ArticleCureus2025
Isotretinoin on TikTok: A Qualitative Analysis of Attitudes, Perspectives, and Knowledge Dissemination of User-Generated Content.
Article in Cureus, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Baloxavir marboxil-related information on Douyin and Xiaohongshu: a cross-sectional analysis of content, misinformation, and user engagement.Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology · 2026Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAcne vulgaris is an inflammatory skin condition that commonly affects adolescents and adults, which correlates well with the main demographic of TikTok (ByteDance Ltd., Beijing, China) users. This study investigates TikTok's role in disseminating knowledge, attitudes, and perspectives regarding isotretinoin among its users.
methodsThis study examined 50 TikTok videos related to isotretinoin. Independent reviewers performed thematic analysis, identifying key themes. Data on views, likes, comments, shares, hashtags, captions, and creator demographics were collected.
resultsOut of 50 videos, 14 had view count data (totaling 607,700 views). All videos had likes, comments, and shares (totaling 950,805 likes, 12,172 comments, and 13,195 shares). Video demographics included 42% of healthcare professionals (18 doctors/dermatologists, two pharmacists, and one dermatology nurse) and 58% of non-professionals (28 patients and one aesthetician), a significant percentage. The most frequently occurring hashtags were #accutane, #isotretinoin, #acne, #roaccutane, and #acnetreatment. The thematic analysis revealed eight themes related to the role of social media in shaping perceptions of the drug. These themes include psychological side effects and impact, personal experiences, treatment process and decision-making, awareness, misconceptions and communication, post-treatment considerations, and outlook. Notably, the discourse is dominated by non-medical content creators who often spread misinformation, particularly regarding mental health risks.
conclusionsThis study highlights TikTok's role in shaping perceptions of isotretinoin, revealing diverse user experiences and the impact of social media on health information. Healthcare professionals must engage with platforms to counteract misinformation and support informed decision-making. Future research should explore ways to improve the quality of health information on TikTok and evaluate its long-term effects on isotretinoin prescription uptake and treatment adherence.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.