EEMCO guidance for the assessment of dry skin (xerosis) and ichthyosis: clinical scoring systems

Visual and tactile assessment of dry skin and ichthyosis is difficult and may vary. There is a need for standardized assessment according to universal scoring schemes.A guidance to subjects (consumers) and experts evaluation with control of individual and other factors is presented. Scoring schemes include analogue scales, the overall dry skin score (ODS) and the specified symptom sum score (SRRC) system with grading of scaling, roughness, redness and cracks. The dry skin/ichthyosis area and severity index (DASI) is defined for dermatological evaluation of the entire skin surface.The EEMCO guidance is a practical research tool both for characterization of xerotic skin conditions and for efficacy substantiation of products. The guidance is developed to harmonize research in this field and improve interlaboratory comparison.