Effect of Social Media on Decision to Undergo Rhinoplasty

Background: Rhinoplasty is surgery for changing the shape of the nose and it may be motivated by the need to change the appearance of the nose, improve breathing, or both. Rhinoplasty can change the bone, cartilage, skin of the nose, or all three. When planning rhinoplasty, the surgeon will consider other facial features, the skin on the nose, and patient expectations. Aim: To assess the influence of social media on patients who underwent rhinoplasty, and determine if it was the main influence for their decision. Methods: A retrospective record-based descriptive approach was used to review the medical records of all patients who underwent rhinoplasty in Aseer Central Hospital (ACH) between 2015 and 2020. Data were obtained through pre-structured questionnaires and included patients’ bio-clinical data, indications, and effects of different social media platforms. Results: Hundred patients who underwent rhinoplasty, had complete medical files, and responded to phone calls were included. All the cases were aged above 18 years and 56% were men. Snapchat was the most used social media platform (57%), followed by WhatsApp (19%). Social media influenced more than 2/3 of the patients to undergo rhinoplasty. Approximately 58% of those influenced were males compared to 52.8% of those who were not. Instagram had the highest influence on male decisions to undergo rhinoplasty; its influence was significantly higher among females. Conclusions: The study revealed that social media platforms were used extensively, and they influenced patients’ decisions to undergo rhinoplasty mainly through the provision of news about famous people.