Social media do’s and don’ts

Dr Ahmed El Muntasar, AKA The Aesthetics Doctor, on regulation, mental health and how to engage with your audience on social media

The past few years have seen a renewed push for further regulation in the cosmetics and aesthetics industry and an increase of concerns on how the industry operates on social media and how that affects the public’s mental health.

In a bid to address these concerns, on August 3, the UK’s Health and Social Care Select Committee published a report titled “The impact of body image on mental and physical health.”

The Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners (JCCP) gave written and oral evidence to the Committee in June calling for a range of specific public protection measures to be put in place as soon as possible within the context of the Government’s new proposed licensing system for non-surgical treatments in England.

The report advises The Government to accelerate the introduction of a promised licensing regime for non-surgical cosmetic procedures “to prevent vulnerable people from being exploited,” and recommends that dermal fillers should be prescriptiononly substances, something that Dr El Muntasar strongly supports.

The report also recommends that the government should work with the aesthetics industry and the ASA to encourage advertisers and influencers not to doctor images and states that commercial images should carry a logo if digitally altered and that diagnosis and treatment of Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) should be made a priority.

“It was a great start to demonstrate the massive impact that images and social media have on people’s mental health,” explains Dr El Muntasar speaking of the report.

“Ultimately, Gen Z doesn’t know a world that doesn’t involve Tik Tok or Instagram, so seeing all these things really impacts their mental health.” He says that there has been a palpable change in what patients come in and ask for.

“Before people would come in and ask for Angelina Jolie’s lips, whereas now people come in with an edited photo of themselves. It makes you wonder, is that how you actually see yourself? Because that’s not you!”

The phenomenon “Instagram Face,” a term introduced by New Yorker writer Jia Tolentino, neatly sums up how social media, FaceTune, and plastic surgery have aided in the creation of “a single, cyborgian look.” One that has an unhealthy hold on Gen Z, especially.

In the conversation, we also discuss whether celebrities like the Kardashians have a responsibility to their fans to be more honest about the work they’ve had done and how shows like Love Island have helped exacerbate the insecurities of young people and drive the demand for aesthetics and cosmetic procedures.

Watch the full conversation Aesthetic Medicine’s YouTube channel.

With almost 850k followers on Instagram and 20k followers on Tik Tok, Dr El Muntasar knows how to responsibly engage with his audiences. Here he highlights his do’s and don’ts for aesthetic practitioners on social media.

The Aesthetics Doctor’s social media Do’s:

Have a USP What is your unique selling point (USP) on social media? What makes you special and unique?

Stand for something What are the things you do and don’t stand for? You need to have a viewpoint. If you stand for nothing you fall for everything and I really believe that on social media.

Be consistent I know everyone says that consistency is key on social media, but it’s true! I have posted 3-5 stories every day for the past six years.

Push video content Instagram is all about video at the moment and as the fastest-growing social platform, Tik Tok is too, so thinking about how to adapt your content to appease the algorithms of these sites will be important for your business in the next few years.

Diversify Don’t stick to one platform - use TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest - do something else, not just Instagram!

The Aesthetics Doctor’s social media Don’ts:

Don’t compare yourself to others Don’t look at others and be envious of them because nobody wins that way and you just end up feeling awful about yourself. Be yourself, show your personality and again, find that USP.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help Don’t think that you can do everything yourself. You are a medical professional, nobody expects you to be a videographer/ photographer extraordinaire. When you need help don’t be afraid to ask.

Don’t edit pics for social media Editing or photoshopping pictures before posting is an absolute no-no. It’s so unethical and diminishes patient trust, while being exploitative and potentially harmful to vulnerable people.

Don’t be irresponsible Don’t prey on young influencers and celebrities. There have been a lot of posts circulating where a practitioner breaks down what they would do to a young celebrity’s face - that sort of thing is not ok!