Aesthetic Clinic Marketing Rules: What AHPRA and the TGA Require in 2026
Marketing an aesthetic clinic in Australia isn't like marketing an ordinary business. Two regulators — AHPRA and the TGA — set firm boundaries on what you can and can't say, and both have been active in enforcing them. Getting this wrong risks penalties and reputational damage; getting it right builds trust with exactly the patients you want. This is a plain-English overview of the rules every aesthetic clinic needs to understand.
This is general information, not legal advice. Always check the current AHPRA and TGA guidance or seek professional advice for your specific situation.
Two regulators, two jobs
It helps to understand who governs what. The TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration) regulates therapeutic goods, including prescription-only medicines — and this is where cosmetic injectables sit. The AHPRA and the National Boards regulate registered health practitioners and how they advertise their services, including specific guidelines for cosmetic procedures. Your marketing has to satisfy both.
The big one: you can't advertise prescription-only injectables
Cosmetic injectables such as botulinum toxin and dermal fillers are prescription-only medicines under the Poisons Standard. Advertising prescription-only medicines to the public is prohibited under the Therapeutic Goods Act. In practice, this means your marketing cannot:
Name the products or substances — not the brand names, not the generic names. Nor can it use nicknames, abbreviations or hashtags that a consumer would understand as referring to those products. And "before and after" content that makes clear the result came from a prescription-only injectable likely amounts to prohibited advertising. Importantly, this applies to all your content — including old social media posts, which still have to comply.
The workaround isn't a loophole; it's better marketing. You advertise the outcome a patient wants and the experience of your clinic, rather than the product.
AHPRA's cosmetic advertising guidelines
On top of the TGA rules, AHPRA's guidelines for advertising higher-risk non-surgical cosmetic procedures (things like injectables, fillers, thread lifts and PRP) — which took effect in September 2025 — add further requirements. In broad terms, they:
Prohibit testimonials for these higher-risk procedures. This is wide-reaching — it includes not using patient reviews as advertising, and not sharing, liking or amplifying them for promotional purposes. It also strengthens the ban on testimonials from social media influencers.
Require that any images used are real and unedited — no airbrushing or altering that could mislead — and that advertisements using images carry a warning that results may vary.
Prohibit advertising these procedures to people under 18.
Rule out language that trivialises risk or creates unrealistic expectations — terms like "safe," "painless," "world renowned," or emotive claims such as "restore self-esteem."
What patients can still do
An important distinction: these rules restrict what you advertise, not what patients say of their own accord. Patients remain free to write reviews, share their own experiences and post about their treatment on third-party platforms. The line you must not cross is using or curating that content as advertising for higher-risk procedures.
How to market compliantly — and effectively
The rules can feel restrictive, but they point towards an approach that's both compliant and genuinely more effective for a premium clinic:
Advertise outcomes and experiences, not prescription products. Build trust through your team's genuine qualifications, professional accreditations and clear, honest information. Use education-led content that informs rather than promotes. Invest in a strong, distinctive brand that stands out on quality, not hype. This is exactly the approach that attracts discerning, high-value patients — the ones who choose on trust rather than a discount.
Treat compliance as ongoing, not one-off
Regulations evolve, and so must your marketing. The rules have tightened recently, and reviewing your website, social media and marketing materials against current guidance should be a regular discipline, not a one-time check. This includes auditing historical content, since old posts still have to comply. Building compliance into how you work — rather than reacting after a problem — is what protects your clinic and your reputation.
Frequently asked questions
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No. These are prescription-only medicines, and advertising them to the public — by brand name, generic name, nickname, abbreviation or hashtag — is prohibited. Advertise the outcome and your clinic's experience instead.
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Patients can freely post their own reviews and experiences. But you can't use testimonials as advertising for higher-risk procedures, including sharing or amplifying them for promotional purposes. Influencer testimonials for these procedures are banned.
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Yes. Because social posts remain accessible regardless of when they were published, historical content must comply too. Auditing and cleaning up old posts is part of staying compliant.
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Not at all. The compliant approach — selling outcomes, experience and trust rather than products and hype — is more effective at attracting the high-value patients premium clinics want. Compliance and good marketing pull in the same direction.
Market boldly and stay compliant
You shouldn't have to choose between marketing that works and marketing that's compliant. At The Aesthetic Collective, compliance is built into everything we do — content audits and expert guidance to keep your website, socials and campaigns aligned with AHPRA and TGA rules, without watering down your message. To make sure your marketing is both compelling and correct, book a discovery call with Chloe.