Shopping on Social Media for a Cosmetic Surgeon? The Impact that Truth in Advertising Laws Have Had on Who Is Behind the Most Popular Social Media Accounts That Are Advertising Cosmetic Surgery Practices
Year: 2022
Type: article
Abstract: PURPOSE: As the demand for cosmetic surgery has continued to rise, there has been an increasing rate of non-board-certified plastic surgeons (NBCPS) choosing to open cosmetic surgery practices under the guise of claimed board certifications outside of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). To combat this, many states have chosen to enact ‘Truth in Advertising Laws’ (TIALs).1 A previous study utilized popular search engines (i.e. Google) to determine the frequency that these aforementioned practices appear in a search for ‘plastic surgeon [major city]’.1 The results of the study showed that there was no difference in the incidence of these practices based on the presence of TIALs.1 Studies have shown that those with a negative self-image who spend increasing time on social media viewing cosmetic surgery-related material have an increased likelihood of undergoing cosmetic procedures in the future.2 With 59-70% of plastic surgery patients believing that social media is a credible source for evaluating surgeons and researching procedures, one can infer that the selection of a cosmetic surgery practice may result from a social media search.3 To date, the board certifications and procedures advertised by the most popular cosmetic surgery social media accounts have yet to be compared in states with TIALs versus those without TIALs. To simulate the searches of a potential cosmetic surgery patient 20 frequently used plastic surgery related hashtags across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, were searched. The first 20 ‘top’ or ‘most relevant’ posts in English and from surgeons within the United States were included. Initial information regarding the account’s follower count, practice location, and any board certification were obtained. The ABMS was referenced after reviewing the accounts and the procedures offered, to determine which accounts were advertising NBCPS who were practicing out-of-scope (OOS). OOS providers were then separated into two groups based on the presence of TIALs. The percentage of providers who offered common cosmetic surgery procedures, as well as the board certifications of these providers, were compared using Z-tests for two population proportions. A total of 239 accounts met inclusion criteria. States with TIALs had more cumulative followers (26,557,140) compared to states without TIALs (4,514,480) and a higher mean followers per account. There were 96 (40.2%) accounts tied to NBCPS, split evenly between states with TIALs and states without TIALs. There were 22 (45.8%) NBCPS accounts advertising out-of-scope (OOS) services in states with TIALs and 27 (56.3%) in states without TIALs. The majority of OOS NBCPS were trained in general surgery, otolaryngology, oral and maxillofacial surgery, and obstetrics and gynecology. Of the OOS NBCPS accounts, 28 (58.3%) advertised non-ABMS certifications. There was no statistically significant difference found between states with TIALs and without TIALs regarding any variable included in this study. TIALs have not resulted in a statistically significant difference in the number of providers who are advertising as cosmetic surgeons on social media and who are practicing OOS. Interrogation of the current TIALs and drafting of new legislation may be necessary to prevent NBCPS from advertising OOS practices on social media. REFERENCES 1. Chattha A, Muste J, Chen AD, Lee BT, Lin SJ, Roth MZ. Truth-in-Advertising Laws: Are They Working? A Cross-Sectional Analysis of a ‘plastic Surgeon’ Patient Search Simulation. Plastic and reconstructive surgery (1963). 2021;147:231-238. 2. Arab K, Barasain O, Altaweel A, et al. Influence of Social Media on the Decision to Undergo a Cosmetic Procedure. Plastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open. 2019;7:e2333-e2333. 3. Atiyeh BS, Chahine F, Abou Ghanem O. Social Media and Plastic Surgery Practice Building: A Thin Line Between Efficient Marketing, Professionalism, and Ethics. Aesthetic plastic surgery. 2020;2021;45:1310-1321.
Authors: Joshua Scarcella, Yifan Guo, Victor Yu
Institution: East Carolina University
Language: English
Subfield: Health
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,195
OpenAlex ID: W4384465713