Designed to shield muscles, bones, blood vessels and nerves, skin is the body's largest organ. Hair and nails are modified forms of skin. Certain vitamins may work from the inside out to encourage clear, youthful appearing skin and keep hair and nails strong.
Vitamin A
Retinoids derived from vitamin A may help treat acne and have anti-aging effects on the skin, MayoClinic.com reports. Prescription-only products such as tretinoin and its topical form as well as tazarotene may help diminish fine wrinkles, skin roughness and fight blemishes.
B Vitamins
Biotin or vitamin H is part of the B complex group of vitamins necessary for healthy skin, hair and nails. Biotin might increase nail thickness in people with brittle nails, according to Medline Plus, a website published by the National Institutes of Health. Biotin also may help prevent split ends and possibly fight hair loss when combined with zinc and a topical cream containing the synthetic corticosteroid clobetasol propionate. Biotin may also be effective against skin rashes in infants.
Dietary Sources
Food sources of biotin include eggs, sardines, almonds, walnuts, soybeans, whole grains, bananas and cauliflower. Vitamin A is derived from preformed retinoids and provitamin carotenoids. Retinoids are found in eggs, dairy produce, liver and kidneys. Carotenoids are contained in plants like carrots and dark or yellow vegetables.
Supplements/Dosing
The appropriate dose of biotin will vary depending on age, health and other factors. The adequate intakes (AI) for biotin in most adults are 30 mcg daily. The recommended daily dose of vitamin A is 3,000 IU for men and 2,300 IU for women, according to the U.S. Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences.
Considerations
Vitamin A and biotin deficiencies while rare can have negative effects on the skin and pose other problems. Symptoms of insufficient biotin include hair loss, dry scaly skin, cracking in the corners of the mouth and red scaly rash around the eyes, nose, and mouth. Prolonged deficiency of vitamin A can lead to skin disorders, diarrhea and respiratory problems.
