I have ichthyosis and the only person to notice is me. Requires good lotion and scrubbing... It is genetic though no one else I know has it in my family.
I feel bad for the kid, just throwing it out there that that is an example of an extreme extreme extreme. For me, it just encouraged good grooming.
Quoting: Anonymous Coward 78232281 I have ichthyosis too---ichthyosis vulgaris specifically, the most common type--affects I in 500 people--which is supposedly the mildest form-- which means our skin doesnt shed as routinely as normal skin--mine is on my shins, back of my arms-can get scaley looking and it flakes off if I dont do good moisturizing with an alpha hydroxy lotion constantly.
Another characteristic of IV is hyper lined hands and feet--which causes a lot of self-consciousness growing up.
Getting called 'old lady hands' when you're 9 years old makes you feel like a freak.
Upside is, for some crazy reason IV doesn't affect face and strangely, many of us have much younger looking faces than others our age--might be from staying out of the sun, worrying about premature aging, I don't know.
Its genetic, no cure--but like you, I don't see anyone else in my family with this. Lucky me.
Sounds like the poor boy oihn the article has severe ichthyosis...either
Laminar icthyosis or Harlequin ichthyosis...the most severe form of autosomal recessive congenital ichthyosis. Harlequin ichthyosis is characterized by a profound thickening of the keratin layer in fetal skin.
Truly disfiguring and grotesque. So sad.
