The Quality of Information About Body Dysmorphia on TikTok

With the rise of social media as a knowledge sharing resource, patients increasingly obtain information regarding plastic surgery online. Publicly shared posts may influence active users' desire to undergo procedures and misinform their expectations, which is of particular importance in patients with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), who may already suffer from an altered mentality of their appearance. To date, no study has assessed the quality of information about BDD on TikTok. Thus, our study aims to evaluate the usefulness and quality of the most trending TikTok videos related to BDD and plastic surgery.

A search was conducted on TikTok using keywords "body dysmorphia," "body dysmorphia plastic surgery," and "dysmorphophobia," and the top 15 trending videos in each category were selected. Two expert reviewers assessed the videos using the DISCERN and Global Quality Score evaluation tools.

The mean ± SD DISCERN score across all videos was 22.66 ± 8.62. Videos uploaded by certified healthcare accounts (11/45) had a mean ± SD score of 29.87 ± 8.85, indicating a "poor" grade. These scores were significantly higher than those uploaded by nonhealthcare accounts, which received a mean ± SD score of 20.32 ± 7.17, reflecting a "very poor" grade (P < 0.0001). The overall Global Quality Score mean ± SD was 1.96 ± 1.11, with uploads from healthcare professionals scoring significantly higher than uploads from nonhealthcare professionals (3.00 ± 1.34 vs 1.62 ± 0.78, P < 0.0001).

With the increasing prevalence of BDD and social media usage, vulnerable individuals may be prone to comparing themselves to others, potentially further impacting their self-image and driving them toward a more permanent, surgical solution. These findings highlight the suboptimal BDD-related content on TikTok, stressing the potential for further disease development in this at-risk population. As plastic surgeons ascertain whether a patient is a candidate for cosmetic surgery, directing them to reliable resources can ensure proper education and foster realistic expectations.