What Signs Should You Look For
At age 63, Mary had gotten used to the staring and pointing, PrimeBoosts.com but not the pain and humiliation of living with crusty, dry skin that looks like fish scales. She's been refused service at a restaurant and asked to leave a public swimming pool. Mary has lamellar ichthyosis, one of the 28 identified types of a family of skin disorders known as ichthyosis. Because the skin regenerates constantly -- much faster than the average person's -- but does not shed dead skin cells as it normally would, a thick build-up of skin occurs. Those with the condition can spend several hours scrubbing their skin each week. Despite all that exfoliating, they can continually lose large flakes of skin because it regenerates at such a rapid rate. Even so, Mary's one of the fortunate ones. At its most severe, the scaling caused by ichthyosis can cause joint damage, hearing loss, limited movement and even death. Clearly, ichthyosis is more than skin-deep.
There is no cure, and the consequences of leaving this condition's symptoms untreated could prove fatal -- especially for infants born with harlequin ichthyosis. We'll explain more about this most serious type on the next page. In its mildest form -- xeroderma -- ichthyosis is simply dry skin that can easily be treated by upping your daily dose of water and applying over-the-counter lotions. But those who inherit more serious forms of the disorder are certain to experience more severe symptoms. There's good news for those with ichthyosis who once worried about passing on their malady through close contact: It simply isn't contagious. Sometimes this skin condition can be seen at birth, but often it becomes apparent during the toddler or preschool years. What signs should you look for? As the skin fails to shed, it accumulates to form thick, dry scales that are white, gray or dark brown in color.
But it's almost always fatal. Almost. In the mid-1980s, when a San Diego, Calif., mother gave birth to a baby with harlequin ichthyosis, no one expected him to live. The infant, Ryan Gonzalez, had eyelids that were turned inside out; his nose, mouth, This product ears, fingers and toes were disfigured; and the plates of armor-like skin covering his entire body were separated by deep, wide cracks. For Gonzalez -- and others with ichthyosis -- the first challenge to living with the condition is to keep the skin moist. What relatively common prescription cream helped him survive? We'll tell you on the next page. If you have ichthyosis, rest assured there really aren't any steps you could have taken to avoid the disease. If deep cracks and fissures form, they allow moisture to escape unchecked and germs to penetrate freely. This helps seal in moisture and stave off dryness. The medicine works by slowing the production of skin cells.
It worked for Gonzalez -- as a teenager in 2004, he was surviving and training as a triathlete, despite the toll the condition had taken on his body. For people with ichthyosis, the build-up of skin is another problem, one that often requires manual "de-scaling." This means using a loofah, pumice stone or other abrasive tool to remove layers of thickened skin. The best treatment, however, may be to get to the root of the problem. Enzyme therapy research has initially been promising, especially for those with lamellar ichthyosis. The hope is to develop liposome-enriched creams. Learn more about common -- and not so common -- skin disorders by following the links on the next page. Often, parents don't realize their child has ichthyosis -- dry, scaly skin -- until it develops in early childhood. Even then, a skin biopsy is sometimes required to determine exactly which type of ichthyosis is at work. In the case of harlequin ichthyosis, the most severe type, an ultrasound of a mother's uterus can reveal what to expect at birth. Foundation for Ichthyosis and Related Skin Types (FIRST). Foundation for Ichthyosis and Related Skin Types (FIRST). Foundation for Ichthyosis and Related Skin Types (FIRST). Gurses, Dolunay, et al. The Internet Journal of Dermatology. Hershey Medical Center College of Medicine. Project Save Our Skin. The New York Times.
