These guidelines apply to registered health practitioners who perform and advertise higher-risk non-surgical cosmetic procedures, including:

• dental veneers
• cosmetic injectables such as botulinum toxin and dermal fillers
• injection lipolysis
• thread lifts
• sclerotherapy and microsclerotherapy
• platelet rich plasma (PRP) and some other blood-derived procedures
• hair transplants

The guidelines include requirements around how these procedures can be promoted, including treatment claims, risks and recovery, practitioner information, images and before-and-after photographs, testimonials and social media advertising.

What about other health advertising?

The existing AHPRA advertising requirements continue to apply more broadly to the advertising of regulated health services. Among other things, health practitioners need to be careful that their advertising does not:

• make misleading or unsupported claims about treatments or outcomes
• create unreasonable expectations of beneficial treatment
• use testimonials about clinical aspects of treatment
• offer incentives without clearly stating applicable terms and conditions
• encourage unnecessary use of regulated health services.

AHPRA also provides profession-specific advertising guidance and examples for some health professions.

Review your existing advertising

If you advertise regulated health services, it’s worth periodically reviewing your existing advertising, including website content, older pages, blog posts, social media and print material, against the current AHPRA advertising requirements.

In particular, review claims about what a treatment will achieve, statements that a treatment is safe, claims about treating particular illnesses or conditions, patient testimonials and before-and-after material.

If you offer higher-risk cosmetic procedures, you should also check your advertising against the guidelines which will come into effect on 2 September 2025.

AHPRA general advertising guidelines:
https://www.ahpra.gov.au/Resources/Advertising-hub/Advertising-guidelines-and-other-guidance/Advertising-guidelines.aspx

AHPRA higher-risk non-surgical cosmetic procedure advertising guidelines:
https://www.ahpra.gov.au/Resources/Cosmetic-surgery-hub/Cosmetic-procedure-advertising-guidelines/Resources-for-advertising-higher-risk-non-surgical-cosmetic-procedures.aspx

Creative Passion isn’t an AHPRA compliance adviser, so health practitioners should determine whether their advertising complies with the requirements relevant to their profession and services.

However, if you review your website, print or on-screen advertising, and identify content that needs updating, call 3366 8166 or send changes through to us and we’ll be happy to update your material.

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