An Updated Review of Plastic Surgery-Related Hashtag Utilization on Instagram: Implications for Education and Marketing

BACKGROUND: The popularity of social media continues to have a significant impact in the plastic surgery industry. Understanding the influence of such platforms and recognizing trends, specifically on Instagram, can reveal significant implications for education and marketing. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to gather updated information on 3 main questions: (1) what plastic surgery-related content is being posted to Instagram; (2) who is posting this content; and (3) what specific hashtags are they using? METHODS: This study analyzed 22 plastic surgery-related hashtags on Instagram. Content analysis was then used to qualitatively evaluate each of the 9 “top” posts associated with each hashtag (198). Any duplicates or posts not relevant to plastic surgery were excluded. RESULTS: A total of 11,516,969 posts utilized the 22 hashtags sampled. Of the top 198 posts, only 168 met final inclusion criteria (after duplicates and posts irrelevant to plastic surgery were excluded). Plastic surgeons eligible for membership in The Aesthetic Society accounted for only 4.17% of top posts (7 posts), whereas non-eligible physicians accounted for 20.8% (35 posts). Twenty-eight surgeons accounted for the top posts (excluding foreign surgeons); however, only 6 were board certified by either the American Board of Plastic Surgeons or The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. CONCLUSIONS: The Aesthetic Society eligible board-certified plastic surgeons are a minority amongst physicians posting top plastic surgery-related content on Instagram.