Using Google to Trend Patient Interest in Botulinum Toxin and Hyaluronic Acid Fillers

Introduction: Google Search is an important tool for patients researching skin care treatments and finding dermatologists. Data from individual patient’s searches are aggregated by Google and yield powerful data sets that can be used to trend population behaviors. This study investigates the correlations between the volume of Google searches and the number of procedures performed annually for both botulinum toxin type A and hyaluronic acid tissue fillers. Methods: The volume of queries performed between 2005–2016 including [botox] or [hyaluronic acid + Juvederm + Perlane + Restylane + Prevelle] were analyzed in relation to the annual number of procedures using botulinum toxin type A and hyaluronic acid based soft tissue fillers, respectively. Results: The number of procedures performed using botulinum toxin and hyaluronic acid correlated significantly with the relative search volume for related search terms in both the same year (P< .001) and year prior (P< .001). Conclusions: Our findings highlight the importance of Google search data as a resource for understanding patient motivations and behavior. Dermatologists may use this resource as a tool to better address patient concerns and forecast local demand for specific procedures.