Ichthyosis vulgaris scales everywhere, with areas of the body that have a concentration of sweat glands being least affected. Areas where the skin rubs against each other, such as the armpits, the groin, and the "folded" areas of the elbow and knees, are less affected. When the buildup of scales is bad, the person with a severe case has "prickly itch" when he or she needs to sweat but cannot because of the scales. Various topical treatments are available to "exfoliate" the scales. These include lotions that contain alpha-hydroxy acids. Many people with severe ichthyosis have problems sweating due to the buildup
Ichthyosis hystrix though some experts believe that it may have been a type of epidermolytic hyperkeratosis. From the history of the Lambert family the disease appears to have been an autosomal dominant condition. HID syndrome is also known as ichthyosis hystrix, Rheydt type after the German city of Rheydt near Düsseldorf where it was first discovered. Symptoms are bilateral hearing loss and spiky hyperkeratotic masses which cover the whole body though the palms and soles are less badly affected. It can be differentiated from KID syndrome which also has symptoms of deafness and ichthyosis by the different distribution of hyperkeratosis. It is