Vitamin A has long been considered the gold standard in anti-aging treatments. It's a superstar ingredient that gives your skin the additional boost it needs to be healthy, exfoliated, and breakout-free. Vitamin A is necessary for skin cell creation and repair. It also helps in the reduction of inflammation caused by some skin conditions. It's possible that a lack of vitamin A is to blame for the development of eczema and other skin conditions.

Eczema is a skin condition in which the skin becomes dry, itchy, and inflamed. Alitretinoin, a prescription medication having vitamin A activity, has been demonstrated to be beneficial in treating eczema in several clinical investigations. People with chronic eczema who took 10–40 mg of alitretinoin per day for 12 weeks showed a 53% decrease in symptoms. Keep in mind that dry skin can be caused by a variety of factors, including a chronic vitamin A deficiency.

Some of the most well-known side effects of vitamin A deficiency include vision problems. In severe situations, not having enough vitamin A can lead to blindness or dying corneas, which are marked by Bitot's spots.

One of the first signs of vitamin A deficiency is the inability to make tears. Dry eyes are particularly common in young children in India, Africa, and Southeast Asia, whose diets are deficient in vitamin A. Vitamin A supplementation can help with this problem. In a small study conducted in 2019, Participants with dry eyes took a daily oral vitamin A supplement for three days. Each dose was 5,000 international units (IU). After 3 days, the participants had better quality tears. High dosages of vitamin A reduced the prevalence of dry eyes by 63% in infants and children who took supplements for 16 months, according to another research.

Night blindness can be caused by a severe vitamin A deficiency. A significant prevalence of night blindness has been found in several observational studies in developing countries.

Because of the severity of the disease, physicians have been trying to raise vitamin A levels in patients who are at risk of night blindness. Women suffering from night blindness were given vitamin A in the form of food or supplements in one research. Both types of vitamin A helped to improve the condition. Over the course of six weeks of therapy, the women's ability to adapt to darkness improved by more than 50%.

Vitamin A deficiency can result in stunted growth in children. This is due to the fact that vitamin A is required for optimal human growth.

Vitamin A supplementation, alone or in combination with other nutrients, has been demonstrated in several trials to enhance growth. The majority of these researches were carried out on children in developing countries. One research in Indonesia found that children with vitamin A deficiency who took high-dose supplements for four months grew 0.15 inches (0.39 cm) quicker than those who received a placebo. Supplementing with vitamin A in combination with other nutrients, on the other hand, may have a greater influence on development than supplementing with vitamin A alone, according to a review of research. For example, in South Africa, children with stunted growth who got multiple vitamins and minerals had a half-point better length-for-age score than those who received only vitamin A.

Vitamin A is required for both men's and women's reproduction, as well as baby development. A deficiency of vitamin A might be one of the reasons you're having problems conceiving. In both men and women, vitamin A deficiency can cause infertility.

Female rats with vitamin A deficiency have trouble conceiving and may have embryos with birth defects, according to studies. According to another study, infertile men may have a higher requirement for antioxidants due to their bodies' increased levels of oxidative stress. One of the nutrients that function as an antioxidant in the body is vitamin A. Miscarriages are linked to vitamin A deficiency.

Vitamin A deficiency can cause frequent infections, especially in the throat and chest. It's believed that taking supplements with vitamin A may help with respiratory infections.

Underweight children who got 10,000 IU of vitamin A per week had fewer respiratory infections than those who received a placebo, according to Ecuadorian research. A review of studies in children, on the other hand, indicated that vitamin A supplements may raise the risk of throat and chest infections by 8%. Supplements should only be provided to people who have a true deficiency, according to the authors. Furthermore, high blood levels of the provitamin A carotenoid beta-carotene may protect against respiratory infections, according to one research in elderly people.

Low vitamin A levels may be associated with wounds that do not heal well after an accident or surgery. This is because vitamin A promotes collagen production, which is a key component of good skin.

Vitamin A, both oral and topical, has been shown to strengthen skin in studies. Oral vitamin A boosted collagen formation in rats, according to one research. Even though the rats were on steroids, which can slow wound healing, the vitamin had this effect. Treatment of the skin with topical vitamin A seems to reduce wounds linked with diabetes in rats, according to an additional study. Human studies show similar results. In comparison to men who did not use the cream, elderly men who treated wounds with topical vitamin A have seen a 50% reduction in the size of their wounds.

Vitamin A may help prevent or treat acne by promoting skin growth and reducing inflammation. Retinol (retinoid), a topical form of vitamin A, can help cure and prevent inflammatory acne lesions, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).

Acne has been linked to low vitamin A levels in several studies. In one research of 200 people, those with acne had vitamin A levels that were almost 80 mcg lower than those who did not have acne. Acne can be treated with topical and oral vitamin A. Vitamin A creams have been shown in studies to reduce the number of acne lesions by 50%. Isotretinoin, often known as Accutane, is the most well-known type of oral vitamin A used to treat acne. Although this medication is excellent at treating acne, it has a variety of negative side effects, including mood changes and birth defects.