In this episode, I’m breaking down the rise of health influencers and what it means for women’s health. From my perspective as a patient, content creator, and creative professional, I explore how we got here, and why so many women are turning to social media for answers.

I talk about the growing disconnect between patients and the healthcare system, especially for women dealing with chronic illness, autoimmune conditions, and complex diagnoses. When those gaps aren’t addressed, people don’t stop searching, they start looking elsewhere, and that’s where health influencers step in. But this conversation isn’t just about misinformation. It’s about monetization, marketing, and understanding how the online health space actually works. I break down the patterns behind influencer content, the role of attention as currency, and why certain messages are so effective.

I also share the red flags I look for in online health advice, including quick fixes, guaranteed results, and simplified “root cause” solutions, along with the green flags that signal trustworthy health advocates who prioritize education over selling.

This episode is about building self-advocacy and learning how to navigate health information online, so you can make more informed decisions about your body and your care.

Timestamps:

[00:00:28] Health Influencer Intro

[00:01:51] Health Influencers vs. Health Advocates

[00:03:37] My Experience As A Patient

[00:06:07] Corporate Take Over of Health Systems

[00:08:15] The Patient Voice and Narrative Medicine

[00:10:04] Social Media, Attention, Currency & Monetization

[00:11:01] My Experience as a Creative Professional

[00:12:49] Terrifying Accounts in Social Media

[00:13:24] My Experience as a Content Creator

[00:14:16] Health Influencer Red Flags

[00:15:20] Pet Peeves of Timelines, Quick Fixes and Root Cause

[00:18:51] Heath Education Green Flags

[00:20:26] What Do You Stand For?

[00:22:13] Practical Research Skills Coming Up

[00:22:59] Communicating With Your Physician

[00:23:25] The Second Season Mission

Resources From This Episode:

Narrative Medicine by Dr. Rita Charon

Why I Wore Lipstick To My Mastectomy: A Memoir by Geralyn Lucas

More from The Hairy Chin:

The Hairy Chin Website

The Hairy Chin on YouTube

The Hairy Chin on Instagram

Spencer Moore on LinkedIn

Welcome back! I’m really happy for this episode today. It has been trending a lot recently, and honestly, it's one that I know quite a bit about from a few different angles.

Today, I'm talking about health influencers on social media. there is a lot that I've seen. There is a lot that I've lived through, and there's also a lot that I'm learning as I'm going further down this rabbit hole of female health advocacy. I'm really excited to share with you some thoughts because honestly, now that I've seen these things, I really can't unsee them, and my hope for this episode is for you to be able to see some of these things as well. Recently, I've been seeing a lot on Instagram of physicians who now have social media accounts, and they are posting reels that say, "Why are doctors becoming health influencers?" because health influencers are trying to be doctors. Now, I'm also seeing on the flip side of that patients are posting reels saying, "Don't lecture me about my chronic illness that you spent 15 minutes learning about in med school when I've been living with it for 15 years." Now, from my perspective, I believe both of these voices are very valid, but here's what I also believe, that neither of these statements untangle how we actually got here, part, because this knot wasn't tied overnight, and until we understand what the actual problem is, we won't be able to navigate through it.

Here's a hill that I will always die on. I don't believe in health influencers, but I do believe in health advocates, and I realize that might sound like splitting hairs, but I promise you there is such a difference between the two. And so, you can be able to see it for yourself. I want to take you through the evolution that I have seen of these social media influencers and how they became what they are today. In this episode, I'm going to tell you about a physician who changed the way medicine started listening to patients. I'm going to talk about the moment social media handed a microphone to everyone with a health story to tell. And I'm going to talk about what happened when that space, which was created for connection, became something so much more dangerous. And all the while, let's not forget the commercialization of modern healthcare systems, because that matters as well. I'll also be sharing the red flags that I can now so easily see when going online, and also the green flags that make me want to know more from certain people in online spaces. Because health influencers aren't just about misinformation, even though there's tons of it out there, but it's also about the way that they monetize their content. Earlier, I mentioned that I knew the world of health influencers from a few different angles. So let me explain what those are. I have dealt with these influencers firsthand as a patient, also as a content creator and podcast host, and as a creative professional who has worked in the field for over 25 years.

So if you've been with me since season one, you might remember an episode I did on medical misogyny and how women can't wait for the health systems to save them. in that episode, I also talk about where I started to see a really troubling thread, and that was the monetization of female healthcare And look, the price of healthcare is an issue that I'm not really even digging into in this episode, but But it is very much a part of this conversation. let's talk about these medical systems because in all honesty I see that all roads really lead back to them. When I talked about medical misogyny in the earlier episode I talked about how the medical system was built around men. women weren't included in trials, research wasn't funded for their bodies, and they were and have been dismissed for decades. And while women were being left out of these conversations, the systems themselves were changing. Medicine was becoming an industry, a very, very large and profitable one. So we're talking big pharma, corporate hospital systems, specializations, and a relentless drive towards efficiency. So it's get the patient in, get the patient out, bill the insurance, and rinse and repeat. what was also happening throughout this time was that women were getting sicker and in ways that didn't fit into these efficient clinic appointments. We're talking more cancer, more autoimmune disease, more mysterious illnesses that took years to diagnose. So now you have a growing, desperate patient population and widening gaps in a fragmented system of healthcare. And this is the perfect breeding ground for massive distrust. Distrust between women and the systems that were meant to care for them. And when women don't get the answers they feel they need and that they deserve, they don't stop searching. They just start searching somewhere else.

