Before and after images are the most persuasive post an aesthetic clinic can make and the easiest way to break the DHA standard. Done properly, they are allowed. This page sets out the conditions as we read them. It is not legal advice.
The conditions
- A real patient of the clinic who had the treatment shown.
- Written consent, limited in subject and time, from the patient. Parental consent for anyone under 18.
- The same person, the same lens. Lighting and angle should match so the comparison is honest.
- No editing. No retouching or filters on either image.
- The exact sentence: “there is no guarantee that the result will be the same, as it might vary from one individual to another”.
- The risks of the procedure, in the same font size as the rest of the post.
- Medical Director approval before posting, as for every post naming the clinic.
Common ways clinics break it
- Using images from the product manufacturer or a training course.
- Using AI generated or stock “results”.
- Adding a soft filter to the after image.
- Putting the disclaimer in tiny type at the bottom of the last slide.
- Writing “amazing results” or “guaranteed natural look” in the caption.
- Posting a patient who agreed in conversation but never signed anything.
How to make one well
Shoot both images in the same room, under the same light, from the same distance. Ask the patient to sign a consent form that names the treatment and how long the images may stay up. In the caption, name the treatment and the licensed doctor and set out the risks. The required sentence goes on the image or at the top of the caption in normal type.
What Instagram adds
Instagram has its own rules on what it recommends to non followers and before and after content in health and beauty can be held back from recommendations. If a clinic’s reach drops after such a post, check Account Status in settings.
An alternative that patients value
A before and after is one patient’s result. Many patients want to understand the process instead: what happens at the consultation and what aftercare looks like. A doctor explaining that in a Reel carries no consent risk and builds the same trust.