30-07-2025
OCs for Acne: Study Analyzes Information on TikTok
SEATTLE — Discussions about acne and acne treatments are popular on social media, especially on TikTok. But as with much of the health information found on the internet and social media in particular, accuracy can vary considerably, depending on its source.
A study presented in a poster session at the Society for Pediatric Dermatology (SPD) 2025 Annual Meeting looked at how social media may influence young women and their families, with regards to acne treatment with oral contraceptives (OCs). The researchers found that most TikTok content on this topic is not created by healthcare professionals (HCPs), although the videos created by HCPs and non-HCPs had similar levels of engagement among viewers. But what stood out in the non-HCP videos were frequent discussions about acne flare-ups when OCs were discontinued, or 'post-pill acne.'
'We were exploring how young adults and adolescents are using TikTok and other social media for health driven information,' said the study's first author Hong-An Nguyen, third-year medical student at the University of California, San Diego. 'We decided to look at oral contraceptives that are widely prescribed for acne and what was being said about side effects.'
Nguyen told Medscape Medical News that they were particularly interested in seeing the difference in perspective between medical providers and non-providers. 'We didn't find much of a difference except for the topic of post-pill acne, and we further explored that due to its frequent mention across videos,' she said. 'There's limited clinical recognition of that being an issue when you look in the [medical] literature, but it was a big concern on social media.'
In 2024, TikTok reported 170 million monthly active users in the US, with the majority being young women. Many teens receive health information — both actively and passively — on this platform. However, concerns have emerged that exaggerated claims about side effects may be discouraging the use of OCs and could influence decision-making in teens with acne. Nguyen and colleagues noted that even though OCs are a common treatment for acne, it is unclear how their use is portrayed on TikTok. To better understand the influence of social media on decision making, they analyzed TikTok videos referencing both acne and OCs.
Popularity of Post-Pill Acne Discussions
Using two newly created TikTok accounts, they identified 147 unique videos: 17 were created by self-identified HCPs (including six dermatologists and two OB-GYNs), three physician associates, four nurses, and two pharmacists, and 130 were created by non-HCPs. Videos were analyzed for user engagement (views, likes, and comments) and perceptions of OC use, categorized as positive (emphasized perceived benefits or success stories), negative (emphasized side effects or adverse experiences over potential benefits), or neutral (presented information or personal experiences without expressing a clearly favorable or unfavorable stance).
Views per video ranged from 1109 to 7.6 million (mean 346,335), with an average of 13,191 'likes,' and comments ranging from 0 to 3958 (mean 171). Less than 10% of HCP videos mentioned 'post-pill acne' compared with nearly 60% of non-HCP videos — a significant difference ( P < .001). Overall, 60% of videos expressed negative perceptions of hormonal therapy for acne, while 16% were positive, and 24% had neutral content.
Referring to their findings, Nguyen commented, 'as providers, we need to see what the perceptions are on social media and what people are concerned with before they come to our office.'
Approached for an independent comment by Medscape Medical News , Luke Johnson, MD, associate professor in the Department of Dermatology at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, noted that 'it is worth knowing that some of our patients are looking to social media for healthcare and skincare advice.'
In addition, he said, 'I am concerned about the amount of misinformation — intentional or not — that's out there. and I am concerned by the fact that most people don't seem to care much about the source of their information.'
One benefit of social media is that it could potentially bring previously unknown issues associated with a treatment to the attention of healthcare providers, Johnson, who is also co-host of the dermatology podcast Dermasphere, pointed out. 'We know that many types of oral contraceptive pills can improve acne, so it makes sense that acne could appear when someone stops one of these medicines,' he added.
The study was independently supported. Nguyen reported having no relevant financial relationships. Johnson reported having no disclosures.
