On March 16, 2026, AbbVie company Allergen Aesthetics announced the launch of the Skin Quality Index (SQI), a unified vocabulary developed to standardize how patients and health care providers discuss skin quality.
The framework comes as the conversation between patients and providers concerning skin as a defining outcome in aesthetic care have long lacked consistency in both clinical research and in everyday conversation despite its growing popularity and after Allergen Aesthetics, performed a three-phase study to understand how providers and patients communicate around skin quality at the annual Aesthetic and Anti-Aging Medicine World Congress in March 2025.
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The research revealed a meaningful disconnect in how patients and providers describe skin quality. While patients tended to use consistent language among themselves, terminology often diverged when communicating with providers – creating potential barriers during consultations and treatment planning. The SQI addresses these inconsistencies by introducing 15 consensus terms and definitions across four core dimensions of skin health, creating a shared language for more effective dialogue. Clearer terminology can help providers better understand patient goals, support more informed treatment planning, and ultimately contribute to improved aesthetic outcomes.
The framework also helps patients develop a clearer understanding of their own skin quality, empowering them to take a more active role in discussions about their care.
"The Skin Quality Index is a groundbreaking innovation that represents a paradigm shift in how we approach patient consultations and treatment planning in aesthetics," said Dr. Shannon Humphrey, board-certified dermatologist and primary investigator of the study. "The data clearly demonstrated the need for a standardized vocabulary. By providing a shared language, the Skin Quality Index empowers patients to articulate their concerns more effectively, enables physicians to better understand and address those concerns, and ultimately will lead to more personalized and successful treatment outcomes."
"Advancing the science of aesthetic medicine requires a deeper understanding of how patients and providers talk about skin quality," said Dr. Stephanie Manson Brown, vice president, head of clinical development, scientific innovation and skincare research & development, Allergan Aesthetics. "The Skin Quality Index reflects our commitment to deepening that understanding by establishing a shared language that can support more meaningful research, inform innovation, and further the field of aesthetic medicine."
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To support the introduction of the SQI, Allergan Aesthetics has launched educational resources for both patients and providers, including a dedicated microsite and an interactive quiz developed in partnership with New Beauty.
The research, published in Dermatologic Surgery, followed a three-phase methodical approach to define how skin quality is described across medical specialties and diverse patient populations. Phase one analyzed over 900 aesthetic medicine publications spanning more than two decades, representing the largest and most comprehensive review of skin quality terminology to date.
Phase two convened U.S. advisory boards of health care providers to establish consensus definitions. Phase three included qualitative patient focus groups and quantitative surveys of more than 200 aesthetic providers and over 1,000 patients to evaluate how terminology varies in real-world conversations.
