105 replies to this topic

[SebumSucks]

I take Vitamin D as well as I live in Canada and we have long winters and short days which can cause a deficiency in vitamin D. It hasn't don much for my skin truth be told though (Which is why I'm skeptical for how well it has  worked for you). I've also heard it has weightloss benefits too? especially for people with insulin resistance.

 

I don't claim this will work for everyone.  It is likely acne can result due to many different types of deficiencies and/or abnormal gene expression in the skin.

 

In any case, what dosage are you taking?  If you are truly deficient, then you should be taking a fairly large dose to correct that.  From what I have researched, general guidelines seem to converge on 1000-2000IU per day as maintenance dose to maintain levels during winter and 4000IU/day or even more to bring your levels up from a deficient state.  I have heard of some folks status not budging taking 5000IU/day who needed to up to 10000IU to bring their levels to the normal range. Of course everyone is different so some will need more or less so at higher doses it is best to consult a doc and get tested periodically.

 

I don't know anything about it producing weight loss.  I've actually gained a bit of weight recently although that is due to less activity during the winter months.

[mikito]

Thank you sebumsucks for sharing your personal experience with us.

 

I am female, 43 years, and still suffering from cystic acne. I have tried everything included three courses of Accutane. But I haven't found the cure yet.

 

Actually I am trying with zinc gluconate, for two weeks and It´s too soon to get conclusion.

 

Very interesting what you tell about vitamine D3, I,ll try it if zinc doesn't work. And after that I will try B5 + carnitine, because wideserpent had sucess with this stuff.

 

The only thing I can assure, is that sun exposure is not the clue, because I live in Spain, in an Island and we have too much sun. This island is Ibiza, and if you have heard of it, its famous for sun and beaches. And sun is not the clue.    

[SebumSucks]

The only thing I can assure, is that sun exposure is not the clue, because I live in Spain, in an Island and we have too much sun. This island is Ibiza, and if you have heard of it, its famous for sun and beaches. And sun is not the clue.    

 

Yes, I agree, sun exposure is not the answer, for the following reasons:

1. At most latitudes in the northern hemisphere (North America & Europe) during winter, your skin cannot produce ANY vitamin D, regardless if the sun is shinning or no.  The angle of the sun is too steep and UVB rays that are responsible for producing vitamin D are blocked by the thickness of the atmosphere.  So even if you live in a sunny climate your skin cannot produce Vitamin D during winter so pretty much everyone's vitamin D levels reduce during winter unless you are vacationing to the middle latitudes or southern hemisphere during our winter months. 
2. Most people these days have been instructed to lather on sun block to protect your skin from premature aging and skin cancer, so even if you do sunbath at the beach during summer, if you are applying tons of sun block you are again blocking the beneficial effects of UV (vitamin D production) on the skin.  I am not saying one shouldn't apply sun block at all, but for occasional sun exposure outside of peak UV hours, it is probably best to not apply sun block to actually get some UV exposure (of course this depends on one's skin type and sensitivity)

Also, even assuming lots of sun exposure in summer without sunblock, I think it is likely some portion of the population may have an impaired ability to produce Vitamin D in the skin, hence the acne, since diet alone cannot supply enough of it for optimal health.   (This is my own conjecture here, not fact)

 

Anyhow, yes I have heard of Ibiza,  I believe it is well known for its party scene.  You are lucky to live in such a beautiful place.  If you do end up trying Vitamin D, please come back and let us know if it works for you.

[darkheart]

I take Vitamin D as well as I live in Canada and we have long winters and short days which can cause a deficiency in vitamin D. It hasn't don much for my skin truth be told though (Which is why I'm skeptical for how well it has  worked for you). I've also heard it has weightloss benefits too? especially for people with insulin resistance.

 

I don't claim this will work for everyone.  It is likely acne can result due to many different types of deficiencies and/or abnormal gene expression in the skin.

 

In any case, what dosage are you taking?  If you are truly deficient, then you should be taking a fairly large dose to correct that.  From what I have researched, general guidelines seem to converge on 1000-2000IU per day as maintenance dose to maintain levels during winter and 4000IU/day or even more to bring your levels up from a deficient state.  I have heard of some folks status not budging taking 5000IU/day who needed to up to 10000IU to bring their levels to the normal range. Of course everyone is different so some will need more or less so at higher doses it is best to consult a doc and get tested periodically.

