Quality and reliability of short videos about keloid on TikTok: A cross-sectional study

TikTok and similar short-form video services are now widely adopted as prominent platforms for circulating health knowledge. However, the quality of content on keloid remains unclear. Keloid, a pathological scar with significant physical and psychological impact, necessitates accurate public education. This cross-sectional study analyzed 122 keloid-related TikTok videos on February 9, 2026, using an unlogged search to minimize bias. Video quality was assessed with 3 scoring systems: the global quality score, the modified DISCERN, and the benchmark criteria of the Journal of the American Medical Association, and uploader categories, content themes, and engagement metrics were analyzed. Videos featured a median length of 65.5 seconds and strong user engagement, but holistic quality was modest (median global quality score = 3.0, modified DISCERN = 2.0, Journal of the American Medical Association = 3.0). Content predominantly covered treatment (86.1%) and clinical manifestations (52.5%), whereas etiology, diagnosis, and recurrence were underrepresented. Videos from plastic surgeons and healthcare professionals had significantly higher quality scores than those from individual users (P < .05). There was no relationship found between engagement metrics and quality. In conclusion, keloid-related TikTok videos achieve wide reach but have limited informational quality, emphasizing the need for enhanced professional involvement and more comprehensive content to improve educational value.