Non-Licensed Posters
Of the non-licensed posters, 40.8% of the total videos analyzed were posted by patients, followed by beauty bloggers at 11.3% (Table 2). When examining the non-licensed posters within each specific skin condition, patients were the leading posters for all conditions (Table 2).
All Posters
Out of all the videos analyzed, patients led as the top posters at 40.8% followed by dermatologists at 16.8% (Table 2). Following dermatologists, beauty bloggers contributed to 11.3% of the total videos analyzed (Table 2). For acne, eczema, and psoriasis, the lead posters were patients at 29.8%, 37.3%, and 66.3%, respectively (Table 2). For rosacea, the lead posters were dermatologists at 28.4% (Table 2).
Of the non-licensed posters, 40.8% of the total videos analyzed were posted by patients, followed by beauty bloggers at 11.3% (Table 2). When examining the non-licensed posters within each specific skin condition, patients were the leading posters for all conditions (Table 2).
All Posters
Out of all the videos analyzed, patients led as the top posters at 40.8% followed by dermatologists at 16.8% (Table 2). Following dermatologists, beauty bloggers contributed to 11.3% of the total videos analyzed (Table 2). For acne, eczema, and psoriasis, the lead posters were patients at 29.8%, 37.3%, and 66.3%, respectively (Table 2). For rosacea, the lead posters were dermatologists at 28.4% (Table 2).
DISCUSSION
The first study to characterize the content, sources, and reliability of the top dermatologic videos on TikTok found that acne, alopecia, warts, cysts, eczema, rosacea, psoriasis, and skin cancer were the top 8 most viewed dermatologic diseases on the application. Analysis of 200 videos on these diseases found that patient-experience and educational videos dominate the content of said videos. Most of these videos were found to be posted by patients at 48%, followed by board certified dermatologist at 25.8%. The patient posted educational videos were given a reliability percentage of 48% based on adherence with American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) guidelines. The dermatologist posted educational videos were given a reliability percentage of 96.8%.4 This study gives insight into the benefits and risks of patients obtaining dermatologic information on TikTok.
The quality of the dermatologic educational content on TikTok varies widely. One study examined this, looking specifically at the hashtag #acne. Analysis of the top 100 videos found a mean content quality rating of 2.03 which indicates serious to potentially important shortcomings.6 This study emphasizes the need for quality educational content on TikTok. Another study examined the top 31 educational videos by board certified dermatologists. They found that these "viral" videos most commonly feature on-screen text, healthcare attire, and music.7 This study highlights potential strategies that dermatologists can utilize to increase the visibility of their educational content. When we look at dermatologists actively creating content on TikTok, we find that most are residents or early in practice. A study looking at the top 10 TikTok dermatologists found that 3 were dermatology residents and 7 were dermatologists with an average of 7-8 years of practice.8 This study suggests that younger dermatologists are embracing the new role social media plays in dermatology.
Our study is the largest analysis of dermatologic TikTok videos, examining 400 videos with a focus on four common skin conditions. It is important to mention that 27% of the 400 videos originally collected were excluded, and 76% of the excluded videos were either advertisements of a product or were from a business’ TikTok account. This could suggest that patients seeking dermatologic advice on TikTok and other social media applications are even more less likely to come across a treatment video posted by a dermatologist. Future analysis is indicated to examine the role of social media advertisements on dermatology patient education.
In the analysis of the remaining videos, TikTok's treatment-related content for skin conditions came primarily from patients sharing treatments that worked for their specific condition. These results of patient-dominated posters remain consistent across most common skin conditions, except rosacea in which dermatologist posters prevailed. As the popularity of social media continues to grow, it is important for more dermatologists to use TikTok and other leading social media platforms to increase educational content on a broad range of skin conditions. Additionally, an increase in dermatologist-created, educational content on TikTok and other platforms will encourage users to seek care from board-certified dermatologists. In a continually changing social media landscape, further research is needed to understand the role social media plays in the public’s understanding of common medical conditions.
The quality of the dermatologic educational content on TikTok varies widely. One study examined this, looking specifically at the hashtag #acne. Analysis of the top 100 videos found a mean content quality rating of 2.03 which indicates serious to potentially important shortcomings.6 This study emphasizes the need for quality educational content on TikTok. Another study examined the top 31 educational videos by board certified dermatologists. They found that these "viral" videos most commonly feature on-screen text, healthcare attire, and music.7 This study highlights potential strategies that dermatologists can utilize to increase the visibility of their educational content. When we look at dermatologists actively creating content on TikTok, we find that most are residents or early in practice. A study looking at the top 10 TikTok dermatologists found that 3 were dermatology residents and 7 were dermatologists with an average of 7-8 years of practice.8 This study suggests that younger dermatologists are embracing the new role social media plays in dermatology.
Our study is the largest analysis of dermatologic TikTok videos, examining 400 videos with a focus on four common skin conditions. It is important to mention that 27% of the 400 videos originally collected were excluded, and 76% of the excluded videos were either advertisements of a product or were from a business’ TikTok account. This could suggest that patients seeking dermatologic advice on TikTok and other social media applications are even more less likely to come across a treatment video posted by a dermatologist. Future analysis is indicated to examine the role of social media advertisements on dermatology patient education.
In the analysis of the remaining videos, TikTok's treatment-related content for skin conditions came primarily from patients sharing treatments that worked for their specific condition. These results of patient-dominated posters remain consistent across most common skin conditions, except rosacea in which dermatologist posters prevailed. As the popularity of social media continues to grow, it is important for more dermatologists to use TikTok and other leading social media platforms to increase educational content on a broad range of skin conditions. Additionally, an increase in dermatologist-created, educational content on TikTok and other platforms will encourage users to seek care from board-certified dermatologists. In a continually changing social media landscape, further research is needed to understand the role social media plays in the public’s understanding of common medical conditions.
DISCLOSURES
Williams and Campbell have no conflicts of interest to declare.
Woolery-Lloyd is a TikTok Creator and Learn on TikTok Partner.
REFERENCES
- Chen YY, Li CM, Liang JC, et al. Health information obtained from the Internet and changes in medical decision making: Questionnaire development and cross-sectional survey. J Med Internet Res. 2018;20(2): e47 PMID:29434017.
- Laughter MR, Zangara T, et al. Social media use in dermatology. Dermatologica Sinica. 2020;38(1):28-34.
- Wallaroo Media. TikTok Statistics. Available at: https://wallaroomedia.com/ blog/social-media/tiktok-statistics/. Accessed July 30th, 2021.
- Villa-Ruiz C, Kassamali B, Mazori DR, et al. Overview of TikTok's most viewed dermatologic content and assessment of its reliability. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2021;85(1):273-274.
- American Academy of Dermatology Association. Skin Conditions by the Numbers. Available at: https://www.aad.org/media/stats-numbers. Accessed July 1, 2021.
- Zheng DX, Ning AY, Levoska MA, et al. Acne and social media: A crossâ€sectional study of content quality on TikTok. Pediatr Dermatol. 2021;38(1):336-338.
- Kassamali B, Villa-Ruiz C, Mazori DR, et al. Characterizing top educational TikTok videos by dermatologists in response to “TikTok and dermatology: An opportunity for public health engagement. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2021;85(1):E27-28.
- Presley CL, Pulsipher KJ, Rietcheck HR, et al. Reply to “Dermatologists in social media: A study on top influencers, posts, and user engagementâ€: Dermatologist influencers on TikTok. J Am Acad Dermatol. Published online February 1, 2021. 2022;86(2):E71-73.
AUTHOR CORRESPONDENCE
Kiyanna Williams MD DO kiyanna.williams@gmail.com