Continuing from this, it's also around this time that social media starts to take off it took this narrative medicine to a whole new level suddenly every person with a health story now has a platform. So communities were forming around shared experiences like cancer and chronic illness, autoimmune disease, and symptoms that no doctors had the time to unravel. And for a while, this was actually a really beautiful space because people were finding each other and they were learning about new symptoms and they were feeling so much less alone in a space that can be so lonely. But soon that all changed. Enter the social media health influencer. Because those stories didn't just create connection, they created attention. And attention in the world of social media is currency.

Now I told you I saw this from different angles and here's another one. I've spent 25 years as a creative professional, branding, graphic art, graphic design, marketing, and copywriting. I have been in eyes and I've seen behind the curtain. what I can tell you is this. What's happening in the online health space right now is not random. It actually follows a pattern. So if you've ever seen the TV show Mad Men, then you know that marketing is very psychological and social media is marketing on steroids. I want to break it down in a bit of a simplistic way just to show you how it works. So a voice like an influencer finds an audience and that audience and that voice share a pain point. you can think of women in perimenopause that want to lose weight without using a GLP one. is a really emotional pain point and this influencer says to them, "Look, I've been there. I understand." And this emotional connection is created. And so then once this connection and trust has been built, there's a solution. And that's what the influencer offers. And it's positioned most of the time as the only solution that actually works for price, always for price. So maybe it's a program or a subscription or something that promises to finally fix and cure and heal the problem that you're so desperate to change. Now this works so well because it meets women exactly where the medical system left them searching. Because the truth is the more desperate the patient, the easier the sale.

So now we have the corporate takeover of the medical systems that weren't even built for women in mind. We have social media amplifying those gaps. And we also have patients that are now monetizing their lived experiences with no medical training. And even worse, the accounts that aren't even real people, accounts that are using names and faces of renowned physicians without their consent or endorsements are popping up everywhere. They're selling supplements. They're selling protocols. And that is really terrifying.

Now here's the other angle I have here with this topic. And I really want to be transparent about this because I am a content creator. This podcast and the platforms I use to market them are in this same wheelhouse. I do not consider myself a health influencer and I never will. But I do monetize this work. And here's the line for me. There is a difference between monetizing your expertise, your time and your platform and monetizing someone's desperation. That difference between building a business and building a funnel around a person's suffering. because I will always believe that talking about health information in a public space is a huge responsibility. And it's one that I never take lightly. So in my opinion, this isn't so much about the business model as it is about the ethics behind it.

that being said, I want to talk about the red flags, my red flags when it comes to online health advice. Because I have some very clear neon light flashing words and phrases that tell me, nope, I'm out. me, if an influencer tells me, I offer quick fixes. I can find your cure. You can lose 10 pounds in 10 days. This is the only way to heal. Or perhaps my way is the only way that works. I can find and cure your root cause. And especially a person who isn't transparent about their training, their medical information or their background. Now most accounts are covering themselves today for liability purposes. So you see these phrases of, this is not medical advice. This is information or educational only. And there's some really great advocates out there that have these blanket statements. So for me, those aren't necessarily red flags. Definitely not as much as the ones that I listed above.

