Popular TikTok creator and Troy, MI plastic surgeon Anthony Youn, MD is known for using his social media platform to educate, entertain and empower patients—and his followers have noticed. With 8.4 million TikTok followers, his videos frequently debunk myths and misinformation about cosmetic procedures. However, he recently revealed that one of his videos has led to an ethics investigation by a major medical society. The video, intended to be humorous, depicted a scenario where a husband told his wife she needed to “get into bikini shape,” prompting Dr. Youn to comedically pretend to "slap" the husband.
According to Dr. Youn, a viewer filed a complaint accusing him of promoting violence against men. In response, he released a follow-up video defending his actions and clarifying his intentions.
https://www.tiktok.com/@doctoryoun/video/7437218857787329823?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7420491207698236959
“As a physician, my number one goal has always been to give my patients the best care,” he explained. "As a content creator, I've always had three goals. Number one is to make you laugh. Number two is to encourage you to improve your health and, hopefully, your life. And number three is to empower you, especially my female followers, to not let anybody tell you what you should do with your body, specifically plastic surgery.”
Missing the Message
The original video critiques societal pressures on women’s appearances and challenges the idea that anyone, especially a partner, should dictate someone’s body choices. Addressing the complaint, Dr. Youn stated, “The person who lodged this complaint is a man who claims that I am encouraging violence towards men. For this, I'm being investigated for unprofessional conduct. Now, in response to this, I need to say that I would never promote violence. Violence is never the solution.”
He continued, “To my female followers, do not let anybody tell you that you need plastic surgery. That's a decision that only you should make for yourself, not for somebody else.”
While defending his stance, Dr. Youn also expressed respect for the medical societies he belongs to. “Now, I love the societies that I'm a member of. I respect and admire all of my colleagues, but if that video gets me kicked out of a society, honestly, I would rather be on an island by myself, encouraging and empowering women to take control of their own bodies than be silent in a crowd of people who thinks that a man telling a woman she needs to get in bikini shape is okay.”
Follower Support
Although Dr. Youn declined to comment further, citing the ongoing investigation, he has clearly earned his followers’ support. Many have called the investigation excessive and unnecessary. One top comment on his video reads, “The board is actually investigating this?” and has received over 40,000 likes. The outcome remains uncertain, but Dr. Youn’s dedication to empowering patients is as evident as ever.
