Skin Conditions & Vitamin B12

Vitamin B-12, also known as cobalamin, helps keep your nerve cells and red blood cells healthy, as well as aiding in the production of DNA. According to the Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health, teens and adults need to take in 2.4 mcg of vitamin B-12 daily. Vitamin B-12 can be found in fish, meat, poultry, eggs, milk and other dairy products. It is also added to breakfast cereals and various other foods. Deficiencies of vitamin B-12 may lead to pernicious anemia, which can cause skin conditions, such as vitiligo.

Vitiligo

Vitiligo is a skin condition affecting pigmentation that occurs in less than 1 percent of the population, according to the National Vitiligo Foundation. People with this condition get patchy white spots on their skin where the melanin that adds color to your skin is no longer being produced. Vitiligo results from a combination of genetics, immune system dysfunction and the environment. You can have vitiligo and be otherwise healthy, but many people with vitiligo have problems with their thyroid or have pernicious anemia, which is linked to vitamin B-12 deficiency.

Eczema

Eczema is a skin condition marked by a red itchy rash that can lead to patches of oozing skin. These patches can harden over or become crusty. You can get eczema on your face, neck, hands or feet, as well as the insides of your elbows or the backs of your knees. The "British Journal of Dermatology" in 2004 reported on a study demonstrating the effectiveness of topical vitamin B-12 in the treatment of eczema in adults. In 2009, the "Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine" demonstrated its effectiveness for children. Topical vitamin B-12 is a skin cream containing vitamin B-12. National Institutes of Health online medical encyclopedia Medline Plus, however, notes the small number of people included in these studies and says there is insufficient evidence to rate the effectiveness of vitamin B-12 as an eczema treatment.

Angular Stomatitis

Angular stomatitis, also called angular cheilitis or perleche, is a chronic skin condition that can affect the corners of your mouth, causing cracking, ulceration and pain. It is usually the result of a fungal or bacterial infection, but it is also associated with vitamin B-12 deficiency.

Hyperpigmentation

The journal "Canadian Family Physician" featured an article about hyperpigmentation associated with vitamin B-12 deficiency in 2008. In these cases, the tops of the feet and backs of the hand, especially along the joint lines at the digits, become darkened. If such skin conditions don't respond to common treatments, the researchers recommend testing for vitamin B-12 deficiency. The article noted that vitamin B-12 injections, followed by oral supplements, were effective treatments for such skin conditions.

Treating Vitamin B-12 Deficiency

Most Westerners get adequate vitamin B-12 in their diet, which includes plenty of meat and dairy foods. And unlike other B vitamins, B-12 is stored in the liver, so it can take quite a while to become deficient. A common cause of vitamin B-12 deficiency is poor absorption of the vitamin by the stomach or intestines. Older people or those with Crohn's, for example, are at higher risk of vitamin deficiencies caused by malabsorption. Vegans and vegetarians are also more likely to have B-12 deficiency. If you are not ingesting enough vitamin B-12 or are unable to efficiently use dietary vitamin B-12, talk to your doctor about supplemental B-12 pills, injections or nasal gels.