Beyond the Feed: why your patients trust an influencer over you and more skincare misinformation
Beef tallow, topical steroid withdrawal, “toxic” sunscreen: a dermatology clinician’s guide to the skincare misinformation walking into your clinic, and how to respond without losing the patient.
Every dermatology clinic in the country is now seeing it. A patient arrives having stopped their sunscreen because an influencer called it “toxic.” Another has swapped their emollient for beef tallow. A third has stopped their topical steroids entirely, convinced they are suffering “steroid withdrawal.” You have the evidence. They have a community, a story, and a feed that keeps confirming what they already believe.
This is the reality explored in Bright Med’s new CPD-accredited programme, Beyond the Feed: Health Misinformation in Clinical Practice, led by consultant dermatologist Dr Amy Perkins, consultant dermatologist and social media expert.
Why dermatology is uniquely exposed to misinformation
Skin is visible, photogenic, intimate and emotional. That makes it perfect raw material for viral content, which is why dermatology sees more online misinformation than almost any other specialty. One analysis found that 94.7% of viral Korean skincare videos on TikTok contained at least one potentially misleading claim. The hashtag for topical steroid withdrawal alone has passed 572 million views.
And the people spreading it are rarely malicious. The vast majority genuinely believe what they are saying. They are victims of the same information environment as the patients who follow them.
Two mechanisms do most of the damage. The first is the parasocial relationship: a sense of intimacy and trust built through repeated exposure and personal disclosure, none of which requires any medical qualification. The second is the illusory truth effect: the more often a claim appears in a feed, the truer it begins to feel, even when it is false.
A point worth holding onto: susceptibility is not limited to younger or less educated patients. Everyone is vulnerable.
The skincare trends walking into your clinic
Beef tallow for skin
Search interest has climbed sharply enough to rank among the fastest-rising ingredient searches on Google. A peer-reviewed analysis of 200 social media posts found 82% recommended tallow for skincare, most with no scientific support and widespread undisclosed financial bias.
Topical steroid withdrawal
A genuinely contested area where patients report real distress. Dismissing it outright as “myth” ruptures trust and drives patients to self-discharge. The evidence-based path is to take the concern seriously while guiding safe, effective treatment.
“Toxic” sunscreen
After a reality TV personality told millions of followers her family avoids sunscreen, correcting clinicians faced hundreds of hostile messages. The programme examines how to respond to both the myth and the backlash.
Research repurposing
A small or unrelated study, stripped of context and inflated into a sweeping claim, so patients arrive having already self-prescribed.
The clinical skill is curiosity, not correction
The instinct is to correct the fact and move on. Dr Perkins argues this is exactly what fails. The clinical skill is curiosity: asking where the belief came from, validating the concern, and offering a practical next step. A dismissive consultation may address the clinical issue on paper, but if the patient’s own worry is never heard, they leave trusting the influencer over you.
Go deeper with Beyond the Feed
Beyond the Feed: Health Misinformation in Clinical Practice is a CPD-accredited webinar series with Dr Amy Perkins, consultant dermatologist and social media expert. It covers the psychology of patient trust, the trends in your clinic, critical appraisal frameworks, and how to respond to misinformation and online hostility within GMC, ASA and CAP guidance. Join the Bright Med community to access the series.
Frequently asked questions
Is beef tallow good for your skin?
There is no robust clinical evidence that beef tallow improves skin health. It works as a basic occlusive, as many emollients do, but it is heavier than most, may block pores in acne-prone skin, and homemade or raw products carry a contamination risk. Most of the claims made for it online come from personal testimony rather than research, and many posts promoting it have undisclosed commercial links.
Is topical steroid withdrawal real?
Topical steroid withdrawal reactions are recognised. In 2021 the UK medicines regulator, the MHRA, published safety advice on them, describing them as rare and mostly linked to long-term, frequent or inappropriate use of potent steroids. Online, the term is often applied far more broadly, which leads some patients to stop treatment that is safe and effective for them. Any concern about steroid use should be discussed with the prescriber rather than acted on by stopping suddenly.
Is sunscreen toxic?
No. Sunscreens sold in the UK are regulated for safety, and sun protection reduces the risk of skin cancer and sun damage. NHS guidance recommends a sunscreen of at least SPF 30 with at least 4-star UVA protection, alongside shade and clothing.
What is the illusory truth effect?
It is the tendency to believe a claim is true simply because we have seen it repeatedly. Social media feeds amplify it: the same message appears again and again, from different accounts, until it feels familiar and therefore credible, even when it is false.
How should clinicians respond to a patient who believes skincare misinformation?
Start with curiosity rather than correction. Ask where the belief came from, acknowledge the concern behind it, then offer clear evidence and a practical next step. Patients who feel dismissed are more likely to disengage from care and return to the source they trust.
Who is Beyond the Feed for?
The programme is designed for doctors, nurses, pharmacists and GPs with an extended role in dermatology, and is relevant to any clinician whose patients bring social media advice into the consultation.
How can I access Beyond the Feed?
Beyond the Feed is available to Bright Med members, live from November or on demand. Full access costs £50 and includes all six webinars, quizzes and downloadable course materials, and you can mix live and recorded sessions. Single webinars are £15
. A CPD certificate is awarded on completing the full programme.
