There isn't one vitamin everyone should take for better skin. If you're otherwise healthy, a varied diet is the starting point for getting the nutrients your skin needs. A supplement may be appropriate for an identified need, but adding more is not automatically better.
Food, supplements or skincare: what changes which decision?
Before buying a "hair, skin and nails" product, check what you already take and what result you expect. Tell your clinician and testing provider about beauty supplements too: biotin can interfere with some laboratory results. Keep skincare, sun protection and any treatment for a skin condition in the picture.
Testing should have a clear purpose. A blood or DNA result does not predict how your skin will look.
What causes brittle nails?
Everyday exposures are a common starting point. Frequent hand washing, cleaning products, nail polish remover and long periods in water can dry nails out until they split, peel or break.
Start with care: wear gloves for wet work, moisturise hands, nails and cuticles after washing, keep nails short and give them a break from polish. If brittleness continues, or your nails change colour, shape or thickness, become painful or lift from the nail bed, see a doctor or dermatologist.
Nails alone do not show that you are short of iron, biotin or any other nutrient. Avoid high-dose biotin unless a clinician recommends it, and tell anyone ordering a blood test if you take it.
Do collagen supplements work?
Studies differ in the product used, the outcome measured and how long they ran, so a general claim tells you little. Read any collagen claim against these questions.
Before you buy collagen, check
- ›What was measured: a device reading of the skin, a dermatologist's assessment or how people rated their own skin?
- ›How strong the studies are: their size, whether there was a comparison group and who paid for them.
- ›How long they ran, and what happened after people stopped.
- ›What the product costs over the period the claim covers.
- ›What is still uncertain, and whether the product suits you alongside what you already take.
A blood or DNA result cannot tell you whether collagen will help your skin.
Where does EVA fit?
EVA offers blood testing, optional DNA analysis and a personalised protocol, including a clinician-reviewed supplement protocol. It does not replace skincare, sun protection or treatment for a skin condition. If you are considering an assessment, ask which question it would help answer and how any recommendation would be reviewed.
Read how EVA selects supplements and what to bring to a supplement review.
Act from your own biology
EVA™ combines DNA analysis, over 70 blood biomarkers and personalised supplementation into one clinically guided platform, built on the foundation of EliteVita in Dubai.
Start your personalised assessment ›Sources and further reading
This article is for general information and does not constitute medical advice. A skin or nail change that persists or worries you should be assessed by a doctor or dermatologist.