The influence of social media on skincare among university students in Al-Madina region: cross-sectional questionnaire study

<p><strong>Background: </strong>Particularly for young individuals, social media has become a significant source of information about health and beauty. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat have an impact on people's knowledge, attitudes, and purchases. Social media increases access to knowledge, but it can also spread misinformation, unattainable beauty standards.</p> <p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was conducted among university students who were at least 18 years old in Al-Madina region. Data on sociodemographic traits, social media use, skincare knowledge sources, trust levels, buying habits, and attitudes toward cosmetic procedures were gathered through an online survey. Chi-square tests and descriptive statistics were employed in the analysis.</p> <p><strong>Results: </strong>511 students in all took part. 87.1% of respondents said they used social media for more than an hour every day, and the majority of respondents (99.2%) were active users. The most popular platforms were Instagram (22.1%) and TikTok (37.4%). The primary sources of skincare information were dermatologists (68.9%) and social media influencers (59.9%). over half of participants (51.9%) reported buying products that influencers had recommended. Female students were more likely to purchase skincare products compared to male students (90.7% vs. 63.2%, p &lt; 0.001). Additionally, (28.2%) of the participants were prompted to schedule an appointment with a dermatology or cosmetic clinic.</p> <p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Influence from social media played a key role in shaping university students' skincare knowledge, beliefs, and purchase decisions in the Al-Madina region. The findings highlighted the need for increased healthcare professional involvement on social platforms to promote safe and evidence-based skincare.</p>