Social Media Use as a Factor Associated With the Unsupervised Use of Acne Treatment Products Among Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background and objectives: The self-directed use of acne treatment products is common among university students, particularly medical students.The factors associated with this practice, including exposure to acne-related content on social media, remain insufficiently understood.This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of self-directed acne treatment product use among medical students and identify factors associated with this practice, focusing on social media exposure, acne severity, and other potential predictors, using multivariable logistic regression to adjust for potential confounders.Materials and methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at a medical school during the 2024-2025 academic period.Students from the first to the tenth semester with acne completed a structured questionnaire.Associations were evaluated using bivariate analysis and binary logistic regression (Enter method).Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated.Results: Of 400 students approached, 360 met the eligibility criteria.After excluding four students who declined to participate and 46 who submitted incomplete questionnaires, 310 were included in the final analysis.The prevalence of self-directed use of acne treatment products was 38.4% (95% CI, 33.0-43.8).Viewing acne-related content on TikTok or Instagram Reels was significantly associated with this practice (OR = 2.52; 95% CI: 1.47-4.30;p = 0.001).Considering self-treatment as a self-care practice was also associated (OR = 2.26; 95% CI: 1.33-3.83;p = 0.002), as was greater acne severity (OR = 4.07; 95% CI: 1.55-10.65;p = 0.004).Conclusions: Unsupervised use of acne treatment products was frequent among medical students.Exposure to acne-related content on TikTok and Instagram Reels, perceiving self-treatment as a self-care practice, and greater acne severity were independently associated with this behavior.Given the cross-sectional design and the limited assessment of social media exposure, these findings should not be interpreted as evidence of causal relationships.