The Impact of Social Media on Seeking Dermatological Care

Abstract

Introduction: Social media is used by more than half of the world's population. Social media is becoming more widely recognized as a significant factor when looking for healthcare services because of its capacity to affect an individual's decision. Therefore, we aim to investigate the influence of social media and the use of filters on seeking cosmetic dermatological procedures among the general population of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Methods: This cross-sectional study utilized an online form for data collection. The questionnaire was developed by the authors after an extensive literature review. The data collection took place in October 2022 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Participants were recruited using convenience and snowball sampling methods. Results: A total of 1,031 responses were analyzed, with females representing the majority (85.2%, n = 878). About half (47.4%, n = 489) indicated a willingness to undergo an aesthetic procedure, 16.3% (n = 168) had already done one procedure at least, and 53.2% (n = 548) had a specific procedure to do in the future. Healthcare professionals were the most common source of information (53.9; n = 556), followed by social media (22.7%; n = 234). In the Snapchat application, 94.5% (n = 974) of the participants used face filters. Undergoing an aesthetic procedure showed statistically significant associations with age, gender, educational level, employment, and income. Conclusion: Hiding skin lesions or acne was the most frequently reported reason for using photo editing apps or filters. While healthcare providers were the most frequently reported source of information, Snapchat influenced around 33% of the study’s participants to undergo an aesthetic procedure.