Vitamin A in Skin and Hair: An Update

July 2022 in “ Nutrients ”

Christine VanBuren, Helen B. Everts

Studysummary This review discusses new research on the role of retinoids in skin and hair health and reports no clinical results.

Our plain-language summary. Not medical advice or a treatment recommendation. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before changing treatment. Full disclaimer

The review "Vitamin A in Skin and Hair: An Update" discusses the role of Vitamin A and its metabolites, retinoic acid and retinal, in skin and hair health. Vitamin A is necessary for healthy skin and hair growth, but both deficiency and excess can be harmful. Retinoic acid regulates hair follicle stem cells, affecting the hair cycle, wound healing, and melanocyte stem cells. It also influences melanocyte differentiation and proliferation. Retinal is crucial for the phototransduction cascade that initiates melanogenesis. The review also explores the effects of ultraviolet irradiation on retinoid metabolism. The authors conclude that Vitamin A regulates the hair cycle, but its effects depend on dose, timing of diet change, and mouse strain. They also note that pharmacological doses of synthetic retinoids can increase hair loss due to telogen effluvium. Future studies are needed to determine the specific retinoid metabolons present in the melanocyte.

View this study on mdpi.com →

Discuss this study in the Community →

Research cited in this study

29 / 29 results

$Dietary Vitamin A Impacts Refractory Telogen$

research Dietary Vitamin A Impacts Refractory Telogen

6 citations , February 2021 in “Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology”

This study suggests that vitamin A may inhibit hair follicle stem cells during refractory telogen in a dose-dependent manner, based on retinyl ester levels and vitamin A metabolism protein localization in mice.

Single-Cell Transcriptomic Analysis of Small and Large Wounds Reveals the Distinct Spatial Organization of Regenerative Fibroblasts

research Single-Cell Transcriptomic Analysis of Small and Large Wounds Reveals the Distinct Spatial Organization of Regenerative Fibroblasts

35 citations , November 2020 in “Experimental Dermatology”

This study found that upper wound fibroblasts are crucial for hair follicle regeneration during wound healing and suggests that these cells, along with papillary fibroblasts, migrate within the wound.

research Wound-Induced Hair Neogenesis: A Novel Paradigm for Studying Regeneration and Aging

10 citations , October 2020 in “Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology”

This review explores the cellular and molecular basis of wound-induced hair neogenesis and its relationship with aging but does not report new clinical results, highlighting areas for future research.

research All-Trans-Retinoic Acid Inhibits Mink Hair Follicle Growth by Inhibiting Proliferation and Inducing Apoptosis of Dermal Papilla Cells Through TGF-β2/Smad2/3 Pathway

10 citations , August 2020 in “Acta histochemica”

This study found that all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) inhibits mink hair follicle growth by reducing dermal papilla cell proliferation and inducing apoptosis, likely through the TGF-β2/Smad2/3 pathway.

research Distinct Regulatory Programs Control the Latent Regenerative Potential of Dermal Fibroblasts During Wound Healing

128 citations , August 2020 in “Cell stem cell”

In this study, researchers found that extrafollicular progenitors marked by Hic1 are the main contributors to reparative fibroblasts in wound repair, with potential to modulate healing outcomes through genetic and pharmacological interventions.

research Mice Lacking the Epidermal Retinol Dehydrogenases SDR16C5 and SDR16C6 Display Accelerated Hair Growth and Enlarged Meibomian Glands

16 citations , September 2019 in “Journal of biological chemistry/The Journal of biological chemistry”

This study found that the retinol dehydrogenases SDR16C5 and SDR16C6 in mice play a crucial role in skin retinol dehydrogenase activity, affecting hair growth and gland functions without impacting survival.

research Noncoding dsRNA Induces Retinoic Acid Synthesis to Stimulate Hair Follicle Regeneration via TLR3

47 citations , June 2019 in “Nature Communications”

This study found that self-noncoding dsRNA activates TLR3 to stimulate intrinsic retinoic acid synthesis, promoting new hair follicle formation in wounded mice and showing similar gene expression changes in humans treated with rejuvenation lasers.

research Foxc1 Reinforces Quiescence in Self-Renewing Hair Follicle Stem Cells

142 citations , February 2016 in “Science”

This review discusses the role of Foxc1 and type XVII collagen in hair follicle stem cell quiescence and aging, identifying mechanisms that relate to hair thinning and hair loss, and reports no new results.

research The Modulatable Stem Cell Niche: Tissue Interactions During Hair and Feather Follicle Regeneration

66 citations , July 2015 in “Journal of Molecular Biology”

This review discusses how macro-environmental factors such as intradermal adipose tissue and sex hormones influence hair and feather stem cell niches, suggesting environmental targets for regenerative medicine, but reports no new clinical results.

research Dietary Vitamin A Regulates Wingless-Related MMTV Integration Site Signaling to Alter the Hair Cycle

18 citations , October 2014 in “Experimental Biology and Medicine”

This study found that feeding mice high levels of dietary vitamin A increased WNT signaling, which activated hair follicle stem cells and may have accelerated alopecia areata progression.

