Best Practices for FACE-Q Aesthetics Research: A Systematic Review of Study Methodology

This systematic review analyzed 114 studies using the FACE-Q Aesthetics module, a patient-reported outcome measure for facial aesthetic treatments. It found that 26.3% of studies had errors in administration, primarily due to incorrect score conversions. Only 7.9% of studies conducted sample size calculations, and just 4 provided a rationale for their time horizon selection. The review highlights the need for improved adherence to the FACE-Q User's Guide, proper reporting of time horizons, and conducting a priori sample size calculations to enhance the quality of research in this field.