Treatments for ichthyosis often take the form of topical application of creams and emollient oils, in an attempt to hydrate the skin. Creams containing lactic acid have been shown to work exceptionally well in some cases. Application of propylene glycol is another treatment method. Retinoids are used for some conditions.

Exposure to sunlight may improve or worsen the condition. In some cases, excess dead skin sloughs off much better from wet tanned skin after bathing or a swim, although the dry skin might be preferable to the damaging effects of sun exposure.

There can be ocular manifestations of ichthyosis, such as corneal and ocular surface diseases. Vascularizing keratitis, which is more commonly found in congenital keratitis-ichythosis-deafness (KID), may worsen with isotretinoin therapy.

As with all types of ichthyosis, there is no cure but the symptoms can be relieved.

- Moisturizers

- Prevention of overheating

- Eye drops (to prevent the eyes from becoming dried out)

- Systemic Retinoids (isotretinoin and acitretin are very effective, but careful monitoring for toxicity is required. Only severe cases may require intermittent therapy.)

Psychological therapy or support may be required as well.

There is no known cure at the moment but there are several things that can be done to relieve the symptoms. Moisturising products are very helpful to minimize the scaling/cracking, and anti-infective treatments are useful when appropriate because the skin is very susceptible to infection. Extra protein in the diet during childhood is also beneficial, to replace that which is lost through the previously mentioned "leaky" skin.

Steroid and retinoid products have been proven ineffective against Netherton syndrome, and may in fact make things worse for the affected individual.

Intravenous immunoglobulin has become established as the treatment of choice in Netherton's syndrome. This therapy reduces infection; enables improvement and even resolution of the skin and hair abnormalities, and dramatically improves quality of life of the patients; although exactly how it achieves this is not known. Given this; it is possible that the reason Netherton's usually is not very severe at or shortly after birth is due to a protective effect of maternal antibodies; which cross the placenta but wane by four to six months.

Most patients with hyper IgE syndrome are treated with long-term antibiotic therapy to prevent staphylococcal infections. Good skin care is also important in patients with hyper IgE syndrome. High-dose intravenous gamma-globulin has also been suggested for the treatment of severe eczema in patients with HIES and atopic dermatitis.

Ichthyosis or ichthyosis-like disorders exist for several types of animals, including cattle, chickens, llamas, mice, and dogs. Ichthyosis of varying severity is well documented in some popular breeds of domestic dogs. The most common breeds to have ichthyosis are Golden retrievers, American bulldogs, Jack Russell terriers, and Cairn terriers.

Sabinas brittle hair syndrome is inherited as an autosomal recessive genetic trait.

In a study by Howell et al. patients were located and studied by means of complete histories and physical examinations, analyses of serum trace metals, ceruloplasmin concentration, urine and serum amino acids, and routine metabolic urine screens. In addition, serum and urine luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) values were determined, and were interpreted in conjunction with total plasma estrogen, estradiol, and testosterone levels. Close examination demonstrated the scalp hairs were very brittle, coarse, wiry in texture, and broke off quite easily with mechanical trauma such as combing and brushing. Some hairs could be visualized in their follicles, which were broken off at the skin line. Most patients had accompanying hyperkeratosis (thickening of the skin) of moderate degree on exposed surfaces. Maxillary hypoplasia (midfacial retrusion) was significant in many patients. The brittle, short hair, reduced eyelashes, crowded teeth, and dull appearance created a characteristic facial appearance. Post-pubertal patients had development of secondary sexual characteristics consistent with their age, except for sparse pubic escutcheons. All cases studied demonstrated some degree of mental deficiency; I.Q.'s ranged between 50–60. A deficiency in eye–hand coordination was also noted.

Constant care is required to moisturise and protect the skin. The hard outer layer eventually peels off, leaving the vulnerable inner layers of the dermis exposed. Early complications result from infection due to fissuring of the hyperkeratotic plates and respiratory distress due to physical restriction of chest wall expansion.

Management includes supportive care and treatment of hyperkeratosis and skin barrier dysfunction. A humidified incubator is generally used. Intubation is often required until nares are patent. Nutritional support with tube feeds is essential until eclabium resolves and infants can begin nursing. Ophthalmology consultation is useful for the early management of ectropion, which is initially pronounced and resolves as scale is shed. Liberal application of petrolatum is needed multiple times a day. In addition, careful debridement of constrictive bands of hyperkeratosis should be performed to avoid digital ischemia. Cases of digital autoamputation or necrosis have been reported due to cutaneous constriction bands. Relaxation incisions have been used to prevent this morbid complication.

