#Acne: A Thematic Qualitative Analysis of Acne Content on TikTok

Laxmi Iyengar · Susan Saldanha · Alvin H Chong

12 citations0/0 files storedAustralasian Journal of Dermatology

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Social Media in Health Education Impact of Technology on Adolescents Acne and Rosacea Treatments and Effects

Abstract

AIM: TikTok has accrued over 3 million posts and 129 billion views under #acne, establishing itself as a popular platform amongst adolescents to access health information. We conducted an in-depth thematic analysis of acne videos on TikTok to determine how adolescents engage with acne content. METHODS: The top 150 consecutive videos under #acne on TikTok were subjected to rigorous qualitative analysis by experienced researchers (Laxmi Iyengar, Susan Saldanha) until data saturation was reached, guided by SRQR (Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research) guidelines. Five themes were identified:(1) Pimple popping, (2) Acne education, (3) 'Acne transformation' depicting treatment success stories, (4) Acne positivity, normalising acne and (5) Acne reality, capturing the lived experience of acne. RESULTS: Overall, the top 150 videos under #acne accumulated almost 2 billion views and 102 million followers. The majority of acne content was uploaded by females (125/150; 84%). Medically trained clinicians represented only 11% of the content (17/150). Pimple-popping videos attracted the most significant viewership (804 million views; 44%; 17% of content) despite having a lower proportion of content than acne education videos, uploaded by patients and clinicians (324 million views; 34% of content). These videos included dietary hacks, miracle cures and narratives that antagonised the medical treatments. Acne reality videos demonstrating the mental health burden of acne were the least popular amongst TikTok viewers (79 million views; 4% of content). CONCLUSION: Thematic qualitative research of acne on TikTok bridges the gap between clinical expertise and the lived experiences of those navigating acne in the digital age. Based on the results of the study, strategies are proposed for dermatologists to engage in the TikTok platform on the topic of acne, including medicolegal precautions. Given the lack of content credibility on social media, this research urges dermatologists to redefine healthy skin care practices based on evidence-based principles.

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2020Prevalence of Health Misinformation on Social Media: Systematic Review 2014Online communication, social media and adolescent wellbeing: A systematic narrative review 2021On the Psychology of TikTok Use: A First Glimpse From Empirical Findings 2020Uses and gratifications sought by pre-adolescent and adolescent TikTok consumers 2015Why inspiring stories make us react: the neuroscience of narrative.2020“This is just how I cope”: An inductive thematic analysis of eating disorder recovery content created and shared on TikTok using # EDrecovery 2020The influence of social media on acne treatment: A cross‐sectional survey 2023The body positivity movement is not all that positive on TikTok: A content analysis of body positive TikTok videos

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