The influence of social media on seborrheic dermatitis treatment: A Cross-Sectional Study

ABSTRACT
Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the internet and social media usage habits of seborrheic dermatitis patients in relation to their diseases, the underlying reasons for internet and SM usage, as well as the treatment advice they used.
Materials and Methods: Patients with seborrheic dermatitis were asked to answer a questionnaire consisting of eight questions and provide their age, gender, and disease duration. The seborrheic dermatitis area severity index was used to assess disease severity.
Results: According to this study, seborrheic dermatitis patients frequently (79.7%) turn to nonmedical treatment options. It was observed that females used the internet and SM more frequently than males and patients aged 18-32 years used the internet and SM more frequently than older age groups (p<0.001, p=0.023, respectively). The most common treatment recommendation from the internet and social media was an over-the-counter product (89.6 %). Google was the most frequently (44.8%) used online platform for garnering information on the internet, while Instagram was the most preferred (36.2%) social media platform. The main reason for those who received treatment advice from the internet and social media was to get information about their disease and its treatment. The majority (78.9 %) consider their doctors to be the most reliable source for the successful treatment of their disease.
Conclusion: Patients with seborrheic dermatitis tend to seek treatment advice before consulting a clinician. Internet and social media tools play an important role in treatment seeking. In daily clinical practice, patients with seborrheic dermatitis should be questioned especially in terms of over-the-counter product use. The fact that the participants trusted the dermatologist the most and were dissatisfied with the treatment advice received from online platforms leads to the need for clinicians to provide more reliable and accurate information about seborrheic dermatitis on online platforms.
Keywords: OTC drugs, seborrheic dermatitis, social media