Vitamin A as a Dermal Sentinel: From Traditional Diagnostic Biomarker to a Futuristic Anti-Aging and Oncodermal Frontier

Abstract

Vitamin A is a vital micronutrient having multifaceted roles in skin health, immune regulation, and cellular differentiation. Among the signs of Vitamin A deficiency, the most important is phrynoderma, which is more closely associated with general malnutrition than with isolated vitamin deficiencies (e.g., vitamins A, B complex, C, or E). In resource-poor countries and regions with fewer health care facilities, detecting phrynoderma is crucial to identify individuals with fat malabsorption, inflammatory bowel disease, coeliac disease, short bowel syndrome, or recent bariatric surgery. Some other cases that can be detected early by recognizing phrynoderma are anorexia nervosa, individuals with fad diets, and older or disadvantaged people who live alone. Beyond classical deficiency syndromes, retinoids (Vitamin A derivatives) in developed countries offer therapeutic benefits for anti-aging, photoprotection, and adjunctive oncology by enhancing collagen synthesis, epidermal turnover, and immune surveillance. Oral carotenoids help protect the skin from UV radiation, and oral Vitamin A supplements are recommended to protect the skin from UV-induced oxidative damage. The antioxidant and collagen-boosting effects of this vitamin have led to its use as an anti-aging, antiwrinkle, and longevity drug. Vitamin A has also been studied for its ability to modulate the tumor microenvironment, and this effect has been used in the chemoprevention of various cancers. This review has been compiled after an exhaustive study of online resources on Vitamin A, its related compounds, and their uses for health in general and dermatology in particular. It integrates the biochemical mechanisms underlying its role in health and immunity, clinical clues helpful for early diagnosis of its deficiency, and therapeutic applications that reaffirm Vitamin A's central role in traditional and modern dermatologic practice.

How to cite this: Riaz U, Akhtar MU, Javaid F, Bashir S. Vitamin A as a Dermal Sentinel: From Traditional Diagnostic Biomarker to a
Futuristic Anti-Aging and Oncodermal Frontier. Life and Science. 2026; 7(2): 260-271. doi: http://doi.org/10.37185/LnS.1.1.1081