The short answer
Patients choosing an aesthetic provider lean on review sites, credentials and the practice's own social accounts: in a 2025 ASDS survey, 94% said rate and review websites affect their choice and nearly half said a provider's social media affects whether they book. A Michigan med spa can run injectable and cosmetic treatment ads on Meta, Google and TikTok within each platform's rules, which include adult targeting and no appearance shaming. It should keep claims within FDA-approved uses and get written authorization before featuring any patient.
This guide is for owners and managers of med spas, injector practices, private aesthetic clinics and cosmetics brands in Oakland, Wayne and Macomb counties. Every statistic links to its source. Where we found no reliable data, the advice is labeled “Our guidance.” None of this is legal advice; have a health care attorney review your consent forms and ad claims.
How do patients research aesthetic treatments before they book?
The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery surveyed more than 3,500 consumers for its 2025 Consumer Survey on Cosmetic Dermatologic Procedures. Seven in ten were considering a cosmetic procedure. Ninety-four percent said rate and review websites affect their choice of provider, 74% follow the social media of the provider they see or are considering, and nearly half said a provider’s social media presence affects whether they schedule. The specialty a physician is board certified in, a physician referral and the provider’s level of licensure ranked highest among influences. Cost (24%) and pain (14%) were the top reasons people hesitated; side effects and safety (16%) made the list in 2023.
Demand is concentrated in injectables. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons’ 2025 statistics release, published September 1, 2026, says neuromodulators and hyaluronic fillers made up 80% of minimally invasive procedures in 2025. Adults ages 36 to 55 accounted for nearly half of cosmetic procedures, volume among patients 66 and older rose 24%, and 82% of member surgeons received consultation requests related to GLP-1 use.
The med spa patient base is mostly women and mostly returning. The American Med Spa Association’s 2024 State of the Industry recap, built on a survey of medical spa professionals, reports that 89% of patients are female, 73% are repeat patients and 54% of female patients are 35 to 54.
Your website still does real work. A 2017 study in ASPS’s journal of 100 patients at one aesthetic practice found more than half were influenced by the practice website when choosing, compared with 8% for Facebook, and before-and-after photos were the post type patients most wanted. It is small and dated, so read it as a signal.
Reviews follow the same pattern across local businesses. BrightLocal’s 2026 Local Consumer Review Survey of 1,002 U.S. adults found 41% always read reviews, 74% look for reviews from the last three months and 89% expect owners to respond. Use of ChatGPT and other AI tools for local recommendations rose to 45%. The survey is not specific to health care.
What do Meta, Google and TikTok allow in med spa ads?
Meta. The Health and Wellness ad standard, last revised July 22, 2026, says ads for cosmetic products, procedures or surgeries “must be targeted to people at least 18 years or older.” For adult audiences it lists dermal fillers, injectable treatments, chemical peels, micro-needling and laser treatments as allowed, along with “General cosmetic products, procedures, surgeries depicting before and after transformation.” Ads can’t contain “statements of inferiority about physical appearance.” Health and weight-loss ads can’t show a close-up “pinching fat” and can’t use clickbait such as promises of specific outcomes within a set time without qualifiers.
Meta’s personal attributes policy bars ads that imply you know someone’s age or medical condition. Its own example of a rejected line is “Ready to upgrade your skin to look younger?” while “Our new lotion and creams fight wrinkles like never before!” is allowed. Describe the treatment instead of the viewer.
Prescription weight-loss products go to Meta’s Drugs and Pharmaceuticals policy, which lets advertisers promote prescription drugs only if they are certified by LegitScript (drug manufacturers can use Meta’s own review instead) and authorized by Meta, target adults in the U.S., Canada or New Zealand, and include a disclaimer to consult a licensed health professional.
