Quality and Consistency of Rhinoplasty Photos on Social Media: Prevalence of Potentially Misleading Before-and-After Images.

Abstract

Introduction: There is significant variability in how rhinoplasty results are presented on social media. This study aims to evaluate the quality and consistency of preoperative and postoperative rhinoplasty photos on the social media platform Instagram. Methods: Instagram was queried on April 4, 2024 using the search term #rhinoplastybeforeandafter. Posts meeting our inclusion criteria were analyzed for inconsistencies in background, makeup, use of personal photo, and variations in face size between preoperative and postoperative images. Account demographics and time since surgery were also noted. Results: A total of 888 sets of before-and-after rhinoplasty photos were included, with nearly all (n = 882) posted by surgeon accounts. Of the posts analyzed, 23.7% had a ≥10% face size discrepancy, and 5.1% had a ≥10% face rotation discrepancy. Only 35.7% of posts were considered "high quality," with no significant photo discrepancies between postop and preop images and with postoperative time interval reported. Conclusion: Instagram before-and-after rhinoplasty photos evaluated in this study exhibited significant heterogeneity in quality and consistency regarding image background, image source, face size, face rotation, and brightness. Surgeons should prioritize consistency between preoperative and postoperative photos when sharing their results to minimize the potential for misleading the public.