Department of Dermatology, South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital, Cork, Ireland.
Department of Medicine, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
Clin Exp Dermatol. 2022 Sep;47(9):1707-1711. doi: 10.1111/ced.15222. Epub 2022 May 28.
Acne vulgaris is an extremely common disorder of the pilosebaceous unit, typically manifest as a highly visible facial and upper trunk dermatosis, with teenagers most frequently affected. This cohort is markedly susceptible to misinformation, given their impressionable age, distress about their appearance and high internet usage. This study aimed to assess the content of acne-related misinformation available online. A formal review of PubMed was performed in March 2022, using the terms 'acne' AND 'misinformation' OR 'disinformation' OR 'conspiracy theory', along with an informal Google search using combinations of these terms, and further targeted searches on TikTok, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Key themes of acne-related misinformation included diet and other 'causes' of acne, unconventional acne 'cures' and a distrust of conventional acne treatments. Websites promoting misinformation were frequently affiliated with companies selling products that promised to cure acne, often in a remarkably short time. Dermatologists should be aware of the nature of acne-related misinformation available online and be prepared to counter it with scientific principles and facts.
寻常痤疮是一种极为常见的毛囊皮脂腺单位疾病，通常表现为高度可见的面部和上半身皮肤病，青少年最易受影响。鉴于这一年龄段的人易受影响、对自身外表感到苦恼且经常上网，他们非常容易接触到错误信息。本研究旨在评估网上有关痤疮的错误信息的内容。2022 年 3 月，我们使用“痤疮”和“错误信息”或“虚假信息”或“阴谋论”等术语，对 PubMed 进行了正式审查，并结合这些术语进行了非正式的谷歌搜索，以及在 TikTok、Twitter、Facebook 和 Instagram 上的进一步针对性搜索。与痤疮相关的错误信息的主要主题包括饮食和痤疮的其他“病因”、非传统的痤疮“疗法”以及对传统痤疮治疗的不信任。宣传错误信息的网站通常与销售承诺能在很短时间内治愈痤疮的产品的公司有关。皮肤科医生应该了解网上有关痤疮的错误信息的性质，并准备用科学原则和事实来反驳这些信息。