In the past, the disorder was nearly always fatal, whether due to dehydration, infection (sepsis), restricted breathing due to the plating, or other related causes. The most common cause of death was systemic infection and sufferers rarely survived for more than a few days. However, improved neonatal intensive care and early treatment with oral retinoids, such as the drug Isotretinoin (Isotrex), may improve survival. Early oral retinoid therapy has been shown to soften scales and encourage desquamation. After as little as two weeks of daily oral isotretinoin, fissures in the skin can heal, and plate-like scales can nearly resolve. Improvement in the eclabium and ectropion can also be seen in a matter of weeks. Children who survive the neonatal period usually evolve to a less severe phenotype, resembling a severe congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma. Patients continue to suffer from temperature dysregulation and may have heat and cold intolerance. Patients can also have generalized poor hair growth, scarring alopecia, contractures of digits, arthralgias, failure to thrive, hypothyroidism, and short stature. Some patients develop a rheumatoid factor-positive polyarthritis. Survivors can also develop fish-like scales and retention of a waxy, yellowish material in seborrheic areas, with ear adhered to the scalp.

The oldest known survivor is Nusrit "Nelly" Shaheen, who was born in 1984 and is in relatively good health as of April 2016. Lifespan limitations have not yet been determined with the new treatments.

A study published in 2011 in the Archives of Dermatology concluded, "Harlequin ichthyosis should be regarded as a severe chronic disease that is not invariably fatal. With improved neonatal care and probably the early introduction of oral retinoids, the number of survivors is increasing."

Also known as ichthyosis hystrix gravior or porcupine man. This disease is characterised by spiny scales which cover the entire body except the face, genitals, palms and soles. The only known cases were in Edward Lambert (known as the porcupine man) who was exhibited in front of the Royal Society in London in 1731 and three generations of his descendants. No cases of this disease are now known 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.

Ichthyosis hystrix is a group of rare skin disorders in the ichthyosis family of skin disorders characterized by massive hyperkeratosis with an appearance like spiny scales. This term is also used to refer to a type of epidermal nevi with extensive bilateral distribution.

There is no cure for IBS but in the future gene therapy may offer a cure.

Treatments for IBS generally attempt to improve the appearance of the skin and the comfort of the sufferer. This is done by exfoliating and increasing the moisture of the skin. Common treatments include:

- Emollients: moisturisers, petroleum jelly or other emolients are used, often several times a day, to increase the moisture of the skin.

- Baths: long baths (possibly including salt) several times a week are used to soften the skin and allow exfoliation.

- Exfoliating creams: creams containing keratolytics such as urea, salicylic acid and lactic acid may be useful.

- Antiseptic washes: antiseptics may be used to kill bacteria in the skin and prevent odour.

- Retenoids: very severe cases may use oral retinoids to control symptoms but these have many serious side effects including, in the case of IBS, increased blistering.

HIES was first described by Davis et al. in 1966 in two girls with red hair, chronic dermatitis, and recurrent staphylococcal abscesses and pneumonias. They named the disease after the biblical figure Job, whose body was covered with boils by Satan. In 1972, Buckley et al. described two boys with similar symptoms as well as coarse facies, eosinophilia, and elevated serum IgE levels. These two syndromes are thought to be the same and are under the broad category of HIES.

Sabinas brittle hair syndrome, also called Sabinas syndrome or brittle hair-mental deficit syndrome, is an autosomal recessive congenital disorder affecting the integumentary system.

Overheating: The scaling of the skin prevents normal sweating so hot weather and/or vigorous exercise can cause problems.

Eye problems: The eyelids can be pulled down by the tightness of the skin and this can make eyelids (but usually just the lower one) very red and they are prone to drying and irritation.

Constriction bands: Very rarely children with this condition can have tight bands of skin around their fingers or toes (usually at the tips) that can prevent proper blood circulation to the area.

Hair loss: Severe scaling of the skin on the scalp can lead to patchy loss of hair, but this is rarely permanent.

Congenital Ichthyosiform Erythroderma (CIE), also known as Nonbullous congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma is a rare type the ichthyosis family of skin diseases which occurs in 1 in 200,000 to 300,000 births.

Even though there is no way to cure the disease itself, there are ways to dampen the symptoms. These include medical help in form of pills, and using heavy lotions and oils.

To maintain the good health of the skin after the symptoms have dampened the person with the disease are advised to go on normally with their lives but to take precautions while showering. This is to take shorter, colder baths than usual to not stress the skin. It is also known to help to use bar-soap, instead of a liquid body wash.

