Advertising rules for med spas and aesthetic clinics

Sell the treatment, not the vial.

Med spas can advertise injectables, fillers, laser and skin treatments to adults 18 and older. Botox can appear in Google ad copy, but not as a keyword without certification.

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18+Meta and TikTok, on every ad for a cosmetic procedure
Botoxon Google's prescription drug list: fine in US ad copy, a keyword only with certification
Fillersone of TikTok's own examples of cosmetic clinic ads that may be allowed for adults
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For a med spa, a compliant ad sells the treatment to adults 18 and older: injectables, fillers, laser, skin. Before-and-afters are allowed on Meta for adults, and TikTok bars before-and-after results in ads that may give viewers a false or distorted impression of the outcome. Botox can appear in Google ad copy but not as a keyword without certification, and, in our reading, a Botox unit price in a Meta ad is prescription drug promotion, which Meta authorizes only for online pharmacies, telehealth providers and manufacturers.

Med spa, cosmetic tier

Four rules on every med spa ad.

  • 18+18-plus on every cosmetic procedure ad, on Meta and TikTok.
  • No flaw namedNo statement of inferiority about appearance.
  • KeywordsBotox in the copy, not the keywords.
  • The priceOn Meta, in our reading, sell the appointment, not the drug's price.
A droplet of glowing liquid glass stopped against a pane of glass that lights up orange where it touches
Why med spa ads get rejected

Three lines that get flagged.

  • A flaw, named. Meta bans cosmetic ads with statements of inferiority about physical appearance, and its Personal Attributes policy lists "Ready to upgrade your skin to look younger?" as a not-allowed example under age.
  • A before-and-after on TikTok. One of TikTok's own not-allowed examples: wrinkles disappearing in a before-and-after comparison.
  • A photo that is not what it seems. In California, a photo of a model must say so prominently, and an image altered from the actual patient is misleading.
The rules, with dates

What Meta, Google and TikTok say about aesthetics.

18+Meta allows adults-only ads for "dermal fillers, skin rejuvenation treatments, injectable treatments, chemical peels, micro-needling" and "General cosmetic products, procedures, surgeries depicting before and after transformation."Meta Health and Wellness policy, change log Jul 22, 2026
KeywordsGoogle: "While you don't need to be certified in order to use prescription drug terms in ads and landing pages, you must be certified in order to keyword-target these terms."Google Ads, Restricted drug terms
FillersTikTok's US rules: cosmetic clinics "May be allowed" at 18-plus, with "Fillers" and "Microdermabrasion services" as examples.TikTok Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals, September 2026
NoTikTok prohibits branded content for "Cosmetic clinics, cosmetic surgery and cosmetics making medicinal claims."TikTok Branded Content Policy, effective Aug 31, 2026

Treatment ad or brand name ad: what changes

Read at the source, 26 September 2026
Your ad sells the treatment
Your ad names Botox or its price
Meta
Can run, 18+

18-plus. Before-and-afters with each patient's written marketing authorization.

Approved only

Meta lists "Listing the price of the prescription drug" as content for authorized drug advertisers. In our reading, a Botox unit price falls there.

Google
None needed

Treatment keywords, such as wrinkle relaxer or lip filler. No certification.

Copy yes, keyword no

Botox, Dysport, Xeomin, Latisse and tretinoin are on Google's prescription drug list: allowed in US ad text and on the page, a keyword only with certification.

TikTok
Adults only

May be allowed for adults. No before-and-after results that may mislead on the outcome, no creator posts.

Regulator approval

Prescription medicine ads need proof of approval and certification from a regulator such as FDA, and 18-plus.

Audiences
Closed

Google counts injections as sensitive health content: no remarketing, Customer Match or lookalikes.

Closed

The same.

What it costs
No fee

No certification fee.

No fit

No Google certification category fits a med spa; its types are business models such as online pharmacy and telemedicine. LegitScript, $975 to apply and $2,150 a year per website, lists med spas for payment processing and general advertising standing; in our reading, it does not unlock bidding on Botox.