 

I don't know anything about it producing weight loss.  I've actually gained a bit of weight recently although that is due to less activity during the winter months.

 

1000 Mg a day.

[alternativista]

Vitamin D affects your acne in so many ways. It regulates so many things such as melatonin and therefore sleep, growth hormone, normal cell growth including skin and sebocyte cells. And is vital to insulin function and the absorption and use of minerals.

But the RDAs are far too low. I would take 2- 3000 daily when you can't get it from the sun, but try to get it from the sun as often as you can. When you get from the sun, your body also makes vitamin D sulfate, which is water soluble and goes places and does things the fat soluble form can't.

Edited by alternativista, 15 March 2013 - 06:41 AM.

[TreatAcne]

Thank you sebumsucks for sharing your personal experience with us.

 

I am female, 43 years, and still suffering from cystic acne. I have tried everything included three courses of Accutane. But I haven't found the cure yet.

 

Actually I am trying with zinc gluconate, for two weeks and It´s too soon to get conclusion.

 

Very interesting what you tell about vitamine D3, I,ll try it if zinc doesn't work. And after that I will try B5 + carnitine, because wideserpent had sucess with this stuff.

 

The only thing I can assure, is that sun exposure is not the clue, because I live in Spain, in an Island and we have too much sun. This island is Ibiza, and if you have heard of it, its famous for sun and beaches. And sun is not the clue.    

 

I would definitely do the B5 and L-carnitine VEGETABLE JUICE regime, just so long as you understand that the juice is what makes up most of the progress. I'm still on that particular regime myself and have never felt better, even after stopping the the B5 and L-Carnitine vitamins. 

 

You seem to be getting enough Vitamin D from the sun then, I guess. Still, it may not be absorbing itself properly. I would take Vitamin D for several weeks anyway, just incase you do start to notice a difference. if you do, then your skin may not be absorbing the Vitamin D effectively enough.

[alternativista]

Ibiza is at 38 degrees. Every on at 37 and above (or below in he southern hemisphere) needs to concerned about vitamin d except in the summer. And the sun needs to be high in the sky. Your shadow should be shorter than you are. Also you make most of our vitamin D in your torso.

[CBIOT13]

Has anyone else had similar results with this? It seems like it may be a one hit wonder.

[greatsite18]

Cbiot13 are you serious? Vitamin d is the most important thing for skin! Yes im having success with vit d. I got some especially good tablets recently, like 5000iu each, 360 of them, for £10 inc shipping.

[CBIOT13]

Cbiot13 are you serious? Vitamin d is the most important thing for skin! Yes im having success with vit d. I got some especially good tablets recently, like 5000iu each, 360 of them, for £10 inc shipping.

Of course I'm serious. And if Vitamin D was universally so awesome for acne, why don't dermatologists just prescribe it to everyone? Because it is NOT the be all end all cure. It works for some, does squat for others.

What specifically has it done for you greatsite18?

[alternativista]

Cbiot13 are you serious? Vitamin d is the most important thing for skin! Yes im having success with vit d. I got some especially good tablets recently, like 5000iu each, 360 of them, for £10 inc shipping.

Of course I'm serious. And if Vitamin D was universally so awesome for acne, why don't dermatologists just prescribe it to everyone? Because it is NOT the be all end all cure. It works for some, does squat for others.

What specifically has it done for you greatsite18?

No one said it was a end all be all cure. But it effects acne in several ways and you are probably deficient in it. And why don't doctors prescribe it for all the other many diseases affected by the deficiency? Why do doctors consider healthy eating and exercise things people ought to do, but consider drugs necessities instead if the other way around? Why do doctors tell people they have good and bad cholesterol when there's only one kind of cholesterol? Why is the average doctor so bad at their job?

And btw, the levels that your doctor probably tells are sufficient are too low.

Edited by alternativista, 21 March 2013 - 09:44 AM.

[greatsite18]

Exactly. I wrote vitamin d is the most important thing for skin, not acne. Is exercise more important for skin than vit d? Certainly not for me. Vit d3 is the most important aspect of my diet for good skin.

What has vitamin d done for me? I used to be one of those people who had to live a strict life in order to achieve acceptable skin. Now since ive been eating high doses of vitamin d3, I can live like a slob and (!) have decent skin. Now im a slob with decent skin i just have to stop being a slob haha.

