Facial skin aging and vitamin D

A study just published in the journal Cancer Causes & Control throws light on the link between skin aging and vitamin D levels. The authors set out to investigate...

"...whether individuals with less facial aging due to photoprotection are more likely to have low vitamin D as measured by 25(OH) vitamin D levels."

They examined 45 females over age 40 taking into consideration menopausal and smoking status, history of skin cancer, use of supplements, and when the blood draws were done according to season. Then...

"A single-blinded, dermatologist evaluated standardized digital facial images for overall photodamage, erythema/telangiectasias, hyperpigmentation, number of lentigines, and wrinkling."

The data painted a striking picture:

"...women with lower photodamage scores were associated with a 5-fold increased odds of being vitamin D insufficient. Low scores for specific photodamage parameters including erythema/telangiectasias, hyperpigmentation, and wrinkling were also significantly associated with vitamin D insufficiency."

What does this mean in practical terms? As previous studies have reported, it is usually not possible to optimize vitamin D levels by sun exposure only without an undesirable price to pay in skin damage. As other investigators have asserted, supplementation of vitamin D according to your specific needs as determined by the 25(OH)D (25-hydroxy vitamin D) blood test is best evidence-based method.