In 1937, Touraine and Solente first noted the association between hair-shaft defects (bamboo node) and ichthyosiform erythroderma. Còme first coined the term ichthyosis linearis circumflexa in 1949, although Rille had previously recorded the distinctive features of ichthyosis linearis circumflexa by 1922. In 1958, Netherton described a young girl with generalized scaly dermatitis and fragile nodular hair-shaft deformities, which he termed trichorrhexis nodosa. Later, this was more appropriately renamed as trichorrhexis invaginata (bamboo hair) for a ball-and-socket–type hair-shaft deformity at the suggestion of Wilkinson et al.

In 1974, Mevorah et al. established the clinical relationship between ichthyosis linearis circumflexa and Netherton syndrome, and an atopic diathesis was found to occur in approximately 75% of patients with Netherton syndrome.

There is currently no cure for GAPO syndrome, but some options are available to reduce the symptoms. Nearsightedness, which affects some sufferers of the disease, can be treated by corrective lenses. Unfortunately, optic atrophy as a result of degradation of the optic nerve (common with GAPO syndrome) cannot be corrected. Corticosteroids have been proposed as a treatment for optic nerve atrophy, but their effectiveness is disputed, and no steroid based treatments are currently available.

Trichorrhexis invaginata (also known as "Bamboo hair" ) is a distinctive hair shaft abnormality that may occur sporadically, either in normal hair or with other hair shaft abnormalities, or regularly as a marker for Netherton's syndrome. The primary defect appears to be abnormal keratinization of the hair shaft in the keratogenous zone, allowing for intussusception of the fully keratinized and hard distal shaft into the incompletely keratinized and soft proximal portion of the shaft.

There are no life-threatening complications after the perinatal period (around the time of birth) and the skin conditions persist but to a lesser degree of severity. Individuals have a favourable prognosis as symptoms can be managed and past the infancy stage are not life-threatening. The red skin edema improves after a three-week period but the ichthyosis scaling persists. Asthma has been recorded in some cases later on in the individual's life and sign of atopic dermatitis persist, follicular hyperkeratosis and small amounts of scaling at the scalp that goes on into adulthood but otherwise the individual continues a healthy life.

The infant is intubated post delivery to stabilize the respiratory problems experienced. Often the skin condition becomes less severe resolving itself to flaky dry skin as the individual grows. No intervention is usually required and the condition becomes less severe as the patient grows. The dry skin symptoms can be managed with topical ointments or creams and the individual remains otherwise healthy.

Individuals affected by certain ED syndromes cannot perspire. Their sweat glands may function abnormally or may not have developed at all because of inactive proteins in the sweat glands. Without normal sweat production, the body cannot regulate temperature properly. Therefore, overheating is a common problem, especially during hot weather. Access to cool environments is important.

Trichothiodystrophy (TTD) is an autosomal recessive inherited disorder characterised by brittle hair and intellectual impairment. The word breaks down into "tricho" – "hair", "thio" – "sulphur", and "dystrophy" – "wasting away" or literally "bad nourishment". TTD is associated with a range of symptoms connected with organs of the ectoderm and neuroectoderm. TTD may be subclassified into four syndromes: Approximately half of all patients with trichothiodystrophy have photosensitivity, which divides the classification into syndromes with or without photosensitivity; BIDS and PBIDS, and IBIDS and PIBIDS. Modern covering usage is TTD-P (photosensitive), and TTD.

There is currently no treatment for CHILD syndrome so any treatment would target the symptoms currently present. Emoillents like Lac-Hydran (ammonium lactate) and Ureaphil (urea) are used to treat scaly patches on the skin. A pediatric orthopedic surgeon can evaluate any underdevelopment in the bones and treat them if necessary.

There is a compound that is a topical liquid that can calm lesions down on older adults and make them go away on younger children. The mixture was made by Dr. Amy Paller at Children's Hospital. It is mixed as follows: to make 250 ml: Grind up lovastatin tablets 5g (10-20-40-80 mg); mix with cholesterol NF powder (NDC# 51927-1203-00, PCCA) 5g; mix with preserved water while mixing (eventually mixing for 1/2 hour with electronic mortar and pestle) to bring to full volume with preserved water. 8 oz

Several studies have examined salivary flow rate in individuals and found parotid and submandibular salivary flow ranging from 5 to 15 times lower than average. This is consistent with the salivary glands being of ectodermal origin, although some findings have suggested that there is also mesodermal input.

Netherton syndrome is a severe, autosomal recessive form of ichthyosis associated with mutations in the "SPINK5" gene. It is named after Earl W. Netherton (1910–1985), an American dermatologist who discovered it in 1958.