DUBAI: L’Oreal’ Medfluencer Academy recently hosted more than 200 healthcare professionals at an event in Abu Dhabi designed to help doctors build and scale their online presence, with the General Manager of L’Oréal Dermatological Beauty Middle East telling Arab News the move was in line with the French company’s recognition of “the power of social media.”
“We recognize the power of social media, especially in the GCC region, where the young, highly connected population often turns to platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat for skincare advice,” Sanaa Bougazzoul told Arab News, explaining that the decision to launch the Medfluencer Academy worldwide was due to the fact that “while these platforms offer access to a lot information, we see also misinformation that can be detrimental to skin health.”
Sanaa Bougazzoul. (Supplied)
Empowering medical professions to “become effective communicators on social media” is a key aim of the initiative, with May’s event in the UAE — the first Medfluencer Academy held in the region — hosting panels, workshops and breakout sessions by experts from Meta, TikTok, Snapchat and the VML agency.
“Our aim is to equip dermatologists with expertise to navigate the digital landscape confidently, creating engaging, science backed content that resonates with the consumers,” Bougazzoul explained.
She also noted that steps should be taken to ensure qualified medical experts on social media are labelled as such, by means of a tag or disclaimer.
“A verified tag for licensed medical professionals would be a positive step toward building trust and protecting users. It would help distinguish evidence-based advice from unqualified or misleading content.”
When it comes to her top three tips for medical professionals with a social media presence, Bougazzoul said: “Simplify, don’t dilute, be consistent and human and use each platform’s strengths.”
