Clinical and Experimental Dermatology· 2026Q2
Ambiguous credentials and commercial interests in dermatology-related social media: an audit of “skin experts” and public trust in Ireland
- 0citations
- Q2SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
An audit of Irish social media found 85.5% of dermatology-related posts contained commercial activity, and only 2.9% cited evidence, despite 77.3% of users trusting dermatologists.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- 85.5% of audited Irish dermatology social media posts contained commercial activity.
- Only 2.9% of posts cited evidence-based sources.
- 42 out of 69 eligible posts were associated with registered doctors, but only 13 were by certified dermatologists.
- 77.3% of survey respondents trusted dermatologists, compared to 5.9% who trusted social media online doctors.
- 51.3% of respondents were unsure if a doctor with only a dermatology diploma was qualified for online advice.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Dermatology information on social media may combine health advice with unclear credentials and commercial promotion. We conducted a cross-sectional audit of Ireland-focused InstagramTM and TikTokTM content and an online survey of adults in Ireland. Between 6 and 15 December 2025, the first 50 search results on each platform identified using "dermatologist", "skin expert", "skin specialist" and "skin doctor" were screened; 69 posts met predefined eligibility criteria. Forty-two posts were associated with registered doctors: 13 with dermatologists on the Irish Medical Council Specialist Division for Dermatology, 16 with GPs or GPs with a special interest, 12 with doctors on the General Division and one with a plastic surgeon. No identifiable medical practitioner was associated with 27 posts. Fifty-nine posts (85.5%) contained commercial activity and only two (2.9%) cited an evidence-based source. The convenience survey included 119 respondents; 83 (69.7%) used social media for skin-health information. High trust was reported for dermatologists by 92 respondents (77.3%) but for social-media online doctors by seven (5.9%; P < 0.001). Sixty-one (51.3%) were unsure whether a doctor with a dermatology diploma alone was qualified to provide online dermatology advice, and 93 (78.2%) supported a public credential-verification resource. These findings describe frequent commercial content and potential difficulty interpreting professional roles. Clear credential and commercial disclosures may help users interpret online content; causal effects on decisions or health outcomes were not assessed.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 2026 · DOI ↗
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