About the op i dont get really oily skin unless i sauna a lot, use the wrong topicals, wash too often, or eat a lot of fatty food. Does that answer your question cbiot13.

[CBIOT13]

I've been doing alot of research on Vitamin D, and so I fully understand how it affects your skin as well as the significant differences in RDA amounts preached by various doctors/organization. And yes, I do know that there are many factors that affect your skin and sometimes a good diet is not enough for some people. As a former athlete and current gym rat I am literally the picture of physical health, and even with a super clean and healthy diet, plenty of sleep, and no drugs or alcohol I still have crappy skin. Specifically I have extremely oily skin, and after reading the original post I am curious if anyone has had as drastic a skin reversal as he did using Vitamin D.

And I really don't understand all the questions in your post Alternativista. Most doctors are not bad at their job. Years and years of education means that they are well versed in diagnosing the majority of general problems people have. With that being said, you can't expect one person to be able to be knowledgeable about EVERY gentically possible ailment that may be presented to them. As with anything, doctors have their limitations in diagnosing things but they are not bad at their job. And as for your cholesterol comment, that's really not correct and I'm just gonna leave it at that lol.

Do you have any long term experience Alternativista using a Vitamin D supplement? How'd it work for you?

And yes greatsite18, thanks for the info. For me though, I have very little acne but just extremely oily skin. Good to hear it's working for you though. How long have you been taking it?

[greatsite18]

Taking is the wrong term buddy. Ive been eating 10000 - 25000iu daily for a week now. I started eating 1000iu daily 5 months ago, i noticed immediate results, and i have incrementally increased my dosage since then. The more d i eat the less i have to worry about skincare in other areas of my life.

[CBIOT13]

I'm not sure what you mean by "eating" and not "taking". If you are getting all that Vitamin D from your diet then you must be eating 4 lbs of fish a day LOL. I don't think it's possible to get that much from your diet unless you are eating like Tuna or Herring for every meal haha.

 

If you are taking supplements, are you taking D2 or D3?

 

Thanks again for the information.

Edited by CBIOT13, 21 March 2013 - 11:04 AM.

[alternativista]

I've been doing alot of research on Vitamin D, and so I fully understand how it affects your skin as well as the significant differences in RDA amounts preached by various doctors/organization. And yes, I do know that there are many factors that affect your skin and sometimes a good diet is not enough for some people. As a former athlete and current gym rat I am literally the picture of physical health, and even with a super clean and healthy diet, plenty of sleep, and no drugs or alcohol I still have crappy skin. Specifically I have extremely oily skin, and after reading the original post I am curious if anyone has had as drastic a skin reversal as he did using Vitamin D.

And I really don't understand all the questions in your post Alternativista. Most doctors are not bad at their job. Years and years of education means that they are well versed in diagnosing the majority of general problems people have. With that being said, you can't expect one person to be able to be knowledgeable about EVERY gentically possible ailment that may be presented to them. As with anything, doctors have their limitations in diagnosing things but they are not bad at their job. And as for your cholesterol comment, that's really not correct and I'm just gonna leave it at that lol.

Do you have any long term experience Alternativista using a Vitamin D supplement? How'd it work for you?

And yes greatsite18, thanks for the info. For me though, I have very little acne but just extremely oily skin. Good to hear it's working for you though. How long have you been taking it?

My comments about D were in direct response to your comment about why derms don't prescribe vitamin D. And I said nothing about doctors' ability to diagnose anything. I was talking about how they choose to treat and 'prevent' common chronic lifestyle related/caused health issues.

My comments about cholesterol is correct. There's one kind. HDL and LDL are lipoproteins that carry cholesterol around so it can do its very vital functions. And neither one of them are bad. Having the wrong ratio of LDL to HDL can be a sign of a problem, but that doesn't mean LDL is the culprit.

Also, being an athlete or gym rat doesn't = healthy. It's very damaging. Healthy exercise doesn't involve gyms.

My skin cleared with my diet changes so if you are asking about any experience with D and acne, I can't tell you. But I don't think it has that much affect on oily skin unless it affects fat metabolism and sebum quality. It's mostly about skin function, cell turnover, etc. But I don''t remember everything..

Edited by alternativista, 21 March 2013 - 03:28 PM.