I will say that a few of the phrases that I mentioned are real pet peeves for me. And look, anytime an influencer tells you that you can lose a certain amount of weight and a certain amount of time, it creates these really devastating expectations. and when the woman doesn't reach that goal, right? That she has been promised. It can feel like such a failure. so I really don't believe in these timelines that they offer. These programs that tell you that in three months they are going to completely reverse your health problem. Our bodies don't work that way. We can't put a timer on how our bodies heal. So these programs that give you these timelines for me are huge red flags. the other phrases that really drives me nuts is quick fixes. And I want to talk about this for a second because women's health is complex and it involves so many variables. This is part of the reason that women were excluded from medical and pharmaceutical research for so long. Female health is layered and it's very individual. So when something is sold as working for every woman, it completely ignores that reality. And I find it incredibly manipulative. the other phrase that really bothers me is when these influencers talk about finding and curing your root cause. Like I said, I am not a doctor. I am a patient turned advocate. And many women that I've interviewed or I've talked with about their health have told me about their journeys to find their root cause. much been on my own journey as well. And yes, it's very possible that these deeper issues can be identified and resolved in some way. women who have had issues for 8 or 10 years and then this really random test comes up and shows a deficiency and they receive some shots and wow, their health really, really improves. It doesn't mean that it's now perfect, but they did find a cause to their health issue and their suffering. It happens. health influencers promise to quickly find and cure these root causes. Because let's be honest about the phrase root cause. We're talking about roots. And roots grow deep, underground, over time, they are wrapped up around each other, they aren't on the surface, and they aren't easily found. You have to be willing to go deep, to get your hands dirty, have to rummage around in the dark where light hasn't shown in a long time. find these root causes. And the influencers that reduce that complexity to expensive protocols and monthly subscriptions – I don't believe they are offering clarity. I believe they are offering a sales strategy. And look, it's really easy to fall for. And this actually loops back to my earlier episode about the price of natural practitioners who love to dig in that dirt. They love to find root causes. but look, it's there where so many women fall through the cracks. Because the corporate systems don't look deep enough, but the private systems charge a fortune. where do the women turn? Where they have easy solutions at their literal fingertips. you've heard all the bad, and you're probably thinking, "Okay, so what now?"

I want to share my experience with finding green flags and what I love to see in online spaces. Because I have found some incredible advocates in these online spaces. Some of them have turned into colleagues, others into friends. There's huge potential online to find trusted and valuable information. And many of these advocates have been interviewed here on the podcast in season one. But I'll be honest, they can be needles in a haystack. Finding them for me has taken time and patience and a lot of disappointing wrong terms. But these advocates do exist, and they are so worth finding. here's what I love to see when I'm looking online. I love a health advocate whose primary motivation is education, not conversion. this person is not trying to turn you into a customer, but trying to turn you into someone who understands their body and their experiences. for some of them, then that feels like a byproduct of their passion, not the reason why they're doing it. The advocates say things like, "I don't know," or "the research is mixed on this." And I really, really love it when they actually share that research. Because these advocates aren't selling a single solution. They acknowledge complexity, and they collaborate with and refer to other practitioners rather than positioning themselves as the only answer. And I also love patient stories. As I said before, they are so valid, and they are always needed.

this brings me to something that I think about a lot. A skill of knowing who to trust with your health, whether that's a doctor, or a specialist, or someone online, is exactly that. It's a skill. about your relationships in your life, because many are very picky about who they bring into their inner circle. And a lot of times, they're picky because they have learned over time. They've learned, and they've changed. And your medical team, your physicians, the ones who you take medical advice from, should be no different. if you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything. standing when it comes to your health? And is the concept of social proof, which is meaning the amount of followers these accounts have, is this creating a false sense of trust Because this agency, this ability to say, "This is and this isn't for me," is very powerful. I'm 43 years old, and I'm still building this skill. But I promise you, the more you build it, the more helpful it becomes in your journey. I don't believe that self-advocacy is the only answer, but I do believe that it's a big piece of the pie. Because you are the one constant in your health journey. Not a doctor, not an influencer, not a protocol. Only you. what is right for you, the less likely you are to be pulled in directions that don't serve you.

Whew that was quite an episode. But honestly, it feels so good to have these conversations and to talk about these topics openly. As always, I would love to hear your thoughts and your feedback and your experiences.

But one last thing before I go, because I'll be coming back to health information later in the season with a full episode about advice on researching health online. with so much information out there, the onus really does fall on us to do our own research. And yes, it's another burden, but it's necessary. But look, I love research. I love articles and journals and comparing statistics. So for me, this is a really passionate topic. one that I'm so excited to be diving deeper into with you. Also, what's so relevant these days is AI. I'm really excited to be talking about that as well, and help you learn skills to create a research practice that actually serves you. So stay tuned for that.

And speaking of what's coming, the next episode is one I'm really excited about. I'm going to talk about how you can actually communicate with your physician inside of the appointment. lot of language, what language helps you get heard, what language can actually work against you. And there will be another downloadable PDF that can help you organize your thoughts and show up prepared to actively participate in your health care.

I want to end this episode by reinforcing the mission of this second season. And it is to build transparency around what it actually means to advocate for yourself as a female patient. And also to look honestly at every roadblock that stands in the way of that. So far, I've talked about the why behind female self advocacy, the barriers of self consciousness and vulnerability, how small acts of preparation can set you up for success in the doctor's office. And today, the very real dangers of the health influencer culture and how you can see through them. This season has so much more to give. And I'll see you soon.

Thanks for sharing your time with me today. If something in this episode resonated with you, don't just sit with it. Take action. Share the podcast with someone who needs it, leave a review so more women can find these conversations or sign up for the Harry Chin newsletter to stay up to date on everything we're building. If there's a free cheat sheet connected to this episode, you can find it at the [www.thehairychin.com](http://www.thehairychin.com). Life takes a village. Thanks for being a part of ours. See you soon.