Our expert, Elizabeth K. Hale, MD, gives a thumbs-up or thumbs-down to some popular influencer-fueled trends.
As a dermatologist who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of sun damage and skin cancer, Elizabeth K. Hale, MD (@dermdrhale), knows what’s trending. “Social media has become a huge part of dermatology and dermatologic culture,” Dr. Hale explains. “Because influencers seem to have such authority, it can be hard to separate fact from fiction, especially for the younger, more impressionable population. When I see something trending, I know my patients will ask about it, and I’m ready to educate them.” Below are some trends that Dr. Hale likes, and others that she dislikes.
👍 Healthy Skin Is In
“One very positive trend is that people are recognizing the importance of taking better care of their skin,” she says. “Social media influencers have played a significant role in that education. I think it’s great to see patients of all ages familiarizing themselves with their skin, checking it regularly and coming in for skin cancer screenings. In essence, skin health is ‘having a moment.’ It’s a trend that I hope will continue.”
👍 Sunscreen Is Skin Care
“For generations, people did not understand the importance of daily sunscreen use,” says Dr. Hale. “But now, thanks to influencers, more people are hearing the message that dermatologists have been driving home for years and using sunscreen to prevent skin damage caused by sun exposure. Sunscreen has become an essential component of a daily skin-care routine.
“As a sunscreen enthusiast, it’s satisfying to see people of all ages, including teenagers and preteens, using sunscreen not only for protecting against skin cancer, but also for maintaining youthful-looking skin.”
👎 DIY Danger: At-Home Mole Removal
“I’ve treated patients who have tried at-home methods to remove what they thought were skin tags or warts but turned out to be squamous cell carcinomas,” Dr. Hale explains. “That’s the danger with removing a skin growth on your own; there’s no way to know if it’s benign or malignant.
“At-home mole removal is even more risky. Maybe there’s a little bit left on the skin. Maybe it’s atypical or evolving. No one is monitoring it, so it continues to grow. Eventually, it could become a serious, potentially deadly problem. The bottom line is, don’t try this at home,” says Dr. Hale. “Go see your dermatologist.”
👎 TikTok Don’t: Sunscreen Contouring
According to Dr. Hale, sunscreen contouring is another harmful trend, fueled by viral TikTok videos explaining how to selectively apply sunscreen to specific areas of the face. The goal is a tanned, contoured look on the unprotected skin accented by a highlighted look on the protected skin.
“The truth is that your face and your entire body need sunscreen every day to safeguard against sun damage and skin cancer,” she says. “My advice is to skip this unsafe trend and use makeup for contouring.
“A similar trend involves applying sunscreen only to tattoos, to protect them from fading,” says Dr. Hale. “When patients ask me about this, I tell them, ‘Yes, you should protect your tattoos, but you also need to apply sunscreen on all exposed areas of your skin. Think about it: If the sun can degrade tattoo pigment embedded deep in your skin, imagine what it’s doing to the rest of the skin on your body.’”
ABOUT THE EXPERT
Elizabeth K. Hale, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist, cofounder of CompleteSkinMD and a clinical associate professor of dermatology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. She specializes in Mohs surgery, cosmetic dermatology and laser surgery and teaches dermatologic surgery to dermatology residents. She also serves as senior vice president of The Skin Cancer Foundation.
