The Med Spa Social Media Compliance Checklist
Eight sections covering the language, photos, credentials and offers that get aesthetic practices into trouble. Run it before you publish, and again whenever you add a treatment, device or provider. Written for med spas, not generic small-business marketing advice.
1. Claims and results
The fastest way a med spa post becomes a problem is promising an outcome.
- No guarantees of any result, comfort level or downtime.
- No "permanent", "forever" or "cures" language for cosmetic treatments.
- Every result statement is framed as typical, not certain, with a results-vary note.
- Any statistic or study reference is one you can produce on request.
- No claim that a treatment prevents, treats or cures a medical condition unless you are licensed to make it and can support it.
2. Before-and-after photos
Photos are the highest-risk asset in aesthetic marketing.
- Written, signed consent on file for every image, naming social media use.
- Same lighting, angle, distance and expression in both photos.
- No filters, smoothing, retouching or crops that flatter the result.
- Time elapsed and number of sessions stated.
- Results-vary disclaimer visible on or beside the image.
- A record of who took the photo and when it was captured.
3. Provider credentials
Credential language must match the person actually performing treatment.
- Titles used are the exact licensed titles (RN, NP, PA, MD, DO, LE).
- Avoid "doctor-led" or "physician-supervised" unless that is literally the arrangement.
- Medical director named accurately if referenced.
- State scope-of-practice rules confirmed for who injects and who consults.
- No implication that a non-medical staff member performs medical treatment.
4. Brand names and devices
Manufacturers police how their trademarks appear.
- Product names spelled and capitalized correctly (Botox®, Juvéderm®, Morpheus8™).
- FDA clearance versus approval wording confirmed with the manufacturer.
- No off-label use promoted as an approved indication.
- No competitor device disparagement.
- Manufacturer's own social guidelines checked where you are a certified provider.
5. Offers, pricing and scarcity
An offer in a caption is an advertisement with obligations attached.
- Every offer has a start date, end date and written terms.
- Price includes units, areas or sessions so it cannot be misread.
- Scarcity ("3 spots left") reflects the real schedule.
- Membership and package terms state renewal, expiry and refund rules.
- Financing mentions comply with the lender's required disclosures.
6. Privacy and patient information
Patients in a med spa are patients, not just customers.
- No patient name, condition or treatment detail shared without written authorization.
- No replying to a public review in a way that confirms someone was a patient.
- Staff trained not to comment on individual cases in DMs or comments.
- Consultation and intake details never used as content without consent.
- Reception areas, charts and screens checked before filming.
7. Platform advertising rules
Meta and TikTok restrict health and body content even when it is accurate.
- No before-and-after images in paid ads on Meta.
- No language implying a personal attribute or body flaw about the viewer.
- No zoomed-in body-part imagery in paid placements.
- Weight and body content phrased around wellbeing, not shame.
- Landing page matches the ad claim exactly.
8. Publishing routine
A small weekly habit prevents almost every issue above.
- One person owns final approval before anything goes live.
- Consent forms and offer terms stored where the whole team can find them.
- Captions and creative archived with their publish date.
- Comments and DMs reviewed for medical questions that need a private reply.
- Checklist re-run whenever you add a treatment, device or provider.
Every post we write is scored against this list
MedSpa Planner gives each caption a compliance score with the exact phrase to fix and how to rewrite it, so nothing reaches your feed as an unsupported claim.
Start your free 7-day trialThis checklist is general marketing guidance, not legal advice. Confirm requirements with your own counsel and state medical board.