes they can fluctuate, stimulating an increase in sebum production. This often happens during puberty, just before menstruation, during pregnancy and during menopause.
It often takes 12 weeks before any improvement is seen. Long-term zinc supplementation requires 1–2 mg of copper per day to prevent copper deficiency.
Promotes scalp health: An overly oily scalp is one of the causes of dandruff, as sebum on the scalp creates a perfect environment for fungus to grow. Zinc pyrithione helps balance those levels, which can lead to not only a healthy scalp, but healthy hair too.
It is possibly safe when taken in larger doses, especially when used only for a short period of time. But taking doses higher than 40 mg daily might decrease how much copper the body absorbs. Taking very high doses of zinc is likely unsafe and might cause stomach pain, vomiting, and many other problems.
You may show normal zinc levels on your test even if you're actually deficient. You can get a plasma test, which is taken from your blood plasma (the yellowish liquid component of blood). There are also urine tests and hair analysis that also test for zinc.
Our data suggest that zinc supplementation increases body weight in patients undergoing HD and decreases body weight in individuals who are overweight/obese but otherwise healthy, although after normalization for study duration, the association observed in subjects who are overweight/obese disappeared.
Zinc. Zinc can play a key role in making proteins in your hair and other cells. Your body can't make it, so you need to get it from food or supplements. Signs of low zinc levels include hair loss, poor wound healing, and a weak sense of taste or smell.
Zinc. Zinc is often part of multivitamins but is also taken alone or in combination with vitamin C. Its absorption is most effective on an empty stomach, but it can cause stomach upsets. In this case it should be taken with a meal and therefore not late at night.
Zinc supplements are often used to promote skin health and treat common skin conditions like acne ( 15 ). A type of zinc called zinc sulfate has been proven especially useful for decreasing symptoms of mild to moderate acne ( 16 ).
Over-the-counter medications, creams, and face washes that contain retinol may help clear clogged sebaceous glands. Some people may find that regularly washing the skin with a cleanser containing salicylic acid can help dry-oily skin and prevent clogged glands.
Androgens. Increased sebum production due to androgens' activity at the sebaceous follicle is a prerequisite for acne in all patients. High level of androgens, or hypersensitivity of the sebaceous glands to a normal level of androgens, causes an increase in sebum production.
Isotretinoin. Also known as 13-cis retinoic acid, isotretinoin is an oral retinoid that has been proven to result in the greatest reduction of sebum among all other mentioned treatment options.
Do not take zinc supplements and copper, iron, or phosphorus supplements at the same time. It is best to space doses of these products 2 hours apart, to get the full benefit from each dietary supplement.
When you take a zinc supplement orally, it will dissolve in a single spot when it reaches your stomach. As it dissolves, the heavy concentration of zinc could irritate the stomach lining in that area, leading to pain or discomfort in addition to nausea or the risk of vomiting.