Social media for med spas and aesthetic clinics: a practical guide

Aesthetic treatments are visual and personal, so people research them heavily on social media before booking. They want to see the practitioner, the clinic and real results, and they want to feel safe.

Google's post guidance says businesses in regulated industries, including pharmaceutical products and health and medical devices, can use Business Profile posts but should not include content about those products. Use profile posts for clinic news, events and consultations rather than named treatments.

Source: Google Business Profile Help: Create & manage posts on your Business Profile, checked 15 October 2026

Three to five posts a week is a realistic pace. Plan offers and events around consultations rather than discounting medical treatments, and give every post a clear next step: book a consultation.

• Monday: education. One skin or treatment question answered in general terms.
• Tuesday: a practitioner. Qualifications, registration and experience.
• Wednesday: a consented result, shot in the same light and angle, with no filters.
• Thursday: what to expect. Consultation, aftercare or recovery.
• Friday: clinic life, events or consultation availability.

Results are your strongest content and your biggest risk. Get written consent before treatment, saying exactly where the photos will appear, whether the face will show and that the client can withdraw consent. Shoot before and after in the same light, angle, distance and expression.

Do not filter or retouch results. The ASA has told advertisers to avoid filters on photos or videos that are directly relevant to the product or service being advertised. In the US, the FTC's health products guidance gives examples of before-and-after images that convey health claims needing evidence, says testimonials showing results more dramatic than people can generally expect are likely to be deceptive, and says a "results not typical" disclaimer does not cure that.

1. Use a consent form that names each platform and says whether the face will be shown.
2. Set up one photo spot with fixed lighting and mark where the client stands.
3. Take the after photo at the time point you would quote to a typical client, not the best day.
4. Post results with the practitioner's name and the number of sessions, not a promise.
5. Remove any post promptly if the client withdraws consent.

Sources: ASA: The (mis)use of social media beauty filters when advertising cosmetic products, checked 15 October 2026; FTC: Health Products Compliance Guidance, checked 15 October 2026

UK: the ASA says Botox is a prescription-only medicine and cannot be advertised to the public, and that any reference to it on social media, including hashtags, is likely to be seen as an implied ad. CAP's guidance gives #brotox and #beautox as examples. You can advertise a consultation, for example "a consultation for the treatment of lines and wrinkles", as long as the medicine is not named in sponsored ads, logos, testimonials or your homepage. Ads for non-surgical cosmetic interventions must not be targeted at under-18s and cannot appear in media where under-18s make up 25% or more of the audience; this has applied since 25 May 2022. CAP says to check an influencer's audience before working with them, and that posts on your own social channels count as ads.

US: the FTC's health products guidance says health-related claims, including in social media and influencer marketing, need competent and reliable scientific evidence. The FTC's endorsement guidance says influencers and staff who promote you must disclose any material connection clearly and conspicuously, that a disclosure hidden in the comments is not clear and conspicuous, and that starting a post with "Ad:" or "#ad" works. If your clinic is a HIPAA covered entity, HHS says you generally need a patient's written authorisation before using their health information, including identifiable photos, for marketing.

This is general information, not legal advice. Rules differ by country and state, so check with your regulator, medical director or a lawyer before promoting any prescription or medical treatment.

• UK: no prescription-only medicine names in posts, captions or hashtags; promote consultations instead.
• UK: use targeting tools to exclude under-18s and check influencer audiences.
• Everywhere: no "painless", "permanent" or "risk-free" claims you cannot prove.
• Everywhere: show the practitioner's qualifications and who will carry out the treatment.

Sources: ASA Advice Online: Beauty and cosmetics, botulinum toxin products, checked 15 October 2026; CAP Bitesize: Botox and non-surgical cosmetic interventions, checked 15 October 2026; ASA: Strict new rules for ads for cosmetic interventions, checked 15 October 2026; FTC: Health Products Compliance Guidance, checked 15 October 2026; FTC: Endorsement Guides, what people are asking, checked 15 October 2026; HHS: HIPAA Privacy Rule guidance on marketing, checked 15 October 2026

Aesthetic clients often ask detailed questions in comments and messages. Give general information, point to a consultation and never assess someone from a selfie. Reply to reviews without mentioning the treatment or confirming the person is a client.

Ask every client for a review the same way. Google prohibits incentives for reviews, discouraging negative reviews and asking only happy clients, and the FTC's rule bans buying reviews of a particular sentiment. Free treatments for influencers are a material connection that must be disclosed clearly.

1. Thank reviewers without naming the treatment or confirming they are a client.
2. For complaints, give the clinic manager's direct contact and handle it privately.
3. Move any medical question into a consultation booking.
4. Put disclosure wording into every influencer agreement and check posts before they go live.

Sources: Google Business Profile Help: Tips to get more reviews, checked 15 October 2026; Google Maps user-generated content policy: fake engagement, checked 15 October 2026; FTC final rule banning fake reviews and testimonials (August 2024), checked 15 October 2026; FTC: Endorsement Guides, what people are asking, checked 15 October 2026

Use four pillars: education, practitioners, results and clinic life. Plan consultation pushes before busy seasons such as weddings and the holidays, not offers on medical treatments.

Disclosure: this guide is published by Zolyp, an AI social media manager. Zolyp plans a calendar around your content pillars, writes and designs each post, and schedules it to Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Business, X, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, and Threads. You start in review-everything mode, so nothing goes live without your approval. Brand Brain can hold the words you never use, including treatment names you cannot advertise and claims like "painless". Zolyp does not check posts against ASA, CAP or FTC rules, so have your medical director or lead practitioner approve each week. Plans start at $29/mo.

1. Week 1: collect consented results from the past month and check each consent form.
2. Week 2: film a practitioner explainer and a consultation walk-through.
3. Week 3: post education and aftercare content, and any events.
4. Week 4: reply to reviews, check which posts led to consultation bookings and plan next month.