Inside our IV Lounge, it’s common to discuss vitamin deficiencies in the human body. For example, did you know that lacking essential nutrients can affect your skin health? 

Many nutrients function together to help protect and sustain the skin barrier. In fact, the relationship between skin and poor nutrition was first noticed in the 1700s, when it was detected that a vitamin C nutritional deficiency can cause scurvy. Soon after, scientists unraveled how skin improvements may occur by supplementing with certain vital nutrients.  

So which nutrients play a role in healthy skin? And how does our vitamin IV Lounge help patients with these health concerns? Keep reading to learn more. 

Nutrients and their influence on your skin

Optimizing nutrient levels can help support healthy hair, skin and nails. Nutrient deficiencies are known to lead to a range of skin issues, including:  

• Premature aging 
• Wrinkles 
• Dryness
• Sun damage
• Poor wound repair

Recommended Reading: Toronto IV Therapy Fact Sheet On Nutrient Deficiencies And Skin Health

If you were to visit us for these concerns, we’d recommend lab testing, such as a personalized nutritional assessment, to see which nutrients you’re missing. After analyzing these lab results – along with your health history, dietary intake, lifestyle and toxin exposures – we can customize a treatment plan for your skin health goals. Below, we’ve listed some nutrients that may be advised for improving skin quality.

Nutrient	Impact on skin health
Vitamin A	Supports wound healing and the health of skin cells; contains potent antioxidant properties, which is why it’s clinically advised by health practitioners to help reduce acne, wrinkles and hyperpigmentation.
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)	As a powerful antioxidant, it’s needed for constructing collagen and connective tissue, and protects your skin from pollutants. Further studies are necessary, but scientists insinuate that topical ascorbic acid has positive effects on skin brightening with few side effects.
Vitamin E	Works alongside vitamin C to sustain collagen levels; scientists suggest that vitamin E contains anti-inflammatory components, and it could help prevent skin damage from environmental free radicals.
Essential fatty acids	Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids promote skin hydration, affecting both appearance and skin function. “Supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids in particular exerts protection from photodamage and photoaging,” explains Oregon State University.
Zinc	As a mineral, it offers protection against UV rays, preventing radiation from diffusing into your skin. Studies have shown that zinc combined with vitamin C could exhibit antimicrobial actions, which could assist with fighting acne-causing bacteria.

The nutrients stated in the table may or may not be suitable for you.  This is because we tailor treatments for each individual patient; for that reason, our treatment modalities cater to biological needs only. 

Oral supplementation vs. intravenous therapy

One discussion that will occur between yourself and one of our functional medicine therapy providers is how to take supplements  orally and or Intravenously.  This may depend on various factors, such as the severity of chief health concerns and your digestive health status. 

For many patients, oral supplements may be used, and they can come in tablets, capsules or liquid forms. But patients with malabsorption issues may have obstacles digesting oral supplementation, so for these cases, IV therapy drips may be  recommended. 

The intravenous route doesn’t require action from the digestive tract; instead, an IV tube is inserted into your vein, allowing a formula to enter your bloodstream for an immediate absorption of nutrients. If you don’t have malabsorption, you can still choose an intravenous drip over oral capsules – in fact, some patients get IV nutrient therapy for the confidence in receiving a full dose of nutrients. 

Take note: Only select vitamins, minerals, and nutrients may be blended into intravenous infusion treatments. Our IV Lounge also offers some vitamins as booster shots, oral  or sublingual prescriptions. Please book a session with us to learn more. 

About visiting our IV Lounge 

If you have health-related questions, please ask us in our IV Lounge in the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre. Our goal is to help promote symptom relief and optimal health, while preventing the formation of chronic illness. 

Our health and IV therapy providers can adapt therapeutic doses for many health conditions, especially to help optimize muscle recovery, much-needed energy levels, liver detoxification, athletic performance, immune function, mental clarity, blood pressure regulation, cellular functioning, nail and hair growth, and more. We use the integrative functional medicine model to tailor your IV dose of nutrients, which is how our personalized service adapts to your biology. 

Safety is one of our key components inside our private downtown clinic – each intravenous session is monitored by our health team, which consists of a medical doctor, naturopathic doctor, nurse practitioner, and registered nurses. Intravenous therapy may be merged into your personal treatment plan as adjunct support, along with functional medicine programs, naturopathy, conventional medicine, hormone replacement therapies, stress management tactics, and other treatments. Drips are freshly compounded on a daily basis without additional preservatives – we only use natural ingredients!

Become a new patient with us and you can learn how to safely supplement your body with nutrients, such as vitamin C, additional B vitamins, major minerals, amino acids with glutamic acid, major antioxidants (i.e. glutathione), and more. When taken along with a healthy diet, lifestyle, and other therapies, vitamin IV therapy can help support optimal functioning. 

Reap the beneficial effects of key nutrients today! Nourish your skin, energy levels, brain function, and more with IV therapy from the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre – call us to request your initial consultation. 

Disclaimer: The information in this article is designed for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. This information should not be used to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting a doctor. Consult with a health care practitioner before relying on any information in this article or on this website.

 

References

“Essential Fatty Acids and Skin Health”, from Oregon State University’s Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center, reviewed February 2012, viewed on September 11, 2023. 

Galimberti F, Mesinkovska NA. Skin findings associated with nutritional deficiencies. Cleve Clin J Med. 2016 Oct;83(10):731-739. doi: 10.3949/ccjm.83a.15061. PMID: 27726828.

Mitchnick MA, Fairhurst D, Pinnell SR. Microfine zinc oxide (Z-cote) as a photostable UVA/UVB sunblock agent. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1999;40:85–90. doi: 10.1016/S0190-9622(99)70532-3.

Park K. Role of micronutrients in skin health and function. Biomol Ther (Seoul). 2015 May;23(3):207-17. doi: 10.4062/biomolther.2015.003. Epub 2015 May 1. PMID: 25995818; PMCID: PMC4428712.

Pullar JM, Carr AC, Vissers MCM. The Roles of Vitamin C in Skin Health. Nutrients. 2017 Aug 12;9(8):866. doi: 10.3390/nu9080866. PMID: 28805671; PMCID: PMC5579659.

“Skin health” from Oregon State University, reviewed September 2011, viewed on September 8, 2023.