Treatment of ichthyosis vulgaris involves adding moisture to the skin and reducing the number of scales. This can be achieved by applying certain types of medicines to the skin such as alpha-hydroxy acids. Alpha-hydroxy acids are acids that come from fruit and milk sugars. They have been used for centuries for skin rejuvenation. The most often used alpha-hydroxy acids are glycolic acid and lactic acid because they have a special ability to enter the pores of the skin. Effective moisturizer creams include those that contain petrolatum (a type of petroleum) and urea. Urea is a chemical compound that helps moisturize the skin. Moisturizers should be applied to the skin immediately after bathing so that they enter the skin better.

Ichthyosis vulgaris is also known as hyperkeratosis congenita and ichthyosis simplex. Ichthyosis vulgaris comes from the Greek word "ichthys" meaning "fish," the Greek word "osis" meaning "condition," and the Latin word "vulgaris" meaning "a crowd" Put the words together and you get "a crowd (of) fish conditioning."