An Analysis of Male Plastic Surgery Content on TikTok

Abstract

Abstract Background TikTok is a powerful and popular source of patient education. However, the lack of content regulation raises concerns about the spread of medical misinformation. Objectives We aimed to analyze the source, content, quality, and reliability of TikTok posts focusing on surgical and nonsurgical cosmetic treatments for men. Methods A search was conducted on TikTok with 16 popular hashtags related to male cosmetic procedures. The top 25 male-focused videos from each hashtag were chosen for analysis. Videos were categorized by content creator, video type, and descriptive metrics. Educational videos were evaluated for quality with the validated modified DISCERN (mDISCERN) score and the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT) scale. Statistical analysis was performed with univariate and linear regression models. Results The included 399 videos totaled 389 million views, 16.4 million likes, 174,594 comments, and 586,743 shares. Most videos were uploaded by plastic and reconstructive surgeons (38.3%). A significant number (38%) of videos by physicians were posted by international physicians, with videos by United States physicians receiving fewer views, comments, and shares than videos posted by international physicians. Patient experience was the most common video category (48.9%). Educational videos had low overall quality, with physician-created videos demonstrating higher DISCERN and PEMAT scores but lower engagement compared to nonphysician videos. Conclusions The quality of TikTok videos on male cosmetic surgery was generally low, emphasizing the importance of accurate information dissemination by physicians on social media. The strong presence of international physicians highlights the potential implications of social media on medical tourism.