What did the SkinVive clinical study find?

The mistake with study results is reading a satisfaction score as proof that an injection will work on your skin. The numbers below deserve a careful read, not a quick one.

What patients reported at six months

The release at news.abbvie.com includes two satisfaction results. On radiance, it says: "In a patient reported satisfaction with skin questionnaire, 63% (78/124) of patients were satisfied with how radiant their facial skin looked at six months compared with 11% before treatment."

On hydration, it says: "At six months, 72% were satisfied with how hydrated their facial skin looked at six months compared to 24% before treatment."

You can read both in context in the FDA approval announcement, and the Dermatology Times report on the approval covers the same approval from a trade-news angle.

What those figures can and cannot tell you

Both results are patient-reported satisfaction from a questionnaire. They record how people felt about their skin, not a measurement taken of it. Each one compares six months after treatment with before treatment.

These two results say nothing about side effects, and they do not say how your own skin would compare with the people surveyed. A satisfaction score cannot tell you whether the treatment suits you.

An article describing SkinVive as an injectable that doubles as skincare gives the consumer view of the same treatment.

Percentages are not a diagnosis

Do not use these percentages to diagnose your own skin or to shop for a product. A trained injector, after examining you, is the person who can say whether SkinVive is worth considering.

If you are weighing providers around Mt Olive, ask each one to show you where a promised result comes from.

Other people's satisfaction, your skin

A satisfaction rate is a summary of other people. Before you act on it, ask a professional what it means for you.