Platform lines read on each source's own page on 26 September 2026. LegitScript fees checked 25 September 2026 on its healthcare certification page. LegitScript sets and changes them; confirm before you apply.

Treatment ad or brand name ad? We read the copy, the keywords and the price before anything spends.

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Same clinic, two ads

Ask about the treatment, not the face.

"Hate your wrinkles?" attacks a face. "Wrinkle relaxer appointments this week, with a nurse injector" offers a visit. Both ads are illustrations, not a client's account.

PELORA example ad · Sponsored
“Hate your wrinkles?”
Rejected
It attacks a face.
PELORA example ad · Sponsored
“Wrinkle relaxer appointments this week, with a nurse injector”
Runs
It offers a visit.
What we do differently

Every med spa post, read by a person.

Two rounds against platform and state rules, before anything runs. Injectables are prescription products, so a creator program for them adds $1,000 a month for the drug-ad review.

PELORA reviewRound 2 of 2
  • ClaimsNo "permanent," "guaranteed" or "no downtime" unless your clinician can back it. Name the treatment and who performs it.
  • ConsentA written marketing authorization from every client shown, separate from treatment consent, on file with the photo.
  • PhotosSame light, pose and distance, the treatment named, a note that results vary, no filters.
Map of the United States with Newport Beach, California marked
Where we work

Newport Beach office. Clients anywhere.

Platform rules are national; who may inject, and under whose supervision, is set state by state. We read yours before the first ad.

CaliforniaFloridaTexasArizonaNevadaColoradoNew YorkAnywhere in the US
Related

Go deeper.

Med spa marketingOur system for med spasCreators for med spaWho they are and what they can sayThe full rulebookMeta, Google, LegitScript, FDA, with dates
Questions

Asked by med spas.

How do I advertise my med spa on Meta legally?
Target 18 and older, sell the treatment, and never attack a face. Keep prescription drug prices out of the ad, and hold a written marketing authorization for every client shown.
What are Meta's ad policies for Botox and aesthetic treatments?
Meta allows injectable treatments as a cosmetic procedure for adults, but treats promoting a prescription drug, including its price, as a separate authorization. Meta does not name Botox, so this is our reading: we advertise the appointment, not a Botox unit price.
Can a med spa advertise Botox on Google?
Yes in the ad text and on the landing page, and no as a keyword without certification. Keywords like wrinkle relaxer carry the search instead.
Are before-and-after photos allowed in med spa ads?
On Meta, yes for adults; in TikTok ads, no. In California the photos must name the procedures, match in presentation, and say results may not occur for all patients.
Is our med spa advertising HIPAA compliant on Meta?
Only if client images run with a written marketing authorization and no ad pixel can see who booked what. HIPAA requires an authorization for marketing use of protected health information, and HHS gives a booking page that collects a reason for care as an example of a tracking disclosure. Your counsel decides whether HIPAA applies to your practice and whether a business associate agreement is needed.
Can influencers promote our med spa on TikTok?
No. TikTok's Branded Content Policy, effective August 31, 2026, prohibits branded content for cosmetic clinics and counts gifted treatments as branded content. Creator work runs on Instagram and Facebook instead.
Do you work with med spas outside California?
Yes. We run this from Newport Beach and work remote with med spas across the United States, and we read your state's rules on who may inject.

Sources, read on September 26, 2026, with LegitScript fees checked September 25, 2026: Meta Transparency Center, Health and Wellness (change log Jul 22, 2026), Drugs and Pharmaceuticals, Privacy Violations and Personal Attributes, and the Business Help Center page on prescription drugs; Google Ads, Restricted drug terms, the prescription drug list and Health in personalized advertising; TikTok Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals (September 2026), Misleading and False Content (April 2026) and Branded Content Policy (effective August 31, 2026); California Business and Professions Code 651; 45 CFR 164.508; HHS guidance on online tracking technologies; LegitScript healthcare certification page.

Before the next campaign

Get the account read first.

Fifteen minutes. Bring the rejected ad or the before-and-after you want to run. We name the line and what runs instead.

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