Guide To Vitamin A Deficiency Symptoms

Dry And Scaly Skin

Vitamin A is a critical nutrient to the development and management of healthy skin tissues. This vitamin stimulates mitosis of skin cells and keeps the skin healthy by activating certain genes that cause immature skin cells to grow and differentiate into mature epithelial skin cells. Vitamin A is essential for keeping the epithelial layer of the skin thick enough to provide a satisfactory barrier to protect against exterior influences and conditions. Adequate levels of vitamin A ensure there are enough Langerhans cells in an individual's epidermis. Langerhans cells are dendritic cells specialized to stimulate responses from the individual's immune system when the skin becomes infected. Vitamin A is responsible for helping with glycosaminoglycan synthesis in the skin. Glycosaminoglycans are water-binding substances that help the skin hold moisture. Those deficient in vitamin A tend to develop excessively dry and scaly skin due to a combination of malfunctions in the aforementioned processes.

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