A vitamin B12 deficiency can become serious if not treated
Kate Lally Content Editor
12:57, 28 Mar 2026
There are some lesser-known skin symptoms(Image: Igor Ustynskyy via Getty Images)
Vitamin B12 plays a crucial role in several vital bodily functions. This essential nutrient supports the wellbeing of your blood and nerve cells, while also guarding against anaemia, a condition that can make people feel exhausted and depleted.
Typical symptoms of insufficient vitamin B12 levels include fatigue, headaches, and ulcers in the mouth. However two tell-tale signs on your skin might also signal you’re running low on this vital nutrient. According to the NHS website, certain individuals with anaemia stemming from vitamin B12 deficiency experience paraesthesia, more commonly referred to as pins and needles.
This feeling, characterised as “pricking, tingling or numbness on the skin”, typically affects the hands, arms, legs or feet. This happens because diminishing B12 levels mean your body generates less myelin, a protective fatty layer that shields the nerves.
Another skin-related warning sign that your body might be crying out for more B12 is a “pale yellow tinge” appearing on your skin. Scientific studies connect this phenomenon to how vitamin B12 deficiency impacts red blood cell production in the body.
Certain people develop insufficient B12 levels simply because their diet lacks adequate amounts of the vitamin, reports Surrey Live. Diets incorporating meat, fish, and dairy typically supply sufficient vitamin B12, though people who rarely eat these foods risk becoming deficient.
Vitamin B12 deficiency anaemia is commonly addressed through vitamin B12 injections.
