How to Treat Skin Quality: A Consensus-Based Treatment Algorithm and Expert Guidance

Area of Science:

• Aesthetic medicine and dermatology.
• Clinical practice guidelines.

Background:

• Skin quality is assessed through four emergent perceptual categories (EPCs): tone evenness, surface evenness, firmness, and glow.
• Existing literature identifies potential treatments for each EPC, but lacks a consolidated clinical guide.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a practical treatment algorithm for clinicians to address emergent perceptual categories (EPCs) in aesthetic practice.
• To provide evidence-based guidance for selecting treatments to improve overall skin quality.

Main Methods:

• A modified Delphi method involving twelve international aesthetic physicians.
• Panelists ranked aesthetic treatments by their efficacy for each EPC.
• A RAND/UCLA appropriateness scale was used to refine the treatment algorithm.

Main Results:

• A comprehensive treatment algorithm for managing the four emergent perceptual categories (EPCs) of skin quality.
• Clinical pearls and preferred treatment approaches are integrated into the algorithm.
• The algorithm is designed for application across diverse skin types and global clinical settings.

Conclusions:

• The developed treatment algorithm offers a structured approach to improving patient skin quality.
• This guidance utilizes the emergent perceptual categories (EPCs) framework for consistent clinical application.
• The algorithm aims to enhance aesthetic outcomes in real-world clinical practice.