Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Aug 4:19:2333-2341.
doi: 10.2147/PPA.S532613. eCollection 2025.

Exploring Melasma Patients' Needs Through Social Media: A Qualitative Study

Xinjin Liu #  1   2 , Xu Liu #  1   2 , Yanbing Han  1   2 , Yifei Cheng  1   2 , Hongjie Luo  1   2 , Yichen Liu  1   2 , Dingling Li  1   2 , Weihong Guo  1   2 , Haoyu Jiang  1   2 , Linghong Guo  1   2 , Xian Jiang  1   2
Affiliations

Exploring Melasma Patients' Needs Through Social Media: A Qualitative Study

Xinjin Liu et al. Patient Prefer Adherence. .

Abstract

Purpose: To identify the primary concerns and unmet needs of patients with melasma on social media using qualitative analysis and AI-based keyword extraction.

Patients and methods: We conducted a qualitative study of melasma patient discussions using publicly available posts on Facebook and Baidu. The data were collected between January 2014 and October 2024. ChatGPT-4o was used for keyword extraction and classification.

Results: A total of 1106 related posts were analyzed, revealing 284 unique tags and 2434 keywords. Treatment and prevention were the most discussed topics, with patients seeking information on effective, long-term, and affordable treatment. Daily care and mental health accounted for 29.2% of the total, focusing on skincare routines, sun protection, and lifestyle modification. Etiology and clinical features were observed in 14.8% of the posts, whereas 2.4% addressed diagnosis and differentiation.

Conclusion: This study identified key concerns of patients with melasma using AI-based keyword extraction and qualitative analysis, highlighting the need for healthcare professionals to engage in digital patient education, clarify misinformation, support patient self-management, and integrate mental health considerations into melasma care. Future research should focus on AI-based interventions to enhance patient engagement and self-management.

Keywords: artificial intelligence; digital health; melasma; patient education; social media.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Research workflow of Exploring Melasma Patients’ Needs Through Social Media: A Qualitative Study.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Time distribution curve of melasma discussion.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Word cloud of qualitative analysis on common needs of patients with melasma.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Zhou LL, Baibergenova A. Melasma: systematic review of the systemic treatments. Int J Dermatol. 2017;56(9):902–908. doi: 10.1111/ijd.13578 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Sheth VM, Pandya AG. Melasma: a comprehensive update: part I. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2011;65(4):689–697. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2010.12.046 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Ortonne JP, Arellano I, Berneburg M, et al. A global survey of the role of ultraviolet radiation and hormonal influences in the development of melasma. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2009;23(11):1254–1262. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-3083.2009.03295.x - DOI - PubMed
    1. Mahmoud BH, Ruvolo E, Hexsel CL, et al. Impact of long-wavelength UVA and visible light on melanocompetent skin. J Invest Dermatol. 2010;130(8):2092–2097. doi: 10.1038/jid.2010.95 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Kwon SH, Na JI, Choi JY, Park KC. Melasma: updates and perspectives. Exp Dermatol. 2019;28(6):704–708. doi: 10.1111/exd.13844 - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources