All clinical symptoms caused by zinc deficiency can be rapidly alleviated with zinc supplementation, but if zinc deficiency is chronic during childhood growth and development, it can lead to stunted growth being left behind into adulthood, and scarring can be left behind if the skin lesions caused by zinc deficiency are severe enough.
Patients with severe disorders of zinc metabolism caused by genetic defects, such as enteropathic acrodermatitis (clinically characterised by perioral inflammation, acrodermatitis, baldness and diarrhoea), require lifelong zinc supplementation through medication.