Vitamin D and the skin: Focus on a complex relationship: A review

Abstract

The "sunshine" vitamin is a hot topic that attracted ample attention over the past decades, specially that a considerable proportion of the worldwide population are deficient in this essential nutrient. Vitamin D was primarily acknowledged for its importance in bone formation, however; increasing evidence point to its interference with the proper function of nearly every tissue in our bodies including brain, heart, muscles, immune system and skin. Thereby its deficiency has been incriminated in a long panel of diseases including cancers, autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular and neurological disorders. Its involvement in the pathogenesis of different dermatological diseases is no exception and has been the subject of much research over the recent years. In the current review, we will throw light on this highly disputed vitamin that is creating a significant concern from a dermatological perspective. Furthermore, the consequences of its deficiency on the skin will be in focus.

Keywords: Deficiency; Dermatology; Immunological; Vitamin D.

Graphical abstract

Fig. 1

A diagram illustrating the different sources and forms of vitamin D.

Fig. 2

A diagram illustrating the influences of vitamin D on the cutaneous innate and adaptive immunity.