Ichthyosis vulgaris

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Skin layers

Common ichthyosis; Fish scale disease

Your doctor will recommend heavy duty moisturizers. Creams and ointments work better than lotions. Apply these to moist skin immediately after bathing. You should use mild, non-drying soaps.

Your doctor may tell you to use moisturizing creams that contain chemicals that help skin to shed normally, including lactic acid, salicylic acid, and urea.

Ichthyosis vulgaris can be a nuisance, but it rarely affects your overall health. The condition usually disappears during adulthood, but may return years later.

A bacterial skin infection may develop if scratching causes openings in the skin.

Call for an appointment with your health care provider if:

• Symptoms continue despite treatment
• Symptoms get worse
• Skin lesions spread
• New symptoms develop

Review Date: 05/13/2011
Reviewed By: Kevin Berman, MD, PhD, Atlanta Center for Dermatologic Disease, Atlanta, GA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).

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