Beauty Tips For Body Care
Hi everyone! I am a long term lurker of this sub and general skincare science enthusiast. I've waited a few months to make this post, and it may still be premature, but I think I have most of my ideas prepared. If anyone takes the time to read this (thank you if you do), I would love to hear your thoughts and if you have any questions I would definitely take the time to answer them. What I ultimately want to do is just spread information and try to create an open-minded discussion. There is a TL;DR at the end.I really wanted to talk to this sub about Vitamin A, so here it goes!About my Vitamin A history: A couple of years ago I went on a ketogenic diet and found that it essentially cleared my acne. I still occasionally broke out, but nothing even close to my skin's state pre-ketogenic diet. It's what mostly worked for me so I stuck to it. I could really get into the science of diet and acne but that's for another post. So, about 4 months ago I started taking (I suspected I had mild anemia) a beef liver supplement giving me anywhere from 8,000-12,000 IU of Vitamin A per day. Within 4 or so weeks, I noticed I had broken out like I hadn't in a long time. It ultimately settled relatively quickly, and I noticed that shortly after, my skin looked really good. Even better than it had before I broke out. A few weeks after, I doubled my liver supplement intake, now getting anywhere from 16,000-25,000 IU of Vitamin A daily. Within about 5 weeks, I endured another, slightly worse breakout with some cysts and papules that were very inflamed and took a long time to go away. I panicked, at the time having no idea what was causing my acne to flare up seeing as it had been under control for months and months. Then it hit me. The only thing I had changed in the last several months was my liver intake. What I started to suspect was that, much like the "purge" of Retin-A, Differin, or Accutane, my newly increased vitamin A intake was causing a temporary increase (or surfacing) of my acne. On top of this, my facial skin was peeling much like it had done in the past after a chemical peel. Shortly after this second breakout calmed, my skin overall started to look really, really good. Everyone I knew started to comment on how much I was "glowing" and how "full" my skin looked. Even I definitely noticed it. I had not ever had my skin look like that, even with the red marks of the most recent breakout. So, one month ago, being the risk-taker and chaser of perfect skin that I am, I began to take 50,000 IU of a retinyl palmitate supplement *on top* of my regular liver intake, now averaging roughly 75,000 IU of Vitamin A per day. Now I know the alarm bell that just went off in your head was "Vitamin A toxicity!" I will delve into that later. Since starting that four weeks ago, I am currently undergoing yet another breakout, but this time my breakouts are significantly smaller, way less inflamed, and have been going away much quicker. I am going to stick out this new dosage for another two months before a final, ultimate verdict of how its impacted my skin. If the impact is positive, I will then reduce my daily dosage as a maintenance. Given my skin progression over the last few months, I am highly, highly optimistic.As soon as I suspected that my liver, and hence, Vitamin A, intake was the culprit behind my new breakouts and subsequent better skin, I started to research how Vitamin A interacts with the body and namely, skin. Here is what I've found. Many of us know about retinoids being the topical gold standard of treatment of aging and acne. We also know about retinoids, principally isotretinoin, as the oral gold standard of treatment of acne. Retinoids are biological metabolites of Vitamin A, or Retinol, which activate receptors in cells to switch several genes on and off. There are some popular chemicals such as Tazarotene (Tazorac) and Adapalene (Differin) which are not biological Vitamin A metabolites (that we yet know of), but do in fact activate retinoid receptors in cells to produce similar genetic changes. Some of the changes that retinoids can induce in skin include: stimulation of collagen production, reduction of sebum output, normalization and acceleration of skin cell shedding, stimulation of hyaluronic acid production, reduced production of inflammatory hormones, and accelerated wound healing. Several of these processes are some that I feel I can attribute to my improved skin since taking Vitamin A. They are also most likely responsible for the favorable changes people see with Accutane and Retin-A. When you take in Vitamin A in the form of retinol or a retinyl ester (a storage form of retinol), your body absorbs it and mainly stores it in the liver. From there, it is broken down into several metabolites such as all-trans retinoic acid, 9-cis retinoic acid, and even 13-cis retinoic acid (AKA isotretinoin/accutane). That's right, isotretinoin, for as much as it can be demonized as a man-made, highly toxic chemical, is actually a biologically normal metabolite of vitamin A. I came across several studies showing that intake of retinyl palmitate, a