#Botox 101: Subgroup Analysis of Twitter's Top 101 Neurotoxin Influencers

Area of Science:

• Medical Aesthetics
• Dermatology
• Plastic Surgery
• Social Media Analytics

Background:

• Board-certified plastic surgeons and dermatologists are underrepresented in public-facing YouTube marketing for botulinum toxin A.
• The landscape of physician influence and educational content on social media, specifically Twitter, regarding neurotoxins remains understudied.
• Twitter serves as a significant platform for public health education and professional discourse among medical experts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify leading social media influencers on Twitter using the #botox hashtag.
• To characterize the demographics and professional backgrounds of these top influencers.
• To correlate social media influence with academic achievements (h-index).

Main Methods:

• Utilized Right Relevance software to collect Twitter influence scores for the #botox topic in January 2019.
• #Botox was the sole neurotoxin hashtag with sufficient activity to generate a comprehensive influencer list.
• Analyzed top influencer accounts to determine professional specialty (plastic surgery/dermatology), board certification status, geographic location, and academic h-index.

Main Results:

• The study identified the top 101 Twitter influencers for #botox.
• A significant majority (75%) of these influencers are located in the United States.
• The academic h-index among these influencers ranged from 0 to 62, with a mean of 8.6.

Conclusions:

• The primary social media influencers discussing #botox on Twitter are predominantly board-certified or eligible plastic surgeons and dermatologists based in the US.
• This research provides insights into the existing influencer network, offering a roadmap for other specialists to enhance their social media presence.
• This study represents the first comprehensive description of social media influencers within the neurotoxin discourse on Twitter.