Skin Tone Representation in Dermatologist Social Media Accounts

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Medical Education
• Social Media Analysis

Background:

• Skin conditions present differently across diverse skin tones.
• Educational materials in dermatology often overrepresent lighter skin tones.
• Social media is a growing platform for medical information dissemination.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the representation of various skin tones in dermatology-focused social media content from 2019.
• To identify disparities in skin tone representation on platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective review of posts from top dermatology social media influencers in 2019.
• Inclusion of 21 influencer accounts, with 8 randomly selected posts per account.
• Classification of skin tones using the Fitzpatrick scale (Types I-VI).

Main Results:

• Fitzpatrick Type II was the most common skin tone (53%), while Type VI was absent (0%).
• Light skin tones (Types I-III) dominated posts across platforms: Instagram (79.7%), YouTube (93.75%), and Twitter (73.2%).
• Darker skin tones (Types IV-VI) were significantly underrepresented, particularly on YouTube (6.25%).

Conclusions:

• The study highlights a significant underrepresentation of darker skin tones in 2019 dermatology social media content.
• A call for increased and more diverse skin tone representation in dermatology educational resources is made.
• Addressing this disparity is crucial for equitable medical education and patient care.