retinyl ester, can dramatically increase circulating levels of 13-cis retinoic acid (isotretinoin) in the blood stream. Finding that out is when I really started to suspect that my Vitamin A intake was the cause of my breakouts and subsequent improved skin.I want to get into the actual results of the studies I came across regarding oral Vitamin A and it's usage for skin conditions, as well as it's safety profile.Several studies conducted before 1980 examined the results of oral Vitamin A on acne. The reason most of these studies have stopped is because the advent of topical tretinoin and oral isotretinoin became the preferred research methods of retinoids on acne. Also, fears of toxicity further turned the spotlight away from oral Vitamin A treatment. These early studies came to conclusions that oral Vitamin A was indeed effective in treating acne. The dosages across studies ranged from 50,000 up to 500,000 IU daily. One study determined that dosages of 300,000-500,000 IU retinol were highly effective and produced minimal signs of toxicity. This same study showed dosages less than 300,000 as non-effective, however the treatment plan only lasted 3-4 months maximum. Another study showed success with 150,000-200,000 IU retinyl palmitate daily for acne for a minimum of 6 months, with no signs of toxicity at this intake. This study showed intake above 300,000 causing a degree of liver impairment. A third study tested oral retinoic acid in acne, where 1mg of retinoic acid = 2,500 IU retinyl palmitate. In this study, 50mg oral retinoic acid (125,000 IU retinyl palmitate) improved acne within 3 weeks, 10 mg oral retinoic acid (25,000 IU retinyl palmitate) improved acne after 6 weeks, and 5 mg oral retinoic acid (12,500 IU retinyl palmitate) improved acne after about 7 months. It ultimately stated that 10mg oral retinoic acid (or 25,000 IU retinyl palmitate) was the optimal daily dose for long-term acne therapy without producing any side effects. A fourth study gave 150,000 IU retinyl palmitate daily for 3 months and found inconclusive results, but stated that 3 months was not long enough to see conclusive results. A fourth study gave 100 patients 100,000 IU Vitamin A daily and found 80% greatly improved after 6 months, with only 3% unimproved. In this study it was noticed that most cases of improvement endured and early worsening of acne with treatment. Lastly, a study gave 300,000 IU to 133 patients and found after 6 months that the majority had improvement of their acne.Here are links to the above studies:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1872447/?page=1https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6453848https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-4362.1977.tb01863.xhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6407So to sum up, a handful of studies pre 1981 show decent results of acne treatment with vitamin A. Several results were good, but often included very high dosing in short periods. Much like Accutane, lower dosing of Vitamin A can take longer to improve acne compared to higher doses. Also much like Accutane, these studies collectively suggest that any improvement of oral Vitamin A therapy takes months to take effect.Now, let's get into studies showing underlying mechanism of how oral Vitamin A therapy might benefit acne and improve skin. Two studies have shown that has shown that 13-cis retinoic acid, AKA Accutane or isotretinoin, is a normal byproduct of Vitamin A metabolism within the body. One study has demonstrated that supplementing 50,000-75,000 IU retinyl palmitate daily not only increases retinoic acid concentrations in blood, but also those of 13-cis retinoic acid. In fact, this study showed that out of all the metabolites of retinoic acid, the 13-cis form was the most augmented post-supplementation. This study also found no toxicities at doses of 50,000-75,000 IU daily. Another study showed that pharmacological doses of retinyl palmitate increased 13-cis retinoic acid levels in blood 8.4-fold. A different study of 10 patients with head and neck cancer showed that 300,000 IU retinyl palmitate daily increased serum level of 13-cis retinoic acid by 5.8 fold. 2 out of 10 developed side effects. Basically these studies show that intake of retinyl palmitate provides a dose-dependent increase of 13-cis retinoic acid in the body, thereby simulating intake of isotretinoin (Accutane).Here are links to the above studies:http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/content/13/11/1687.longhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/095528639190018Zhttp://www.jlr.org/content/31/8/1445.longhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1749540https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10211309It is important to note that apart from acne, aging is also a promising target for oral 13-cis retinoic acid. Several studies have shown low-dose isotretinoin treatment to improve facial signs of aging, as seen below:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4560536/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18811602https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18174796https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24168514So now we know that 13-cis retinoic acid can improve aging and we also know conclusively that it is the best treatment we have available for acne. We also know that taking doses of retinyl palmitate can increase serum levels of 13-cis retinoic acid. **What I am trying to get at is that I feel that supplementing with vitamin A, either through pills or liver intake, can strongly improve your skin.