How much zinc should i take for acne

Zinc is an essential micronutrient that is also anti-inflammatory. Zinc is found in some foods naturally and added to some packaged ones, and you can also get it as a supplement. Most Americans get their fill. Minerals help your body carry out essential processes. This guide tells you which minerals you need and why, plus which foods help you load up on them.

Plant based foods that are rich in antioxidants, minerals, and nutrients can actually help you ward off illness and speed up recovery. These are the…. But what about the less common one's like selenium and zinc? Your immune system is a complex network of processes that help keep your body safe from infection.

Here are 6 lifestyle choices that support it. Finding the best collagen supplement can be tricky. Giloy is a plant that Ayurvedic practitioners have used in treatment for thousands of years. Even in patients with normal serum zinc levels, zinc supplementation leads to clinical improvement of NME [ 67 ]. Drugs like minoxidil and finasteride and surgical modalities like hair transplantation form the mainstay of treatment.

Alopecia areata is another common autoimmune disorder with numerous treatment modalities but none is being universally effective. However, there is overall paucity of relevant literature. It is another rare chronic disease manifesting with extensive pustular lesions, erosions, and crusting of the scalp, leading ultimately to scarring alopecia.

Response to therapy has been variable with different treatments including topical or systemic antibiotics, oral isotretinoin, or dapsone. Ikeda et al. It possesses cytotoxic activity against Pityrosporum ovale and has antiproliferative action as well which are considered responsible for its clinical efficacy.

It also prevents recurrence of flaking, itching, and irritation associated with dandruff and its antifungal activity has been attributed to its ability to disrupt fungal membrane transport by blocking the proton pump that energizes the transport mechanism. However, a combination of zinc pyrithione and ketoconazole is more effective than either agent used alone. Lichen planus is a chronic inflammatory disease of skin and mucous membranes.

Despite plethora of medications, corticosteroids, retinoids, dapsone, and immunosuppressants, a definite cure for lichen planus remains unknown. Mehdipour et al. It was observed that pain, irritation, and lesion surface area decreased in both groups. However, decrease in surface area with zinc mouthwash plus fluocinolone was statistically more significant than that with fluocinolone alone.

Zinc in high concentration has been found to possess a direct cytotoxic effect and is well known to induce apoptosis of malignant cells and tissue necrosis. This property of zinc has been utilized for its use in premalignant and malignant conditions of skin like xeroderma pigmentosa, actinic keratosis, and basal cell carcinoma.

Topical therapy with zinc sulfate solution has been found to have both therapeutic and prophylactic role in patients with xeroderma pigmentosa. Improvement in all types of skin lesions, including softening and lightening of the skin color, and clearance of solar keratosis and small malignancies were observed in 15 patients who continued the study during monthly followup over a follow-up period of 2 years.

There was no exacerbation of old lesions or no development of new malignancy. Actinic keratosis, a premalignant condition resulting from proliferation of aberrant epidermal keratinocytes, occurs primarily on sun-exposed skin. These beneficial effects of zinc in xeroderma pigmentosa or actinic keratosis are attributable to enhanced wound healing, antioxidant action, sunscreen property, enhanced DNA repair, improved immunity, and accelerated apoptosis of malignant cells [ 74 ].

Topical zinc has been used for both vitiligo and melasma. Vitiligo is a common depigmenting disorder with variable etiology seen in about 0. As vitiligo patients have been found to have significant low serum zinc levels than normal controls, zinc was postulated to play a role in the management of vitiligo [ 77 , 78 ].

Yaghoobi et al. An appreciable but statistically insignificant clinical response was observed in Zinc possesses significant antiapoptotic and antioxidant activity and along with other micronutrients like copper and manganese also postulated to play an important role in melanogenesis.

Melasma, a common pigmentary dermatosis, causes significant psychological stress due to cosmetic morbidity in affected patients. It affects all races with a predilection for Hispanics and Asians and accounts for 0. Genetic predisposition, pregnancy, oral contraceptives, endocrine dysfunction, hormone treatments, or exposure to UV light have been implicated frequently in its pathogenesis.

A large number of treatment modalities have been tried for the treatment of melasma ranging from depigmenting agents like hydroquinone to lasers. Topical zinc sulphate has also been tried in the management of melasma owing to its peeling and sunscreen properties.

