Med spa ads: Google and Meta rules and before-and-after photos

The rules side by side

Sources for each row are in the sections below.

Google Ads healthcare and medicines policy for med spas

Google restricts prescription drug names in ads, landing pages and keywords. For the US and Canada:

"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 policy: Restricted drug terms)

Google's list of monitored terms includes botox, botulinum toxin, dysport, xeomin, semaglutide, ozempic, wegovy and tirzepatide (Google Ads policy: List of prescription drugs).

What that means in practice:

• Your ad and page can say "Botox in Scottsdale" in the US or Canada.
• Your keyword list can't include "botox near me" unless the account is certified. Google's certification types are things like "Online Pharmacy, Addiction Services, Telemedicine, Health Insurance, or Pharmaceutical manufacturer", and it warns: "Do not apply for a category that does not match your business model" (same page).
• Bid on the treatment instead: "wrinkle treatment", "lip filler", "injectables".

Selling weight-loss drugs through online prescribing is a different category. Google requires telemedicine providers to be "accredited by LegitScript" and certified with Google (Google Ads policy: Healthcare and medicines).

Before-and-after photos

The two platforms disagree.

Google lists this as clickbait:

"Ads that use “before and after” images to promote significant alterations to the human body" (Google Ads policy: Clickbait ads)

Keep before-and-after galleries on your website, not in Google image or video ads.

Meta allows them for adults. Its Health and Wellness policy lets advertisers targeting people 18 or older promote "General cosmetic products, procedures, surgeries depicting before and after transformation" (Meta Advertising Standards: Health and Wellness). The same policy bars ads that contain "statements of inferiority about physical appearance" (same page). "Tired of your wrinkles?" attacks the viewer; "Smoother skin in two visits" doesn't.

US law adds a condition. The FTC says a before-and-after testimonial is read as what customers "will generally achieve". If typical clients don't get that result, the ad "should clearly and conspicuously disclose the generally expected performance" (FTC Endorsement Guides, 16 CFR 255.2). A "Results not typical" line alone is "insufficient", the FTC says (same section).

Meta ads for med spas: age and claims

"Ads promoting or marketing cosmetic products, procedures or surgeries, must be targeted to people at least 18 years or older." (Meta Advertising Standards: Health and Wellness)

Meta's allowed list names "dermal fillers, skin rejuvenation treatments, injectable treatments, chemical peels, micro-needling" and laser treatments (same page).

Prescription drugs are stricter. Meta lets advertisers "actively certified with LegitScript" promote prescription drugs, only in the US, Canada or New Zealand, only to 18+, and only after Meta's authorization (Meta Advertising Standards: Drugs and Pharmaceuticals). Whether your ad promotes the treatment or the drug is Meta's call. An ad about the result and the provider is safer than one about a brand-name drug and its price per unit.

Remarketing and customer lists on Google

Google treats injections as personal health. Its sensitive Health category includes:

"Invasive medical procedures, including cosmetic surgery, surgical procedures, or injections" (Google Ads policy: Health in personalized advertising)

For these ads, "You can't use advertiser-curated audiences": no Customer Match lists and no your-data (remarketing) segments (same page). Google's own predefined audiences still work. Injections are named; check other treatments against the same list.

What your website tags send to Google and Meta is a separate risk: see tracking on a clinic website.

Canada: prescription drug ads

Canadian law limits any ad for a prescription drug to the public:

"If a person advertises a prescription drug to the general public, the person shall not make any representation other than with respect to the brand name, the proper name, the common name and the price and quantity of the drug." (Food and Drug Regulations, C.01.044)

So a Canadian med spa ad that names Botox can't also claim what it does. Platform permission doesn't change this: Google says you're "always responsible" for the law where your ads show (Google Ads policy: List of ad policies).

Example

A US med spa on Google

A med spa in Phoenix has "Botox $12 per unit" in its ad and "botox near me" as a keyword. The keyword is disapproved for restricted drug terms. Keeping the ad text and switching keywords to "wrinkle treatment Phoenix" and "anti-wrinkle injections" avoids the restricted terms.

A filler clinic on Instagram

A clinic runs a before-and-after lip filler ad targeting women 18–45, captioned "Fuller lips, natural look". That fits Meta's policy. Changing the caption to "Thin lips aging you?" would be a statement of inferiority.

A Toronto clinic

A Toronto clinic advertises "Botox: smooth forehead lines in 10 minutes". Under C.01.044, an ad naming the drug may give only its names, price and quantity. The clinic either cuts the ad to name, price and quantity, or drops the brand name and advertises its service and staff.

Different for you?

• Your Google ads were disapproved and you need the fix: Google Ads disapproved.
• You use Meta or Google tags on a clinic site: clinic website tracking and HIPAA.
• You're planning Facebook ads beyond the policy: Facebook ads for a local service business.
• You want reviews without breaking rules: asking for reviews.
• You want organic search for your med spa instead: SEO & GEO.
• You want ads run inside these rules every day: Paid Ads.