A prospective aesthetic patient today will have already heard, seen or read about dermal fillers in their social media feed before they ever see you. Online conversations shape public understanding and perception around HA injectables, in what is far from a consistent message.

“Patients are far more educated, but they're getting miseducated,” Brittony Croasdell, MSN, FNP-BC, APRN, shared in an episode of AmSpa’s Medical Spa Insider podcast. “It's either a misunderstanding, it's a partial grasp of information that was shared but not understanding it fully, not able to connect the dots, or just completely and wholly wrong and incorrect.”

Patients turn to social media for aesthetic information

The majority of patients seeking aesthetic procedures now start their research journey online. Top-searched questions include: What are HA fillers? How long do HA fillers last? How much do HA fillers cost? Patients are looking to their providers for information that feels trustworthy and real.

Healthcare providers today are expected to not only deliver clinical care but also to serve as digital influencers and educators. Sometimes being “active on social media” is posed as a marketing opportunity or a way to build your personal brand. In this backdrop of negative news stories and filler misinformation, taking the time to share thoughtful, engaging content can help you gain better-informed patients while increasing visibility for your medical spa.

Only 1% of the 2.7 million US digital conversations around dermal fillers addressed HA injectables specifically, according to Allergan Aesthetics' The Aesthetics Revolution: The Hyaluronic Acid Injectable Fillers Report. That leaves a large gap for filler confusion.

Social media as a source of misinformation

Social media brings vast health information and vibrant patient communities together, but it can be an echo chamber for misinformation. Many in the wider public, for example, still confuse botox and filler when speculating about celebrity beauty secrets. 

For HA fillers, patients commonly voice concerns about long-term safety, migration, or whether fillers ever go away. Their fears are supported as people on the Internet repeat myths about HA filler: that it is permanent, will make you look like a different person, or is unnatural.

Still, over two-thirds of consumers rely on social channels like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube as their primary information source to learn about dermal fillers. The Allergan “Naturally You” report encourages practitioners to step up their digital presence in the name of patient education. Seventy-six percent of consumers believe that in the future, even more people will try dermal fillers and 46% of providers report rising demand.

How social media algorithms drive patient sentiment

On social platforms, it’s not just what you post, it’s what algorithms choose to amplify. Social platforms use complex formulas to show users more of the content they engage with. Once a patient follows accounts or topics related to aesthetics, they will see more stories, ads, and comments about those procedures. The trouble comes when:

• Most of your patient’s consideration happens outside the clinic, shaped by algorithms not rooted in clinical education.
• Negative, sensationalized, or controversial content pulls more engagement and gets served more widely, regardless of accuracy.

Social media platforms are built to maximize attention by tracking user behavior (what they view, like, comment on, or search) to present more of what keeps them engaged. Controversial and sensationalized content gets more engagement, so it gets pushed to more people. 

Well-intentioned health care professionals, without realizing it, can contribute to the spread of negative sentiment by interacting with negative posts or viral misinformation. Unfortunately, every like, comment, or share signals to the algorithm that this is “hot” content, so it is pushed out to more people. This effect can turn a single negative post about fillers into a cycle of amplified filler fear and misunderstanding. Prospective patients then see more and more posts to fuel their concerns.
 

Best practices for practitioners: social media and misconceptions

According to the HA Injectable Filler Report:

• HCPs are the leading in-person source for new and potential patients who get information from many sources.
• Patients considering aesthetic treatment rate the social media accounts of their health care providers or injectors as the most-used digital destination for finding out information.
• 69% of HCPs see social media channels as an important source of information for patients considering HA injectables.
• Naïve HA patients cite before-and-afters as the most important information point when receiving treatment for the first time.

“Patients are swinging more toward medical providers’ recommendations and advice,” said Croasdell. “In one day, I had around 70 questions about fillers on Instagram. I think patients like being able to hear it from me a lot more than from influencers.”

Croasdell and other experts featured in the HA Injectable Fillers Report recommend the following focused, evidence-driven strategies:

• Dedicate Time: Set aside specific times in your clinic’s workflow for your team to contribute educational content.
• Share Real Experience and Evidence: Use recent studies, clinical observations before-and-after galleries, firsthand stories, provider Q&As, etc. Establish the quality of your own work and credential your providers.
• Empower Your Team: Ask injectors and staff to sign a social media contract and support them with access to research and resources.
• Make Content Simple: If a team member is camera-shy, encourage them to use before-and-after imagery, then add simple voiceovers to explain why they chose the products they did, what made the patient a good candidate for that treatment, and other details that will build trust with your patients.
• Address Questions Head-On: When patients mention something they saw online, use that as an opportunity to address the topic openly and factually.
• Leverage Research and Trusted Resources: Refer to the Allergan BrandBox and other educational materials for help.

Why now: Patient education with social media

Aesthetic providers are the number one trusted source of dermal filler information online. Allergan's report confirms that myths about HA filler continue to circulate, such as the mistaken belief that one-fourth of dermal filler patients hold that filler must be dissolved periodically. Your clinical expertise, when shared simply and repeatedly, has the power to build clarity and confidence.

Using your platform to educate is not only good for business growth, it is also essential for responsible patient care and the advancement of aesthetics as a profession. Every educational post helps correct the record and raises public trust, helping more prospective patients approach a specialty with so much to offer.

Lean on AmSpa’s growing resource library and Allergan’s evidence-driven tools to ensure you and your team are positioned as the authoritative, credible voices your patients deserve. Dive into the statistics with Achieving Natural Looking Results with HA Filler Treatments.