DermWorld Academy Insider: Meet the newest class of Your Dermatologist Knows correspondents
Jul. 29, 2026
Since its launch in 2022, a major focus of the Academy’s Your Dermatologist Knows consumer positioning strategy has been the creation and dissemination of social media content developed with AAD Social Media Correspondents.
Two new correspondents recently joined the Your Dermatologist Knows team. In this exclusive DermWorld Academy Insider interview, Jessica Hoy, DO, FAAD, and Hasina Maredia, MD, FAAD, introduce themselves and discuss why they’re a good fit for the role.
DermWorld: What made you want to be one of the Academy’s Your Dermatologist Knows social media correspondents?
Dr. Hoy: As a practicing board-certified dermatologist for nearly 10 years, I’ve seen firsthand how social media has become one of the primary places patients turn for health information. Every day, I meet patients who arrive overwhelmed by conflicting advice they’ve found online or confused by the endless number of skin care products marketed to them. This is especially true for adolescents and young adults, who are constantly targeted with viral skin care trends, elaborate routines, and products that are often unnecessary or even harmful to their skin.
These conversations reinforced how important it is for board-certified dermatologists to have a trusted, evidence-based voice in the digital space. I wanted to extend my impact beyond the walls of my clinic and help people confidently separate science from marketing. As an AAD Social Media Correspondent, I have the opportunity to collaborate with an outstanding team of Academy members to deliver unbiased, evidence-based education about skin, hair, and nails.
Dr. Maredia: My motivation for becoming an AAD Social Media Correspondent is the same reason I joined social media in the first place: to educate the public and highlight the breadth of conditions that dermatologists diagnose and treat. There is significant medical misinformation online, and I wanted to help provide accurate, evidence-based information. Growing up in a community with limited health literacy gave me a firsthand appreciation for the importance of public education and dispelling health care myths. That passion for education has always been central to why I became a physician and continues to drive my work on social media.
DermWorld: Why do you believe the Your Dermatologist Knows public strategy is important?
Dr. Hoy: The campaign reminds the public that board-certified dermatologists are the experts in diagnosing and treating diseases of the skin, hair, and nails after more than 12 years of specialized education and training. At a time when anyone can post skin care advice online, it’s more important than ever for patients to know where to find credible, evidence-based information.
One of our greatest opportunities is educating young people before misinformation becomes habit. Many teenagers feel pressure to follow elaborate skin care routines or viral trends promoted by influencers without understanding the potential risks. As board-certified dermatologists, we aim to simplify skin care, promote healthy lifelong habits such as daily sun protection and skin cancer prevention, and help patients avoid ingredients or trends that may lead to irritation, allergic reactions, or other unnecessary skin problems.
Beyond educating the public, this campaign also helps improve exposure to dermatologic care. Not everyone has access to a board-certified dermatologist due to geographic, economic, or other barriers. Through social media, we can help the public recognize when a skin concern warrants professional evaluation, explain what to expect during a visit, and guide them to trusted resources such as AAD.org to locate a board-certified dermatologist in their area. By empowering patients with reliable information and connecting them to appropriate care, we can improve skin health for individuals who may not otherwise know where to turn.
Dr. Maredia: Skin health is an area where misinformation spreads quickly, often leading patients to cause damage to their skin, delay appropriate care, or seek advice from unqualified sources. The “Your Dermatologist Knows” strategy raises awareness that dermatologists are physicians with extensive medical training and expertise in diagnosing and treating diseases of the skin, hair, and nails. By increasing public awareness, the strategy helps patients recognize misinformation and connect with the right specialists for their skin concerns.
DermWorld: What social media experience do you have that prepares you to represent your fellow Academy members?
Dr. Hoy: It is truly an honor to represent my fellow Academy members in this role. Over the past year and a half, I’ve developed an educational social media platform focused on translating evidence-based dermatology into practical advice that families can use in everyday life. I actively follow emerging research, monitor trending skin care topics, and address misinformation before it gains traction.
As both a board-certified dermatologist and a mom of three young boys, I understand the questions parents are asking and strive to make dermatology approachable, relatable, and actionable. My content focuses on simplifying skin care, emphasizing prevention, and helping families make informed decisions without feeling overwhelmed by marketing or social media trends.
This role feels like a natural extension of who I am. My background in journalism and the performing arts gave me an appreciation for storytelling and connecting with an audience. Social media allows me to combine those creative interests with my love for dermatology.
Dr. Maredia: My experience with social media began in college, when I managed my family’s restaurant’s social media presence. During residency, I also helped manage social media for our graduate medical education program before launching my own professional dermatology platforms. Today, I create educational content in both English and Hindi, allowing me to reach diverse audiences with culturally relevant messaging. Building content across multiple platforms has taught me how to communicate complex medical topics in a way that is accurate, engaging, and accessible to different communities.
DermWorld: Why are you confident that you will be a good correspondent for Your Dermatologist Knows?
Dr. Hoy: Education has always been one of the most rewarding parts of my career. As a fellowship-trained dermatopathologist and former dermatopathology director for the OhioHealth dermatology residency program, I spent eight years teaching residents, helping them understand complex disease processes by breaking them down into clear, memorable concepts.
Those same skills translate naturally to public education. I enjoy taking nuanced dermatology topics and presenting them in a way that empowers people to make informed decisions about their skin health.
I also believe authenticity is essential. By combining my experience as a physician, educator, mother, and communicator, I hope to help people feel heard rather than intimidated. My goal is to build trust, encourage lifelong healthy skin habits, and ensure the public knows they have a reliable source for evidence-based information. I hope to inspire confidence in our specialty while helping more people recognize the value of seeking expert dermatologic care.
Dr. Maredia: My personal background gives me a unique perspective on the challenges of health literacy and the reasons misinformation can happen. Because of that, I create content that is both educational and relatable to make medical information easier to understand and remember. One of the most rewarding parts of this work is hearing from people who tell me they have changed their health habits because of something they learned from my content. Whether it’s a patient saying they scheduled a consultation for a skin check based on my content or someone in the community telling me they started wearing sunscreen every day because of my videos, those moments remind me how social media can be powerful if used in a meaningful way by physicians.
Jessica Hoy, DO, FAAD, is a board-certified dermatologist and dermatopathologist who practices at Signature Dermatology in Powell, Ohio.
Hasina Maredia, MD, FAAD, is a board-certified dermatologist who practices at Kelsey-Seybold Clinic in Houston, Texas.