[CBIOT13]

I've been doing alot of research on Vitamin D, and so I fully understand how it affects your skin as well as the significant differences in RDA amounts preached by various doctors/organization. And yes, I do know that there are many factors that affect your skin and sometimes a good diet is not enough for some people. As a former athlete and current gym rat I am literally the picture of physical health, and even with a super clean and healthy diet, plenty of sleep, and no drugs or alcohol I still have crappy skin. Specifically I have extremely oily skin, and after reading the original post I am curious if anyone has had as drastic a skin reversal as he did using Vitamin D.

And I really don't understand all the questions in your post Alternativista. Most doctors are not bad at their job. Years and years of education means that they are well versed in diagnosing the majority of general problems people have. With that being said, you can't expect one person to be able to be knowledgeable about EVERY gentically possible ailment that may be presented to them. As with anything, doctors have their limitations in diagnosing things but they are not bad at their job. And as for your cholesterol comment, that's really not correct and I'm just gonna leave it at that lol.

Do you have any long term experience Alternativista using a Vitamin D supplement? How'd it work for you?

And yes greatsite18, thanks for the info. For me though, I have very little acne but just extremely oily skin. Good to hear it's working for you though. How long have you been taking it?

My comments about D were in direct response to your comment about why derms don't prescribe it. And I said nothing about their ability to diagnose anything. I was talking about how they choose to address and 'prevent' health issues.

My comments about cholesterol is correct. There's one kind. HDL and LDL are lipoproteins that carry cholesterol around so it can do its very vital functions. And neither one of them are bad. Having the wrong ratio of LDL to HDL can be a sign of a problem, but that doesn't mean LDL is the culprit.

Also, being an athlete or gym rat doesn't = healthy. It's very damaging. Healthy exercise doesn't involve gyms.

My skin cleared with my diet changes so if you are asking about any experience with D and acne, I can't tell you. But I don't think it has that much affect on oily skin. It's mostly about skin function, cell turnover, etc.

 

Of course it is the carriers that give the different cholesterol forms its name. Chemically, yes there is one compound to which we have given the name "cholesterol," but inside our body it is very rarely without those lipoprotein carriers. It only make sense for doctors to tell you there are two "kinds" of cholesterol, because depending on the carrier they have significant differences in characteristics. If your doctor gave you your total cholesterol number as a single metric, it'd be pretty useless wouldn't it? In this sense there are two kinds of cholesterol. 

 

Do you have any scientific studies showing that LDL is not bad for you? I am genuinely curious. Saying that neither kind of cholesterol is bad is directly contradicting to much of the scientific information out there. 

 

And as for your comments on exercise, I'm sorry but that is simply laughable. That's one of the problems with people today, no one wants to exert any energy and then they wonder why they are overweight, can't sleep at night, have high blood pressure, blah blah blah.... the list goes on and on. Of course it doesn't have to be in a gym, but for most people that is they only way they have access to the equipment needed for what they want to do. Running is great, don't get me wrong. But at some point light weight training or body weight work is beneficial for everybody and does things endurance exercises can't.

 

It's only damaging if you do it wrong by the way, which unfortunately most people end up doing before they learn the right way. But saying healthy exercise doesn't involve gyms is just ridiculous. If you were to give health screenings to a large sample of those that go to the gym and those who don't, accounting for factors such as age and sex, I hope you realize which group would have overall healthier numbers.

 

And I have no interest in derailing this Vitamin D thread, so this is the last I'll be debating off topic Alternativista. 

Edited by CBIOT13, 21 March 2013 - 03:42 PM.

[cindy2013]

I've been taking vitamin d for four and half weeeks now. I dont have acne but I suffer from oily skin,large pores and bleackheads on my nose and chin.

I get pimples on my arms,chest,back and neck when I use the wrong products(comodogenic)

I started with 1000mg first for a couple of days my complexion started to look much better but my right cheek started to break out

I had an IB. I raised the amounts to 2000mg but didnt notice much of  a difference. I then raised the amounts to 10000mg and let me twll you

my skin has gotten normal now when I wake up no oily skin just normal skin.

I dont get oily on my cheecks anymore just a little bit on my forhead in the evening.

My skin has gotten so smooth and even the scars on my chest are fading.

[reymond17173]

After reading this post, I decide to give D3 a try. However my local pharmacy only sells Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol, from Fish Liver Oil) in liquid softgel form. Is this the kind of D3 you guys have been taking?

