Fish scale skin disease: Causes, symptoms

Dry fish scales is a damaged skin condition mainly due to genetics. Dead skin cells accumulate in patches of skin, thick and dry like fish scales on the surface of the skin.
Fish scale skin disease has the scientific name Ichthyosis vulgaris, and may be known as ichthyosis or ichthyosis. The disease usually appears between the ages of 0 and 7 years old, even some cases appear soon after the child is born. Most cases of ichthyosis vulgaris have mild symptoms, so they are easily misdiagnosed as dermatomyositis. However, the disease can also progress to a severe form that causes cracked and painful skin. Currently, there is no specific treatment for the disease, but only focusing on controlling the condition.
Normally, skin cells at the end of their cycle will shed and reveal a new layer of skin cells underneath to replace. However, this cycle does not always go smoothly. In many cases, the dead cells do not slough off on their own, but instead stick on the skin to form thick, dry patches typical of ichthyosis.

Not only causing discomfort, these patches also make you feel less confident when communicating, and doing daily activities. So how to get rid of these dead skin cells? Exfoliation is the most commonly used solution today. Exfoliation methods are also diverse, from using chemicals such as alpha hydroxy acid, beta hydroxy acid, enzymes... to mechanical methods such as using soft brushes or wipes depending on cell density. dead skin cells.

In general, ichthyosis vulgaris is not a serious disease and usually disappears with the growth of the body. Some people won't experience the condition again in their lifetime, but for others it can reappear in adulthood. There are many causes of ichthyosis, which can be mentioned as follows:
Heredity: This is the leading factor not only with ichthyosis but also other skin diseases. Only one parent with a recessive gene for ichthyosis vulgaris is fully capable of passing this disease on to their offspring. It is also one of the most common inherited skin diseases in the community.

In some cases, ichthyosis vulgaris has nothing to do with genetics but is associated with other medical conditions such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, kidney failure, thyroid disease... Many studies have shown that fish scales are also related to the use of certain drugs that patients use to treat other diseases. Scaly skin can also be accompanied by other skin conditions such as keratitis or atopic dermatitis also known as eczema. Another possible cause is skin damage. As they heal, they leave behind an area of ​​skin that thickens, scabs, or forms patches of dry, rough skin.

Symptoms of ichthyosis include:
Flaky patches of skin Very uncomfortable itching Brown, gray or white scales on the skin Dry and thickened skin The most serious symptom is Formation of deep cracks, especially in the soles of the feet or palms, causing pain. This is a manifestation of very serious fish scale skin disease and needs timely treatment if you do not want the disease to worsen.

Symptoms of ichthyosis vulgaris tend to be worse in winter when the air is cold and dry. This is also the ideal weather condition for some skin diseases, so it is important to protect and moisturize the skin during this period to ensure a healthy skin.

Dry skin disease fish scales caused by many causes but mainly genetic. Dead skin cells do not slough off on their own, but stick on the skin to form patches, pieces shaped like fish scales, especially can create deep cracks in the skin and cause pain, discomfort and lack of skin. Confident when communicating with people around. The disease has no specific treatment, but it can be partially overcome by exfoliation techniques. However, the implementation of these techniques needs to comply with the regulations of the dermatologist to be effective.
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Reference source: mayoclinic.org; healthline.com