Issue link: https://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/1464744
New member benefit! Get the ASCP SkinPro app at ascpskincare.com/skinpro 77 hormone, resulting in a condition called insulin resistance. This can lead to elevations in blood sugar and ultimately to a wide range of skin issues, including psoriasis, hidradenitis suppurativa, and vitiligo. High blood-sugar levels can also result in glycation and age-related symptoms like wrinkles, thinning, laxity, delayed wound healing, and hair loss. And because of insulin's association with other hormones like thyroxine, testosterone, and cortisol, a wide range of skin conditions linked to these other biochemicals can also occur. Vitamin D While given the moniker of "vitamin," the molecule known as vitamin D is actually a hormone. This means that like other hormones, it works by directly modifying biochemical reactions inside cells. The main cellular system that vitamin D impacts is in the intestine, where it is involved in the absorption of calcium. But vitamin D affects more than the cells of the intestine. The lungs, liver, heart, and skeleton, among others, are impacted by this essential biochemical. The major skin cells are also a significant target of action for vitamin D. Interestingly, the most common of the skin cells, the keratinocytes, can produce this essential nutritional hormone upon exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Keratinocytes are also able to process solar-stimulated vitamin D and turn it into its active forms in a process that is otherwise performed by the cells of the liver and kidneys. Vitamin D plays a major role in the process of differentiation, the scientific term for the maturation, development, and transit of keratinocytes as they change shape and function in the journey from the skin's basal layer to the stratum corneum surface. Because differentiation disorders are an important cause of numerous skin diseases, adequate levels of vitamin D are critical for treating acne, eczema, psoriasis (topical vitamin D therapy is a mainstay of pharmacological therapy for this pathology), and skin cancer, among other dermatological issues. Fibroblasts, the cells responsible for the production of connective tissue components, are also responsive to vitamin D and actively metabolize this important molecule. When these cells are activated by vitamin D, the production of collagen and other connective tissue substances is stimulated, making adequate vitamin D levels important for wrinkle reduction, improvements to photodamaged skin, and enhanced wound healing and tissue regeneration. In addition, vitamin D suppresses the effects of inflammation on fibroblasts, which may make it beneficial for patients dealing with connective tissue autoimmune diseases like lupus and scleroderma. Melanocytes, the cells responsible for the production of the skin pigment melanin, respond to the actions of vitamin D by upregulating melanin production. Low levels of vitamin D have been observed in patients suffering from the autoimmune disease vitiligo, a condition marked by