However, this mode of treatment did not find much favor as results could not be reproduced in other studies and no statistically significant improvement was seen with topical zinc therapy [ 81 , 82 ]. Moreover, it is not cosmetically elegant and acceptability remains poor. Nevertheless, zinc oxide, in micronized forms, remains a common ingredient of most sunscreens used for treatment of melasma. Hypertrophic scars and keloids of any origin are associated with considerable disfigurement.

Propensity for recurrences seen with keloids is associated with significant psychological morbidity. Treatment with intralesional corticosteroids, topical silicon gel sheets, surgery, and other physical treatment modalities including lasers and cryotherapy have their own advantages and disadvantages.

The beneficial effect of topical zinc in the treatment of keloids in few studies has been attributed to its ability to inhibit lysyl oxidase and stimulate collagenase that leads to decreased production and increased degradation of collagen. However, few well-designed studies remain desirable for acceptance of this low cost treatment for this highly distressing condition. Mahoney et al.

After 8 weeks of therapy, significant elastic fiber regeneration was seen in the papillary dermis leading to effacement of wrinkles. The combined photoprotective and elastic regenerative properties of zinc could be used for the development of effective antiageing therapies. Calamine lotion contains zinc oxide or zinc carbonate and is used frequently for symptomatic relief in pruritus because of its soothing properties. Zinc also inhibits mast cell degranulation and thereby reduces the secretion of histamine, an important mediator of inflammatory response and an inducer of itch, thereby making it a useful treatment option in pruritic conditions [ 86 ].

Zinc oxide is widely used as a broad spectrum physical sunscreen. Its advantage lies in its low cost and an excellent safety profile. It has been used alone and in combination with other physical titanium oxide or chemical sunscreen agents. Recently microfine and nano-sized zinc oxide has become available which provides better cosmetic appeal and photoprotection than traditional zinc oxide preparations.

Zinc oxide provides protection against UV-A1 — superior to titanium oxide providing better spectrum protection [ 87 ]. Zinc is an important micronutrient required for the normal function of skin. For therapeutic purpose zinc is administered orally or parenterally as zinc sulfate The recommended doses for elemental zinc are 0. Gastrointestinal upsets with bloody diarrhea may occur sometimes after ingestion of zinc sulfate beyond recommended doses. Therapeutically, zinc can be used, both topically and in systemic form, for a large number of dermatological disorders.

Its efficacy in treating acne perhaps remains the most studied despite varied results. However, it should not substitute the treatment with proven first line therapeutic modalities as most of the studies showing efficacy of zinc are small case series or have small sample size. Interestingly, systemic zinc as a therapeutic modality does not find much favor despite many dermatological conditions shown responding to it. Perhaps more experimental and clinical evidence in the form of appropriately blinded randomized control trials and case-control studies for the treatment of various dermatoses is needed to determine the efficacy of this low cost mode of treatment and compare it with the established treatment modalities.

Only after adequate studies for its efficacy and safety, the treatment guidelines or recommendations for zinc therapy can be made. Nevertheless, it can best be used as an adjuvant to established treatment modalities.

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interests regarding the publication of this paper. National Center for Biotechnology Information , U.

Journal List Dermatol Res Pract v. Dermatol Res Pract. Published online Jul Mrinal Gupta , Vikram K. Mehta , and Pushpinder S. Vikram K. Karaninder S. Pushpinder S. Author information Article notes Copyright and License information Disclaimer. Mahajan: moc. Received May 1; Accepted Jun This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

This article has been cited by other articles in PMC. Abstract Zinc, both in elemental or in its salt forms, has been used as a therapeutic modality for centuries. Introduction Zinc, a divalent cation, is an essential micronutrient for humans and its importance can be gauged from the fact that it is an essential component of more than metalloenzymes and over transcription factors that are needed for regulation of lipid, protein and nucleic acid metabolism, and gene transcription.

Zinc Physiology and Zinc Deficiency States It will be prudent to revisit the physiological aspects of zinc metabolism before discussing zinc deficiency states.

Hypozincemia of Infancy Zinc is now well-recognized micronutrient essential for infant growth and development and is a standard component in parenteral nutrition for infants with low birth weight or chronic gastrointestinal dysfunction. Acrodermatitis Enteropathica Acrodermatitis enteropathica is a rare disease with an estimated prevalence of 1 in people in Denmark.

