Med Spa Social Content: Before and After Rules

Before and after content can run for a med spa in California, but only with real patients' consent, honest photos, the right labels, and a check against each platform's ad policy. The safest plan is to build most of your content around providers, treatment rooms, consultations and education, and treat before and after posts as a small, well-documented part of the mix. This article is not legal or medical advice. Rules differ by state, license type and platform, and they change. Check with your attorney and the sources listed here.

Who sets the rules

Several layers apply at once:

• State law and licensing boards. In California, Business and Professions Code section 651 covers false or misleading advertising for healing arts licensees. The Medical Board of California and other boards enforce rules for the licenses they issue. Other states have different rules.
• Federal agencies. The FDA regulates prescription drugs and devices, and the FTC regulates advertising and endorsements in general. Ask counsel how this applies to promotion of prescription products such as injectables.
• Privacy law. If your practice is a HIPAA covered entity, a patient photo or testimonial generally needs a valid written authorization before you use it in marketing, according to HHS Office for Civil Rights enforcement. California has its own medical privacy rules as well.
• Platform ad policies. Meta, TikTok and Google each have health and appearance rules for paid ads, and organic posts have community guidelines.

What California section 651 says about photos

In the version of section 651 we checked, the main points for photos are:

• A photo or image that does not accurately depict the results of the procedure, or that has been altered from the image of the actual subject, can make an ad misleading.
• An image of a model, meaning anyone other than an actual patient of the licensee who has had the procedure, must be labeled as a model in a prominent place in easily readable type.
• An image of an actual patient that shows results or before and after views must specify, in a prominent location and readable type, which procedures were performed on that patient. The views must be comparable so the results are not distorted by favorable poses, lighting or other presentation, and the ad must include a statement that the same results may not occur for all patients.

Read the current text of the statute and ask your attorney how it applies to your license type. A statute can be amended.

Meta and TikTok policies

Platform policy is separate from the law. A post can be legal and still be rejected as an ad.

• Meta. Meta's health and wellness ad standards require ads for cosmetic products, procedures and surgeries to be targeted to people aged 18 or older, and its page says before and after depictions are allowed for general cosmetic procedures when targeting adults. The policy bans statements of inferiority about physical appearance. Weight loss ads have separate restrictions, including a ban on close-ups of pinching fat and exaggerated claims. For prescription products, Meta points to its drugs and pharmaceuticals policy, which can require written permission.
• TikTok. TikTok's ads help page for the United States and Canada (updated for March 2026) says cosmetic surgery and related aesthetic procedure ads may run under strict conditions: you work with a TikTok sales representative to get permission, the ads must be age-targeted, providers must be licensed where required, medical risks and recovery times must be disclosed, and the ads must not show before and after imagery that exaggerates results, body shaming or unsafe health claims.

Policies are updated often. Check the live page before you build a campaign, and keep a copy of what you read and when.

Consent: a simple process

1. 1Separate treatment consent from marketing consent. A patient who agrees to treatment has not agreed to be in an ad.
2. 2Use a written marketing authorization that says what will be used (photos, video, name, quotes), where, for how long, whether it will be in ads, and how to withdraw. Have your attorney draft it.
3. 3Let the patient review and approve the final cut before it is published.
4. 4Keep records. Store the signed form, the original unedited image and the date.
5. 5Honor withdrawals. Remove posts promptly when a patient asks, and know that reposts and ads may need to be taken down too.

How to capture before and after photos you can stand behind

• Same room, same background, same lighting and same distance for both photos.
• Same angle and pose. Neutral expression.
• No filters, smoothing, color grading or retouching. Do not crop to hide parts of the result.
• Record the date and the procedure for each pair.
• Do not use stock or model images as if they were patient results.

Content that works without leaning on results

• Provider introductions. A 45 to 60 second clip of the injector, esthetician or physician explaining how they work and who they treat.
• Room and equipment tours. Show the treatment room, the cleaning routine and what a first visit looks like.
• A consultation, explained. What you ask, what you do and what you decline to do. Honesty here builds trust.
• Downtime and aftercare. Practical, calm clips about what to expect.
• Ingredient and product education. Short clips that are accurate and free of cure claims.
• Day-in-the-clinic reels. Staff, setup, quiet moments. See our behind-the-scenes content guide.
• Client stories with consent. A real client telling their own experience, with a clear disclosure of any incentive, as the FTC guidance requires.

A four-week calendar

Pair the calendar with the social media content calendar guide for planning, and use social proof video principles for testimonials.

Production approach and approvals

Shoot in one half day: provider intros, rooms, procedures simulated on staff or model volunteers (labeled as such), and b-roll. Build a review step where the medical director or compliance lead approves scripts and cuts. Keep claims modest, name licensed providers correctly and keep a log of approvals.

Cost factors include the number of providers, how many treatment types you feature, the number of edits and platforms, and whether you want paid use of patient or model likeness.

Want a person to help?

We can plan a med spa or beauty shoot with a review step built in, and we hand over clear files and a log of releases. See our social media service, the page for medical spa web design and the one for beauty salon and spa social media, or contact us and a real person will reply.