Google. Under Google’s restricted drug terms policy, U.S. campaigns may use prescription drug terms in ads and landing pages without certification, but “you must be certified in order to keyword-target these terms.” BOTOX Cosmetic carries a prescription drug label, so our guidance is to expect keyword limits on neuromodulator brand names. The Health in personalized advertising policy lists “Invasive medical procedures, including cosmetic surgery, surgical procedures, or injections” as sensitive, and advertiser-curated audiences such as remarketing lists and Customer Match can’t be used for them. Google’s healthcare and medicines policy also bans “speculative and/or experimental medical treatments” and hCG for weight loss.
TikTok. The U.S. section of TikTok’s Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals policy, updated September 2026, says cosmetic clinic ads may be allowed if they comply with local law and target users 18 or older, with fillers and microdermabrasion as examples. Prescription medicine ads need proof of approval from authorities such as the FDA. TikTok’s Weight Management and Body Image policy bans claims that a product alone leads to weight loss, suggestions that it is “easy or guaranteed,” and ads suggesting there is a “right” or “perfect” way to look.
What do the FTC and FDA require of testimonials, influencers and treatment claims?
Testimonials. Under the FTC’s Endorsement Guides at 16 CFR 255.2, a patient story about a key result is read as typical. If you can’t show it is typical, the ad “should clearly and conspicuously disclose the generally expected performance.” The FTC’s Health Products Compliance Guidance says health claims need “competent and reliable scientific evidence” and that individual consumer experiences are never enough on their own.
Reviews. The FTC’s Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule, in effect since October 21, 2024, bans fake reviews, incentives conditioned on a positive or negative review, undisclosed reviews by staff and managers, and unfounded legal threats or intimidation to suppress reviews. Google is stricter: its contributed content policy removes any review posted because of an incentive and bans selectively asking happy patients for reviews.
Influencers. A free or discounted treatment is a material connection under the FTC’s Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers. The disclosure goes on the image or inside the video, in words such as “ad” or “sponsored,” not “sp,” “spon” or “collab.” The FTC also says a platform’s disclosure tool may not be enough on its own.
FDA-approved uses. The BOTOX Cosmetic label covers temporary improvement of moderate to severe glabellar lines, lateral canthal lines, forehead lines and platysma bands in adults. The FDA’s dermal filler page lists approved uses for adults 22 and older and recommends against fillers for body contouring and enhancement or injection into the glabella, nose, area around the eyes, forehead or neck, and says these uses are not FDA approved. On weight loss, the FDA’s GLP-1 page says “compounded drugs are not FDA approved” and flags claims that a compounded drug is the same as an approved one.
Our guidance: name the treatment area only if it matches the product’s approved use, never call a compounded drug “FDA approved” or “generic,” and keep a provider’s off-label clinical judgment in the consult room, out of ads and captions.
Are there Michigan rules for med spa advertising?
We found no Michigan statute written specifically for med spa marketing. The Public Health Code applies to licensed providers. MCL 333.16221 lists “False or misleading advertising” as an unethical business practice that can lead to discipline, and it also covers “negligent delegation to or supervision of employees.” MCL 333.16215 lets a licensee delegate acts within their scope to qualified individuals working under their supervision, but not acts that require the licensee’s own level of education, skill and judgment, and subject to the limits in subsections (2) to (6). MCL 750.217d makes it a felony, punishable by up to 15 years, for someone who isn’t a licensed or registered health professional to intentionally and falsely claim to be one while providing a health care treatment, procedure or service.
House Bill 6326, introduced in 2026, would prohibit false or misleading information in health professionals’ advertisements and name tags. It has been referred to the House Health Policy Committee and is not law.
Our guidance: list each injector’s actual license (RN, NP, PA, MD or DO) on your site and in provider posts, and never use “Dr.” or “nurse” for someone who doesn’t hold that license.
Can you post patient photos? HIPAA basics
HIPAA applies to health care providers that are covered entities, which means providers that transmit health information electronically in standard transactions, such as insurance billing. For covered entities, 45 CFR 164.508 bars using or disclosing protected health information without a valid authorization unless the rule permits it, and HHS’s marketing guidance says marketing generally requires the patient’s written authorization. A valid authorization describes the information, the purpose, who may disclose and receive it, an expiration date or event, and the patient’s signature and date. HIPAA treats full-face photographs as identifiers.
