Pale or Jaundiced Skin
Noticeable pale or jaundiced skin is a prevalent symptom of this condition. The individual’s skin may have a slight yellow tinge to the skin and whites of the person’s eyes. A pale or jaundiced skin occurs when the lack of B12 leads to a problem with the body’s production of red blood cells.
Vitamin B12 is known to play an important role in the production of DNA for red blood cells. Without the vitamin, the individual may experience metabolic anemia, which is a condition that causes the red blood cells to appear large and fragile.
When the red blood cells are too large to pass out of the bone marrow in blood circulation, it causes the skin to appear pale. The cells’ weakness prevents them from breaking down, which causes excess bilirubin—large amounts of bilirubin cause jaundiced [4] skin.