{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,4]],"date-time":"2026-08-04T19:40:03Z","timestamp":1785872403462,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":60,"publisher":"JMIR Publications Inc.","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JMIR Dermatol"],"abstract":"Abstract<\/jats:title>\n \n Background<\/jats:title>\n Acne is a chronic skin condition that primarily affects adolescents and young adults but can persist into adulthood. It can have repercussions on physical and mental health, self-esteem, and body image. The increasing use of social media for health information and peer support offers an opportunity to explore real-life experiences with acne.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Objective<\/jats:title>\n This study aims to analyze social media messages from users in the United States and the United Kingdom using artificial intelligence to assess the impact of acne on quality of life (QoL), identify discussion topics, and explore unmet needs.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Methods<\/jats:title>\n The data were extracted from public platforms using a query containing the word \u201cacne\u201d between January 1 and December 31, 2024. Data cleaning and filtering were performed using natural language processing, machine learning methods, and algorithms. Biterm topic modeling was used to identify the main discussion topics, and QoL impact was assessed using a deep learning algorithm adapted from the EuroQol 5-Dimension Questionnaire or the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey. Unmet needs were identified through manual annotation using the saturation method.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results<\/jats:title>\n A total of 646,809 messages posted by 432,234 users were identified. The main topics included skincare routines and product recommendations (n=154,907, 23.9%), acne scars (n=135,643, 21%), and general treatment information (n=97,177, 15%). Engagement varied across topics and platforms. On Instagram, dietary and nutritional strategies (0.16%, SD 6.36%) showed the highest mean engagement, followed by skincare routines and product recommendations (0.11%, SD 4.81%). In general, engagement scores were higher in the United Kingdom compared to the United States across all topics. On TikTok, content about makeup and acne had the highest mean engagement score (3.03%, SD 92.65%). Overall, 52.9% (228,613\/432,234) of the users expressed at least 1 QoL impact, most frequently related to signs and symptoms (175,604\/228,613, 76.8%), social functioning (n=149,234, 65.3%), mental health (n=107,155, 46.9%), and cost (n=62,008, 27.1%). Of 3200 annotated messages, 582 contained unmet needs, including effective solutions for hormonal acne (111\/582, 19.1%), clarity in identifying acne triggers (n=84, 14.4%), treatment guidance (n=68, 11.7%), and psychological support (n=68, 11.7%).<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n This study revealed the significant physical, psychological, social, and financial impact of acne on QoL and identified several unmet needs. Given the growing role of social media, these findings highlight opportunities for dermatologists and health professionals to educate and engage with the acne community through digital platforms.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.2196\/91126","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,27]],"date-time":"2026-05-27T11:55:07Z","timestamp":1779882907000},"page":"e91126-e91126","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Exploring the Lived Experience of Acne in the United States and the United Kingdom: Social Media Analysis"],"prefix":"10.2196","volume":"9","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5467-4102","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"John","family":"S Barbieri","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0008-1004-0360","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Valentine","family":"Delore","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-4626-8205","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Isabelle","family":"Vieillard","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8365-5093","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sandrine","family":"Samson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9026-818X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Esteban","family":"Puentes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4489-0071","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Joelle","family":"Malaab","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-4026-481X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Melanie","family":"Sambr\u00e8s","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8019-6159","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Manissa","family":"Talmatkadi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2642-7726","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"St\u00e9phane","family":"Sch\u00fcck","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1010","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,23]]},"reference":[{"issue":"4","key":"R1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"673","DOI":"10.1111\/bjd.20882","article-title":"Magnitude and temporal trend of acne vulgaris burden in 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2019: an analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019","volume":"186","author":"Chen","journal-title":"Br J Dermatol"},{"issue":"1","key":"R2","first-page":"21","volume":"11","author":"Skroza","journal-title":"J Clin Aesthet Dermatol"},{"issue":"1","key":"R3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"56","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jaad.2007.06.045","article-title":"The prevalence of acne in adults 20 years and older","volume":"58","author":"Collier","journal-title":"J Am Acad Dermatol"},{"key":"R4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1159\/000354887","article-title":"Postadolescent acne in females","volume":"27 Suppl 1","author":"Holzmann","journal-title":"Skin Pharmacol Physiol"},{"issue":"3","key":"R5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"335","DOI":"10.4103\/0378-6323.95450","article-title":"A clinico-epidemiological study of adult acne: is it different from adolescent acne?","volume":"78","author":"Khunger","journal-title":"Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol"},{"issue":"2","key":"R6","first-page":"22","volume":"7","author":"Tanghetti","journal-title":"J Clin Aesthet Dermatol"},{"issue":"6","key":"R7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.7861\/clinmed.23-6-s35","article-title":"Psychosocial impact of acne vulgaris on the quality of life among adolescents versus adults","volume":"23","author":"Sharma","journal-title":"Clin Med (Lond)"},{"issue":"2","key":"R8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"836","DOI":"10.1111\/jocd.14151","article-title":"Comparison of the psychosocial impact of acne in adolescents and adults; 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