Ichthyosis Vulgaris Causes Dry, Scaly Skin for Hydrating Skin Care

Ichthyosis vulgaris is a skin disorder that causes dead skin cells to build up. This accumulation causes thick, dry scales on your skin’s surface.

Perpetually, your skin produces new skin cells and sheds the old ones. Done in perfect harmony.  With ichthyosis vulgaris, this harmony is disrupted. Production is too fast and shedding is too slow.

Thus, dead skin cells collect into thick dry flakes on your skin. These flakes typically feel like fish scales.

Usually, ichthyosis vulgaris dry scaly skin is caused by genetics. Rarely, it manifests in association with other conditions, such as:

This cause for dry, scaly skin is known as acquired ichthyosis.

In addition to ichthyosis vulgaris caused dry scaled skin, you may experience:

These symptoms frequently worsen during the cold, dry climate of winter and improve in warm, humid environments.

Ichthyosis vulgaris dry, scaly skin commonly appears on your elbows and lower legs, especially over the shins. And it may occur in concert with other skin conditions, such as atopic dermatitis and keratosis pilaris.

No cure yet, so managing symptoms is your treatment plight. Hydrating skin care and dead skin sloughing is the aim.

For hydrating skin care, moisturizers that contain urea, propylene glycol or petroleum jelly help keep your skin moist. A skin hydration secret is that cream and ointment work better than lotion.

Use moisturizing creams that help shed skin.  Your chosen product needs to contain chemicals like alpha hydroxy acids, lactic acid, salicylic acid and glycolic acid for dead skin cell cast off.

Apply hydrocortisone cream to areas causing an itch. For skin cracks or open wounds caused by scratching, treat with an OTC topical antibiotic ointment to prevent a bacterial infection.

A couple other remedies that help with shedding and hydrating skin involve:

  • apply moisturizers twice daily
  • after bathing let skin dry naturally
  • use mild soaps with added oils & fats
  • apply moisturizers while skin is moist from bathing
  • use humidifier because adds moisture to dry inside air
  • don’t use deodorant & antibacterial soaps because harsh on dry skin
  • soak in warm bath, followed by loofa scrub to remove thickened scales

Your skin health doctor may prescribe a retinoid if dry, scaly skin is severe.  It reduces the production of skin cells.

Ichthyosis vulgaris doesn’t affect your overall health, albeit it causes one heck of an annoyance.

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