Keith Ichthyosis is a group of different skin conditions where the skin is dry, thickened and scaly. These conditions are usually genetically inherited, although there are some nonhereditary causes for scaling skin, such as reactions to medication, hormone problems, underlying cancer, nutritional deficiency and kidney failure. Most types of ichthyosis cause quite serious skin problems, but fortunately they are very rare. The commonest sort of ichthyosis, known as ichthyosis vulgaris, is usually much less harmful. It affects 1 in 250 people but often goes undiagnosed because it tends to be so mild.
Many people simply think they have dry skin and so never talk to their doctor about it.
If it is, it may never amount to more than a mild cosmetic inconvenience. Skin cells not shed as quickly as should be In ichthyosis vulgaris the skin cells are produced at a normal rate, but don't separate normally as they reach the surface of the skin. So the skin cells aren't shed as quickly as they should be. This leads to a build up of skin cells which appear as scales. Just one or a few areas are usually affected, often the legs or lower body.