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

Abstract

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.