Authors
Sabrina Spiniello, Davide Termini, Gianluca Tavoletti, Gianluca Avallone, Silvia Alberti-Violetti, Angelo Valerio Marzano, Gianluca Nazzaro
Published in
Nutrients. Volume 18. Issue 17. Sep 02, 2026. Epub Sep 02, 2026.
Abstract
Oral zinc supplementation has emerged as a potential adjunctive strategy in inflammatory follicular disorders, including acne vulgaris and hidradenitis suppurativa. Beyond its role as an essential micronutrient, zinc modulates several pathways and biological processes directly relevant to these diseases, including innate immunity, oxidative stress, neutrophil-driven inflammation, antimicrobial defense, wound repair, and possibly sebaceous gland activity and androgen metabolism. In acne, available data support a potential clinical benefit, mainly on inflammatory lesions, with potential relevance in antibiotic-sparing approaches. In hidradenitis suppurativa, the evidence remains more limited and is largely based on small observational or uncontrolled studies, although a possible adjunctive role has been suggested in mild-to-moderate disease and maintenance therapy. However, differences across studies in zinc formulation, dose, treatment duration, baseline zinc assessment, and outcome measures make it difficult to draw firm conclusions, and further randomized controlled trials are needed to identify which patients are most likely to benefit. Considering the available evidence, zinc represents an accessible and clinically attractive adjunct in acne vulgaris and hidradenitis suppurativa. This review critically appraises the evidence on oral zinc in acne vulgaris and hidradenitis suppurativa, with particular attention to biological plausibility, clinical effectiveness, dosing and safety.
PMID:
42739037
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 09 Oct 2026.
Read full publication at:
Please sign in
to see all details.
Advertisement
Stats
- Recommendations n/a n/a positive of 0 vote(s)
- Views 9
- Comments 0