Plastic surgeons should avoid guaranteed outcomes, use before and after photos only with written consent, protect patient privacy in reviews and forms, be clear about credentials and follow their state medical board and professional society advertising guidance.
The basics are straightforward. Do not promise specific results or imply that every patient will look like the photos. Present credentials accurately, including the exact board certification. Avoid misleading superlatives you cannot back up. Many state medical boards and professional societies publish advertising guidance, and your compliance advisor can help you apply it. Be careful with before and after photos in ads too, since ad platforms have their own policies for cosmetic content on top of medical board guidance. Read both before launching.
Privacy deserves extra care. Website forms should not collect detailed medical history unless they are built for it. Tracking pixels on consultation forms and patient portals can create HIPAA concerns. When replying to reviews, never confirm someone was a patient or discuss their procedure, even if they shared details themselves. Be careful with retargeting too. Showing ads based on someone's visit to a specific procedure page can raise privacy concerns, and some ad platforms restrict it for health topics. Keep tracking basic and talk to your compliance advisor before running complex campaigns.
Photos and testimonials need consent and honesty. Keep signed photo releases on file and avoid edits that change results. If you share patient stories, make sure the patient agreed in writing. Following these rules protects your license and also makes your marketing more believable, which is better for business anyway. Keep a simple review process for all marketing materials. Have someone check new pages, ads and social posts against your guidelines before they go out. A short checklist covering claims, credentials, consent and privacy catches most problems early and saves headaches later.
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