Dermatology on Instagram

Abstract

The novel photo-sharing social networking platform, Instagram, has an impressive following of 75 million daily users, with a predominantly younger and female demographic. This study investigated the presence of dermatology-related content on Instagram. The most popular professional dermatological organizations, dermatology journals, and dermatology related patient advocate groups on Facebook and Twitter, determined from a prior study, were searched for established profiles on Instagram. In addition, dermatology-related terms (i.e. dermatology, dermatologist, alopecia, eczema, melanoma, psoriasis, and skin cancer) and dermatology-related hashtags (i.e. #dermatology, #dermatologist, #melanoma, #acne, #psoriasis, and #alopecia) were searched. None of the top ten dermatological journals or professional dermatological organizations were found on Instagram. Although only one of the top ten patient advocate groups related to dermatology conditions, Melanoma Research Foundation, had an Instagram presence, there were many private offices, cosmetic products, and some patient advocacy groups. This novel social networking platform could grant dermatology journals and other professional organizations a unique opportunity to reach younger demographic populations, particularly women, with the potential for true educational and life-changing impact.

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