Board-Certified Dermatologists as "Skinfluencers": What Makes Them Famous and Keeps Them Trending?

Although dermatologists increasingly act as social media (SM) influencers who create skin care and dermatology content, platform-specific drivers of their popularity remain unclear. In this study, we aimed to identify factors associated with a higher follower count among American Board of Dermatology-certified dermatologists on Instagram and TikTok. We also summarized high-engagement content themes. Using platform analytics, we short-listed board-certified dermatologist (BCD) accounts with 100,000 followers or more and abstracted activity metrics. Fame was defined as 100,000 followers or more on both platforms. Group differences were assessed using independent-sample t tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, and χ² tests, as appropriate; correlations were assessed using Spearman rank correlation (P<.05). Sixty-five BCDs met the inclusion criteria, contributing 129 accounts (65 Instagram; 64 TikTok); 37 (56.9%) met the definition of fame described above. On Instagram, famous BCDs had more total posts (1900 vs 1100; P=.010), more YouTube subscribers (680,000 vs 48,000; P<.001), and larger TikTok followings (1,600,000 vs 110,000; P<.001). On TikTok, famous BCDs had more total posts (1300 vs 324; P<.001), greater research output (1.4 vs 0.8 articles/y; P=.045), larger Instagram followings (690,000 vs 140,000; P<.001), and more YouTube subscribers (680,000 vs 48,000; P<.001). TikTok followers correlated with total TikTok posts (r=0.807; P<.001), and Instagram followers (r=0.471; P<.001) were inversely correlated with age and years in practice. High-engagement themes centered on diagnoses/skin care and procedures, often via treatment tips and duet/reaction formats. Cross-platform presence and higher posting volume were associated with higher follower counts; on TikTok, higher research output also aligned with fame.