Ichthyosis - Homeopathic Treatment For It!

The skin is one the largest organs in the human body and is also one of the most affected parts. Ichthyosis is one such condition, which is a term given to a set of about 28 types of hereditary skin conditions. The common factor among all these is the scaly, dry, flaky skin which is where the name comes from (fish-like skin). The affected person’s skin resembles that of fish scales. The most common type if ichthyosis vulgaris. Since it is hereditary, it often begins in early childhood and continues through life.

Therefore, in addition to treating the condition, most affected people learn to modify lifestyle and skin care routines to ensure the condition is not aggravated.

• Avoid hot baths or showers which will dry the skin out further
• Use lukewarm or cool water for the bath
• Avoid soap which can further dry the skin
• Use Cetaphil lotion and cream which are available over the counter
• Do not pat dry the skin with a towel.
• Gently blot the skin and apply alpha-hydroxyl acid lotion, which can improve skin moisture content
• If possible, consider living in a temperate climate

There is no cure for this condition, but ichthyosis can be managed with these above measures. In addition, even homoeopathy does not offer any particular cure, but there are some effective remedies which help the patients manage their symptoms better. Arsenic and Arnica have been shown to improve the symptoms but not well proven yet.

The right homoeopathy product would be prescribed based on
It is a life-long condition which can be managed or controlled in the best manner with homoeopathy. The scaling of the skin can be delayed with the use of homoeopathic medicines. This can reduce the dryness, cracking, and peeling off of the skin. The excess buildup of the scales on the skin can be reduced with homoeopathy medicines like mother tincture. The associated symptoms need to be assessed in people presenting with scaly skin.

• Skin and scalp are affected, there are dry scales
• Skin on the face is affected, scaly skin with whiskers
• Skin on the chest is affected with scaly skin between the breasts

Overall skin is very dry
Outbreak on the skin, which are dry, crusty, rough, peeling off of the scales; or present as a combination of these. There are some homoeopaths who try remedies to improve the moisture content in the skin. However, if the patient does not respond to the treatment or show improvement in the symptoms, the treatment may be discontinued. If there are any signs of improvement of the symptoms, it can be continued for life as the condition also persists for life. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Homeopath.