Our guidance: even if your practice is cash-only and may not be a covered entity, use a separate photo and testimonial authorization for every patient you feature. Name the platforms and paid ads, set an end date, explain how to revoke it, and keep the signed copy with the image.
How should a med spa set up its Google Business Profile?
Google’s profile guidelines say to “Choose the fewest number of categories it takes to describe your overall core business,” starting with the most specific. Names can’t include marketing taglines. A practitioner with their own patient base can have a profile, but “Support staff should not create their own Business Profiles,” and a location with several practitioners keeps its own separate profile.
For photos, Google’s requirements say an image “should be in focus and well lit, and have no significant alterations or excessive use of filters.” Our guidance: post the entrance, front desk, treatment rooms and provider headshots. Keep before-and-after images on your website and social accounts, where you control the consent record.
To reply to reviews you need a verified profile, and the reviewer is notified. The risk is in the reply. HHS settled with Manasa Health Center, a New Jersey provider, for $30,000 after a complaint that it disclosed a patient’s information in a reply to a negative online review.
Our guidance: never confirm that the reviewer is a patient or mention a treatment, date or result. A safe reply reads: “Thank you for the feedback. We take every concern seriously. Please call our practice manager at [number] so we can talk privately.”
What should a med spa post?
Our guidance, built to stay inside the platform rules above:
- Treatment explainers. What the appointment involves, how long it takes, what it feels like and typical downtime, using the approved-use wording from the label.
- Provider introductions. Each injector’s license, training and the treatments they perform. This speaks to the credential concerns ASDS found.
- The space. Treatment rooms, cleaning routines and the check-in experience, so a first visit feels familiar.
- Aftercare. What to avoid after neuromodulators, fillers or peels, as your medical director writes it.
- Before-and-after results only with signed authorization, consistent lighting and angles, and a note on typical results.
- Questions patients ask in consults, answered in plain language. These also give AI tools quotable answers.
| Week | Feed post or carousel | Reel | Stories | Google post |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Treatment explainer: what a neuromodulator appointment involves | Treatment room walk-through, 20 to 30 seconds | Behind the front desk, open booking times | Update: what’s new this month |
| 2 | Provider introduction with license and training | Provider answers one common consult question | Poll on which treatment to explain next | Photo update of a treatment room |
| 3 | Aftercare carousel for one treatment | Skin care product routine from your retail shelf | Reminder of aftercare basics | Event post for a consult night, if you host one |
| 4 | Consented before-and-after with typical-results note | Day in the life of the practice, faces only with consent | Reviews shared with the reviewer’s permission | Offer post, if you have one |
What should a med spa measure?
Google Business Profile. The performance report shows the search terms people used to find you, profile views, calls, direction requests, website clicks, messages and bookings.
Instagram. Insights show views, interactions and accounts engaged within the past 90 days; for posts and Stories, accounts engaged is split into followers and non-followers. Record numbers monthly.
In the practice. Our guidance: ask every new patient how they found you at intake, then track consults booked per month, the share of consults that become treatments, and how many first-time patients return within six months. Track review count and average rating monthly against the BrightLocal recency finding above.
How we handle this at Full On Social
Full On Social is a marketing agency in Metro Detroit, and health and beauty is one of the four industries it focuses on. Our med spa and beauty marketing work combines content creation and social media management, and the same crew shoots the content and runs the accounts, so treatment rooms, provider introductions and aftercare posts are planned with the platform and consent rules in this guide in mind.
Updates
- October 17, 2026: Guide published, facts checked against the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the American Med Spa Association, BrightLocal, Meta’s Advertising Standards, Google Ads Policy Help, Google Business Profile Help, TikTok Advertising Policies, the FTC, the FDA, DailyMed, the Michigan Legislature, HHS and Instagram Help.
