BACKGROUND

Acne vulgaris is one of the common skin diseases prompting dermatologic consult. Although prevalent worldwide, knowledge of the public about acne is still lacking. Due to this, content related to acne vulgaris has been a topic of choice on social media platforms.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 120 patients diagnosed with acne vulgaris aged 18-50 years-old consulting via teledermatology and face-to-face consultation at the Rizal Medical Center. Patients completed a self-administered questionnaire and global acne severity was assessed.

RESULTS

A total of 120 newly d iagnosed patients with acne vulgaris were included in the study, with a mean age of 23.25 years, with a female predominance, household average monthly income less than PhP 10,957 and with mild to moderate acne severity. Majority of the participants used social media to look for treatment options and to gain more knowledge about the disease. The most used platforms were Youtube, Facebook and Tiktok. Short videos were viewed more often and content from dermatologists were preferred. Most commonly tried products are over-the-counted non-pharmaceutical topical products. There was a significant association between the use of social media with age and educational attainment. Furthermore, a significant association between self-medication practices and average household monthly income was seen. No association was seen between acne severity, social media use and self-medication practices.

CONCLUSION

In summary, the use of social media to access acne-related content was prevalent among young female patients, of lower socioeconomic status diagnosed with mild-moderate acne severity at a tertiary hospital in the Philippines.

Human ; Acne Vulgaris ; Social Media