Does it matter what the source the D3 is derived from?
Also, I assume liquid softgel is better than tablet because it's easier to be absorbed?
Thanks.

Edited by reymond17173, 24 March 2013 - 03:54 PM.

[alternativista]

I've been doing alot of research on Vitamin D, and so I fully understand how it affects your skin as well as the significant differences in RDA amounts preached by various doctors/organization. And yes, I do know that there are many factors that affect your skin and sometimes a good diet is not enough for some people. As a former athlete and current gym rat I am literally the picture of physical health, and even with a super clean and healthy diet, plenty of sleep, and no drugs or alcohol I still have crappy skin. Specifically I have extremely oily skin, and after reading the original post I am curious if anyone has had as drastic a skin reversal as he did using Vitamin D.

And I really don't understand all the questions in your post Alternativista. Most doctors are not bad at their job. Years and years of education means that they are well versed in diagnosing the majority of general problems people have. With that being said, you can't expect one person to be able to be knowledgeable about EVERY gentically possible ailment that may be presented to them. As with anything, doctors have their limitations in diagnosing things but they are not bad at their job. And as for your cholesterol comment, that's really not correct and I'm just gonna leave it at that lol.

Do you have any long term experience Alternativista using a Vitamin D supplement? How'd it work for you?

And yes greatsite18, thanks for the info. For me though, I have very little acne but just extremely oily skin. Good to hear it's working for you though. How long have you been taking it?

My comments about D were in direct response to your comment about why derms don't prescribe it. And I said nothing about their ability to diagnose anything. I was talking about how they choose to address and 'prevent' health issues.

My comments about cholesterol is correct. There's one kind. HDL and LDL are lipoproteins that carry cholesterol around so it can do its very vital functions. And neither one of them are bad. Having the wrong ratio of LDL to HDL can be a sign of a problem, but that doesn't mean LDL is the culprit.

Also, being an athlete or gym rat doesn't = healthy. It's very damaging. Healthy exercise doesn't involve gyms.

My skin cleared with my diet changes so if you are asking about any experience with D and acne, I can't tell you. But I don't think it has that much affect on oily skin. It's mostly about skin function, cell turnover, etc.

 
Of course it is the carriers that give the different cholesterol forms its name. Chemically, yes there is one compound to which we have given the name "cholesterol," but inside our body it is very rarely without those lipoprotein carriers. It only make sense for doctors to tell you there are two "kinds" of cholesterol, because depending on the carrier they have significant differences in characteristics. If your doctor gave you your total cholesterol number as a single metric, it'd be pretty useless wouldn't it? In this sense there are two kinds of cholesterol. 
 
Do you have any scientific studies showing that LDL is not bad for you? I am genuinely curious. Saying that neither kind of cholesterol is bad is directly contradicting to much of the scientific information out there. 
 
And as for your comments on exercise, I'm sorry but that is simply laughable. That's one of the problems with people today, no one wants to exert any energy and then they wonder why they are overweight, can't sleep at night, have high blood pressure, blah blah blah.... the list goes on and on. Of course it doesn't have to be in a gym, but for most people that is they only way they have access to the equipment needed for what they want to do. Running is great, don't get me wrong. But at some point light weight training or body weight work is beneficial for everybody and does things endurance exercises can't.
 
It's only damaging if you do it wrong by the way, which unfortunately most people end up doing before they learn the right way. But saying healthy exercise doesn't involve gyms is just ridiculous. If you were to give health screenings to a large sample of those that go to the gym and those who don't, accounting for factors such as age and sex, I hope you realize which group would have overall healthier numbers.
 
And I have no interest in derailing this Vitamin D thread, so this is the last I'll be debating off topic Alternativista. 

Vitamin D is made from cholesterol, because of course, cholesterol is part of the membranes in every cell of every living thing. LDL is the lipoprotein that carries cholesterol from your liver where it's made throughout the body so it can be used to make cells. It is essential. And what I've said comes from scientific research. It does not contradict the science. It contradicts only what the average conventional doctor believes. Take a moment and look into it. You'll see.

Also, walking, chores, dancing, play, stairs, etc burn fat. The kinds of 'workouts' people have been led to believe are necessary burn the carbs you just ate and then it burns muscle.