AHPRA Advertising Guidelines for Cosmetic Clinics

Cosmetic clinics follow the AHPRA advertising guidelines. You also follow a second set of Medical Board rules for cosmetic work, in force since 1 July 2023. Together they ban before-and-after photos, testimonials and influencer posts, price-led offers and discounts, and brand names of injectables. You can still promote the consultation, your team's real training, and plain facts about a procedure. The safest cosmetic copy sells the consultation, never the result.

Why are the rules stricter for cosmetic clinics?

Every clinic follows the AHPRA ad rules. AHPRA is the body that registers health workers and sets those rules. If you want the full picture first, start with the main guide on what your clinic can and cannot say under AHPRA. Cosmetic clinics carry a second set of rules on top.

Since 1 July 2023, the Medical Board has used its own rules for cosmetic surgery and procedures. The reason is simple. Cosmetic marketing pulls hardest toward the things the rules ban. Think of dramatic before-and-after shots, glowing influencer reels, and price deals. Those can push people into a procedure they may not need.

The rules also ask for something most clinics miss. You need to check your cosmetic ads before they go live. So the risk is higher for you, and the checking has to happen sooner.

What can a cosmetic clinic not advertise?

Here is the list that trips up cosmetic clinics most often. Check your own ads against each one.

• Before-and-after photos. This covers hinted before-and-after shots, result galleries, and patient photos you share on social.
• Testimonials and influencer content. This covers patient reviews of a procedure, influencer reels, famous people backing you, and star ratings or counts tied to a procedure, like "10,000 treatments performed".
• Money deals that pull people in. This covers price-led ads, offers that end soon, package or bundle discounts, gift cards, loyalty rewards, referral bonuses and competitions.
• Injectable brand names. The brand names of anti-wrinkle injections and dermal fillers are prescription products. You must not advertise them to the public. For the full TGA picture, see why you cannot advertise Botox in Australia. The TGA is the body that controls medicines.
• Anything that works against the cooling-off period. Lines like "Same-day surgery" or "walk in, walk out" cut across the wait that must come before major surgery.
• Body-image pressure. Do not use hooks that play on how people feel about their looks ("hate your nose?"). Do not make procedures sound normal for everyone ("everyone's doing it", "new year, new you").
• Aiming ads at under-18s. Stricter rules apply to young people. They need a referral and a longer cooling-off period.

What can a cosmetic clinic say instead?

The rules limit what you claim. They do not stop you giving people facts. You can still build a clear site that patients trust.

• Plain facts about a procedure and what it involves, in general words.
• What happens at a consultation, including the check-up and the cooling-off period.
• Your team's real training and experience, said plainly. Use "surgeon" only if the doctor has specialist surgical registration.
• Your fees, stated as facts on a consultation page, with no discount or rush attached.
• Risks and recovery, set out in a fair and true way.

Say this, not that: five cosmetic rewrites

Here are 5 common cosmetic lines that break the rules. Each one has a safe version you can use. Every "say this" line is written to the full standard.

1. The price offer

Not this: "$199 lip filler. This week only."

Say this: "Book a consultation to discuss dermal filler treatments and the fees involved." This takes away the price hook and the rush.

2. The branded injectable

Not this: "Get [well-known anti-wrinkle brand] and [well-known filler brand] with us."

Say this: "We offer consultations for anti-wrinkle injections and dermal filler treatments." It uses general words and offers a consultation. It does not sell a product.

3. The before-and-after

Not this: a results gallery captioned "real patient transformations".

Say this: "During your consultation we explain how the treatment works and what it involves." It tells people what they need to know. It does not show or hint at a result. For the full rules on consent and matching photos, see the guide on before-and-after photos under AHPRA.

4. The influencer reel

Not this: a paid creator video saying "I love my results, you have to book here".

Say this: "Information about our practitioners' qualifications and experience." It builds trust with facts, so you do not need a testimonial.

5. The body-image hook

Not this: "Hate your nose? Everyone's getting it done."

Say this: "If you are considering rhinoplasty, a consultation helps you understand the procedure and whether it suits you." It is calm and factual, and it puts no pressure on the reader.

The traps that get cosmetic clinics reported

Most reports do not come from one shocking claim. They come from everyday marketing that feels normal in this industry. Here are the 3 to watch.

Treating the cooling-off period as a hassle. The wait is there to protect your patients. If you call it an obstacle, or hint that people can skip it, you break the rules. Show it plainly as part of how you work.

Letting the social feed do the advertising. A patient story you reshare, or a creator's "results" post, still counts as your ad. You are responsible for it, even if you did not write the words.

Leading with price. A discount or a set price for injectables is the clearest money-deal breach there is. Move your fees to a plain consultation page. Lead with the consultation instead.

You can check a lot of this yourself. Open every page and every social profile. Ask whether it shows or hints at a result, uses a patient's words, or leads with a price or a discount. If it does, it needs a rewrite.

The rules moved again on 2 September 2025. That is when AHPRA's ad rules for higher risk non-surgical procedures started. To see what changed and where to put your budget now, read cosmetic clinic marketing after the new rules.

This is general guidance for clinic owners and marketers. It is not legal advice. AHPRA and the Medical Board update their rules from time to time. Check the latest versions, and get formal advice before you publish high-stakes cosmetic pages.