research Competitive Balance of Intrabulge BMP/Wnt Signaling Reveals a Robust Gene Network Ruling Stem Cell Homeostasis and Cyclic Activation

176 citations , January 2013 in “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences”

This study reveals an antagonistic competition between BMP and Wnt signaling within stem cells, influencing their fate towards hair germ characteristics based on the BMP/Wnt activity ratio.

research Retinoid Metabolism Is Altered in Human and Mouse Cicatricial Alopecia

22 citations , October 2012 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”

This study found that C57BL/6 mice with a diet containing specific levels of vitamin A showed alterations in retinoid metabolism and increased frequency of cicatricial alopecias, suggesting dietary factors may play a role in this condition.

research Endogenous Retinoids in the Pathogenesis of Alopecia Areata

54 citations , September 2012 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology”

This study suggests that vitamin A influences the immune response and hair cycle, affecting the progression of alopecia areata in mouse models.

research Cutaneous Retinoic Acid Levels Determine Hair Follicle Development And Downgrowth

31 citations , September 2012 in “Journal of biological chemistry/The Journal of biological chemistry”

This study found that proper levels of retinoic acid, controlled by the enzyme Cyp26b1, are essential for normal hair follicle development and morphogenesis in mice.

research Multi-Layered Environmental Regulation on the Homeostasis of Stem Cells: The Saga of Hair Growth and Alopecia

59 citations , February 2012 in “Journal of Dermatological Science”

This review discusses the multiple layers of environmental controls on hair stem cell homeostasis and suggests that targeting these layers could offer safer regenerative medicine therapies without directly using stem cells.

research Hair Cycle Resting Phase Is Regulated by Cyclic Epithelial FGF18 Signaling

158 citations , February 2012 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”

FGF18 helps keep hair in its resting phase, affecting hair growth cycles.

research Paracrine TGF-β Signaling Counterbalances BMP-Mediated Repression in Hair Follicle Stem Cell Activation

321 citations , January 2012 in “Cell stem cell”

This study identified TGF-β2 as a crucial signal in hair follicle stem cell regeneration, highlighting its role in counteracting BMP signaling to promote tissue regeneration.

research Endogenous Retinoids in the Hair Follicle and Sebaceous Gland

50 citations , September 2011 in “Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids”

This review examines the role of retinoic acid synthesis in hair follicles and sebaceous glands, focusing on its localization and function during normal and disease states, but reports no new results.

research Differentiation of Mouse Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells into a Multipotent Keratinocyte Lineage

101 citations , December 2010 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology”

This study reports the successful differentiation of mouse induced pluripotent stem cells into keratinocytes that can regenerate skin and its structures in an in vivo environment.

research Primary Follicular Dystrophy With Scarring Dermatitis in C57BL/6 Mouse Substrains Resembles Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia in Humans

56 citations , September 2010 in “Veterinary pathology”

This study found that certain C57BL/6 mouse substrains have a genetic vulnerability to skin lesions resembling central centrifugal cicatrical alopecia in humans, potentially worsened by high vitamin A levels.

research Retinol Esterification by DGAT1 Is Essential for Retinoid Homeostasis in Murine Skin

91 citations , November 2008 in “Journal of biological chemistry/The Journal of biological chemistry”

This study found that DGAT1 functions as a key enzyme in murine skin to regulate retinoic acid levels and prevent retinoid toxicity, impacting hair cycle and sensitivity to retinol.

research Immunolocalization of Enzymes, Binding Proteins, and Receptors Sufficient for Retinoic Acid Synthesis and Signaling During the Hair Cycle

48 citations , March 2007 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology”

This study observed that retinoic acid biosynthesis and signaling in hair follicles have a spatial and temporal regulation linked to distinct stages of the hair cycle in mice.

research Stem Cells in the Hair Follicle Bulge Contribute to Wound Repair but Not to Homeostasis of the Epidermis

1279 citations , November 2005 in “Nature Medicine”

Towards Dissecting the Pathogenesis of Retinoid-Induced Hair Loss: All-Trans Retinoic Acid Induces Premature Hair Follicle Regression by Upregulation of Transforming Growth Factor-β2 in the Dermal Papilla

research Towards Dissecting the Pathogenesis of Retinoid-Induced Hair Loss: All-Trans Retinoic Acid Induces Premature Hair Follicle Regression by Upregulation of Transforming Growth Factor-β2 in the Dermal Papilla

92 citations , June 2005 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”

This study found that the retinoid all-trans retinoic acid induced a catagen-like stage in human scalp hair follicles, suggesting upregulation of TGF-beta2 as a contributing mechanism.

research Hair Cycle-Specific Immunolocalization of Retinoic Acid Synthesizing Enzymes Aldh1a2 and Aldh1a3 Indicate Complex Regulation

29 citations , July 2004 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology”

This study observed that in mouse hair follicles, enzymes Aldh1a2 and Aldh1a3 have distinct expression patterns that suggest they are involved in different signaling pathways during the hair cycle.

Exogen, Shedding Phase of the Hair Growth Cycle: Characterization of a Mouse Model