**Now, for those of you concerned with Vitamin A toxicity. I really believe that toxicity above the daily upper limit of 10,000 IU is vastly exaggerated. Several studies have shown that toxicity does not occur during long term treatment with doses above 10,000 IU. In one of the studies as shown above, there was no evidence of toxicity supplementing 75,000 IU daily for one year. In another, supplementing 300,000-500,000 IU demonstrated dry skin as the only side effect (although I think 300,000 IU to 500,000 IU is still way too high!) I have found even more studies showing it's safety. One I came cross found no toxicity at daily doses of 75,000 IU for 1 year (like the one I just mentioned). This study was for the treatment of photoaged skin, and infact, 75,000 IU daily not only was non-toxic, but was effective in reducing signs of photoaging. Another study showed no toxicity at 25,000 IU daily for up to **5 years**. A third study showed psychiatric side effects appear after 3 months supplementation of 240,000 IU daily. This study also showed that daily doses of 150,000 IU for 3 months only led to dry skin. Another study determined that 30,000 IU daily of vitamin A can safely be taken without risk for pregnant women. Many people take 200,000-300,000 IU of Accutane daily for months with most reporting non-serious side effects and only a small group reporting serious side effects.Here are the links to those studies:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9857270http://clincancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/10/6/1875?ijkey=02ebe261679751079827f39519b42da6a5336c00&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha#ref-22http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/content/6/11/949.shorthttps://escholarship.org/uc/item/4gn1347jYes, too much vitamin A can be toxic, but I believe that the effects of Vitamin A toxicity are highly exaggerated. Now, I am not suggesting anyone start taking 300,000 IU of vitamin A daily, especially because it seems that side effects start to appear after 200,000 IU, and that is a conservative estimate. I want to lay out what I feel like could be a could course of action along with some more science.Do not make this mistake of thinking that beta-carotene will give you enough Vitamin A. Conversion of beta-carotene is highly unpredictable and highly inefficient to a rate of 12:1 or even worse. You should either be eating animal liver or taking a supplement. To those of you who think retinyl palmitate is not natural and therefore more dangerous or inferior to vitamin A in liver, you should consider that retinyl palmitate is actually the main constituent of the Vitamin A in liver. Therefore, there will not be much difference in eating liver vs. taking a supplement. **Now, please do not think I am suggesting anyone should take a high dosage of Vitamin A** If anyone looks over the studies I have posted and agrees with what I am stating, they can then make the choice for themselves whether or not they want to supplement vitamin A in their diet. Please do not proliferate the echo chamber so commonly heard online of "Vitamin A is dangerous" or "Vitamin A is toxic." Yes, at very high doses it can be. However, we need to find a middle ground of moderation with Vitamin A, as it clearly has vast health benefits apart from just improving skin conditions (another post for another time). I implore you to do your research with Vitamin A and you may be pleasantly surprised.**TL;DR:** Oral Vitamin A (retinyl palmitate) has been shown to improve acne and photoaging over the course of months. Oral Vitamin A toxicity dosages tend to be exaggerated, with several studies reporting no toxicity at levels of 100,000 or under. Isotretinoin is a normal constituent of human blood, even in those who have never taken Accutane. Retinyl palmitate can raise blood levels of isotretinoin, thereby explaining one way in which it benefits acne. I am treating myself with vitamin A in the form of retinyl palmitate. I am currently getting about 75,000 IU daily and so far have had promising results. After 2 more months I will ultimately have a clear and final picture of how it has effected my skin and health. If my skin clears, I will subsequently drop my dosage to 50,000 or 25,000 IU and continue to monitor myself. And lastly, I have experienced no side effects during taking Vitamin A so far, except a temporary flare up of acne and slightly drier skin.**Warning: if you are pregnant or suspect you may be, do not start any Vitamin A intake without consulting a doctor**
Girls Blog 2015
Submitted by VitaminA17
No comments:
Post a Comment