Zinc Levels in Patients with Acne Vulgaris

Objectives: Zinc is a trace element required for the growing and developing organism and is found in quite high levels in the epidermis of the skin. Zinc deficiency is one of the most common mineral deficiencies encountered in our country where 70-80% of the daily calorie requirement is obtained from grains and grain products. The aim of our study was to determine the effect of zinc deficiency on the development of acne in students who were unable to follow an adequate and stable diet at the university through measuring the serum zinc levels in students presenting with a complaint of acne. Methods: The study included 47 patients with acne vulgaris and 40 healthy control subjects. The zinc levels were measured in the serum obtained from the acne patients and control subjects. Results: The acne patients had low zinc levels at a rate of 54.1% while only four cases (10.0%) in the control group had low zinc levels. When serum zinc levels of the acne patients and the control group were compared, the zinc level was statistically significantly lower in the acne group. Correlation studies showed no relation between the zinc level and the degree of acne or disease duration. Conclusion: We believe that determining serum zinc levels in acne patients is necessary and an easy method, and that prescribing zinc supplement treatments for patients with low serum zinc levels may help increasing the success rate of acne treatment.