PRS-GO Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Global Open · 2022

The Use of Social Media and Its Influence on Undergoing Rhinoplasty

Obeid FM, Mortada H, Alsulaiman M, Faisal AlSwaji G.

PubMed 35784183 Publisher (DOI)Free full text (PMC)

What this paper says

Surveying 205 Saudi rhinoplasty patients, 76.1 percent said before and after pictures on social media influenced their decision to have surgery, and 52.7 percent cited social media advertisements.

Overview

Rhinoplasty is one of the most frequently performed procedures and social media platforms are central to promoting cosmetic surgery. The study assessed social media use and its influence on the decision to have rhinoplasty among Saudi patients. It was a cross sectional study using a self administered online questionnaire distributed to patients who had already had the operation at a private practice in Riyadh.

Sections of note

Cross sectional questionnaire study; 205 participants.
The majority were aged 26 to 35 years, 54.1 percent.
Most participants were female, 91.2 percent.
The most used platform was Snapchat, 73.7 percent.
Before and after pictures on social media were the most reported influence on the decision, 76.1 percent.
Women were more frequently influenced by those before and after photographs, P equals 0.001.
More than half, 52.7 percent, said advertisements on social media influenced their decision.
The authors state the authenticity of information posted by doctors and non physicians is critical.

What it means for a patient

Before and after images are the single strongest reported influence on the decision to have surgery.
Half of respondents were influenced by paid advertising rather than editorial content.
Such images are selected by the person posting them and are not a representative sample of results.
This surveyed people who had already had surgery at one private practice in one city, so it does not represent people who decided against it.

Why this paper matters

Expectations formed before consultation shape satisfaction afterward, and social media is now where most of that formation happens. This study quantifies which content drives the decision. Whether images seen online correlate with the results patients actually receive is not examined.

Terms

Cross sectional study: a snapshot of a group at one point in time.
Self administered questionnaire: a survey the respondent completes without an interviewer.
Before and after pictures: paired photographs presented as showing a surgical result.
Authenticity: whether posted content genuinely represents what it claims to show.

Summary written by rhinoplasty.cc from the abstract, 2026-09-09; not medical advice. The authors' own abstract follows.

Abstract

Introduction: Rhinoplasty is one of the most frequently performed procedures, and such treatments are becoming more common. Social media platforms are crucial in the promotion of cosmetic surgery. Hence, this study aimed to assess social media use and influence on the decision to undergo rhinoplasty among Saudi patients.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted by distributing a self-administered, online questionnaire among Saudi patients who had previously undergone rhinoplasty in a private practice in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Results: A total of 205 participants were included, with the majority aged 26-35 years (54.1%). Most of them were female (91.2%). The most used social media platform was Snapchat (73.7%). The most reported factors that influenced the participants' decision to undergo rhinoplasty included before and after pictures on social media platforms (76.1%). Women were more frequently influenced by the before and after photographs on social media platforms (P = 0.001). More than half of respondents (52.7%) declared that their decisions were influenced by advertisements on social media platforms.

Conclusions: The use of social media influenced patients' decisions to undergo rhinoplasty, with Snapchat being the most used. The authenticity of the information offered on social media profiles maintained by doctors and nonphysicians is critical in deciding whether or not to undergo rhinoplasty.

Abstract as indexed by PubMed; the article is open access (PubMed Central).