Zinc Therapy in Dermatology Zinc, elemental or in its various forms salts , has been used as a therapeutic modality for centuries. Table 1 Therapeutic uses of systemic and topical zinc. Open in a separate window. Warts Warts are a common dermatological human papilloma virus infection with numerous available treatment modalities. Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a major health problem that causes significant morbidity due to long clinical course and residual scarring.

Leprosy Leprosy is a chronic infection of skin and peripheral nerves caused by Mycobacterium leprae. Herpes Genitalis Herpes genitalis, caused by Herpes simplex virus HSV 1 and 2, is characterized by a high rate of recurrences. Dermatophytoses Dermatophytoses are a diverse array of disorders involving the skin, hair, and nails.

Bromhidrosis Bromhidrosis is a common disorder characterized by foul smelling sweat. Pityriasis Versicolor Pityriasis versicolor is a common fungal disorder presenting as truncal hypopigmented scaly macules. Inflammatory Dermatoses The anti-inflammatory properties of zinc have been the reasons for its use in many common inflammatory dermatoses like acne, rosacea, eczemas, and ulcers and wounds of varied etiology. Rosacea, Hidradenitis Suppurativa, Acne Conglobata, and Folliculitis Decalvans Rosacea is a chronic disorder characterized by frequent flushing, erythema, and telangiectasia, interspersed by episodes of inflammation during which swelling, papules, and pustules are seen.

Eczemas Eczemas comprise a diverse group of dermatoses with variable etiology and clinical manifestations and constitute significant proportion of all dermatological diseases with an estimated prevalence of 18 cases per US population. Ulcers and Wounds Ulcers of variable etiology are a common presentation in the dermatology outpatients with an estimated community prevalence of 0.

Behcet's Disease and Oral Aphthosis Behcet's disease is a vasculopathic condition characterized by recurrent episodes of oral and genital ulcerations with positive pathergy test.

Necrolytic Migratory Erythema NME It is a dermatosis which is usually associated with an underlying pancreatic tumor especially glucagonoma. This means antibiotics have become even less effective in treating acne. In combination with other treatments, however, they might have a positive effect. So if you are taking antibiotics , you should ask your doctor about taking zinc for acne as well. Used alone, zinc for pimples has the same effect as antibiotics, but when they are combined, your skin could see fast and drastic improvement.

As previously mentioned, studies have found that zinc can cause certain antibiotics to be absorbed into the skin more easily. Also, it can help make the transition from antibiotics to no antibiotics smoother after that three-month point. Some people see a resurgence of acne when they stop taking their antibiotics, which can be very disheartening after three months of clearer skin, but the zinc should prevent some acne from returning.

Our bodies absorb zinc and copper together. It works like this: imagine you had an individual jar for each of your essential minerals, and every time you ate something with that mineral or took a supplement, it got added directly to the jar.

Copper and zinc share a jar. This is something to watch out for if you decide to start taking zinc supplements or adding zinc to your diet. Without enough copper, you can develop anemia, muscle weakness, mental fatigue, and psychological symptoms. So is zinc good for acne? Experts recommend a multi-pronged approach to treat acne. Ideally, your routine includes consistent use of high-quality products that contain effective actives to fight acne and natural ingredients to soothe and improve skin.

We recommend trying our Exposed Skincare Probiotic Complex. Tackle your acne with a degree approach by using the Exposed Skincare Ultimate Kit. Sunscreens containing zinc oxide can help with repairing your skin while protecting against harmful ultraviolet rays. It is possible to take too much zinc into your body. Common zinc poisoning symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, metallic taste, kidney and stomach damage, and other side effects.

If you consume alcohol, you may have a more challenging time absorbing zinc. They would most likely perform a routine check and test your zinc levels before writing up a prescription. You can start with a smaller dosage and work your way up to tolerable lev annot treat acne with zinc supplements alone.

Seeing a board-certified dermatologist is a key step in figuring out the root cause of your acne. Your dermatologist will perform a detailed assessment of your skin. From there, the right treatment can help clear your skin up. Your dermatologist can prescribe a topical medication to decrease oil and eliminate bacteria. Topical medications often contain benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, glycolic acid, and lactic acid.

Retinoids are powerful compounds derived from Vitamin A. These are another go-to topical medication that can treat different types of acne. Topical retinoids exfoliate and clear out dead skin cells. It also improves cell turnover and reduces inflammation.