Xiaofang is a delicate little girl, but whenever the dry and cold season comes, she can’t wait to put on her long clothes and pants and cover herself up tightly. Other people do not understand, ask the reason, she will cover up the excuse. Fang knew that she could not show her youthful skin like other girls, because her skin could not be considered “youthful” at all. Fang was so distressed that she read a lot of medical books, compared with her own problems, and suspected that she had ichthyosis (also known as snakeskin `). She had a lot of questions, but she could not solve them. One day, Fang came to the dermatology department for a consultation. ”Dr. Jiang, do I have ichthyosis?” After my detailed consultation and examination, Fang asked eagerly. ”Yes. It is a congenital keratosis hereditary skin disease. The manifestation is as you said, symmetrically occurring on the extensor side of the limbs, with dry, rough, scaly skin, and skin appearance shaped like fish scale, or like snakeskin, light in summer and heavy in winter.” I replied. ”I remember, when I was a child, people in our village said that my mother ate several snakes when she was pregnant with me, and that’s why my skin resembles snake skin. Some also said it was because when I was a child, my grandmother was afraid I would catch a cold and always bathed me in very hot and scalding water, that’s why my skin was so rough and dry. Is my disease really related to eating snakes and bathing with hot water?” Xiao Fang asked. ”Ichthyosis is a hereditary disease, in other words, your parents passed on the gene for this disease to you, and it has nothing to do with eating snakes and bathing with hot water.” I explained. ”If it’s hereditary, why does my sister have white and smooth skin and the whole family has normal skin, but I’m the only one with this disease?” Fang asked rhetorically, half-heartedly. ”This is because there are different ways of inheriting ichthyosis, dominant inheritance will show up, and recessive inheritance will not show up. In your family, you belong to the dominant type of inheritance.” I put all of Fang’s doubts to rest. ”My skin is similar to normal people in summer, and I can wear short clothes and skirts, but not in autumn and winter, and it cracks badly, with a lot of dead skin appearing. What should I do?” Fang went back to her biggest worry at the moment, eagerly hoping that I could tell her a way to cure the disease. ”Indeed. The symptoms of ichthyosis are not obvious in a humid and warm environment, but when the weather turns cool and cold, and the climate is dry, the sebum and sweat secretion decreases, and the ichthyosis-like changes of the skin become very obvious. The so-called dead skin that appears at this time is actually caused by abnormal keratin metabolism in the stratum corneum of the skin, or abnormal lipid metabolism in the cells asking for it. Unfortunately. There is no cure at home or abroad, the treatment is mainly to relieve the symptoms, increase the water content of the stratum corneum and promote the normal keratinization of the skin. You can use some retinoic acid, salicylic acid, cod liver oil cream or ointment. After bathing in the dry season, it is best to apply a thin layer of glycerin or medical petroleum jelly etc. around the body, and you can also try to use Chinese herbs for internal and external washing.” After listening to my introduction, Xiao Fang’s heart was much relieved. Although it could not be cured, after trying the medication for a period of time, Fang’s snakeskin-like skin did improve significantly. Postscript Ichthyosis is a common keratosis skin disease, which can be divided into two categories, congenital ichthyosis and acquired ichthyosis, according to the cause of development. Congenital ichthyosis can be divided into four types according to the mode of inheritance and clinical manifestations: the most common is autosomal dominant ichthyosis vulgaris. The onset of the disease often begins a few months after birth, and the condition worsens with age, with symptoms heavier in winter and lighter in summer. The skin is dry, and the scales are yellowish brown or dirty brown, rhombic or polygonal, with raised edges and a central, fine or bran-like rash that clings to the skin. The rash mainly occurs on the extensor side of the limbs, followed by the back, the head may have mild scales, and in severe cases, it may spread to the whole body, generally not involving the axillae, buttocks and skin folds. The majority of patients feel uncomfortable because the sebaceous glands and sweat glands of the skin are reduced, resulting in dry skin with little sweating. The second is sex-linked hereditary ichthyosis vulgaris, which is inherited by sex-linked recessive inheritance and only occurs in males (women are carriers), with onset soon after birth. The rash is widely distributed, and the flexural and fold areas can also be involved, the abdomen is heavier than the back, and the rash is larger and more obvious, which can spread to the elbow fossa, axilla, rouge fossa, and the eyes can be involved. Acquired ichthyosis, as the name implies, is ichthyosis-like lesions caused by other systemic diseases, including tumors, hypothyroidism, nodular disease, etc. Therefore, ichthyosis in the elderly should not be taken lightly, and further examination should be conducted at a hospital to rule out systemic diseases. There is no special treatment for this disease, but in mild cases, ichthyosis has no major impact on health, only itchy or dry skin in winter, and can be treated with topical application of hydrating agents such as urea cream after bathing. Pay attention to personal hygiene, and medication can be used under the guidance of a doctor in severe cases.