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Social media in aesthetics: Professionalism, patient safety, and the standards we cannot ignore

Social media is everywhere in aesthetics. It’s where patients look for us, where people form their opinions, and where they learn. But it’s also where standards go out the window. Too often professionalism is forgotten, codes of conduct are ignored, and patient safety gets lost in the noise of likes, follows and clickbait. We need to get honest about the part we, as regulated professionals, are playing in this.

Our codes of conduct exist for a reason. They’re there to keep us appropriate, professional and safe. Yet, the way I see some practitioners behave online, you’d think regulation only applies in clinic. People need to ask, would I say/do this on a hospital ward? If the answer is no, then don’t post it online. It really is that simple. Would you tear down a colleague, use offensive language, or bash a patient? No. So why is it suddenly acceptable just because it’s on Instagram or a Facebook forum?

The truth is, we’ve got used to being spoon-fed. People want every possible situation spelt out in black and white, but that’s not real life. You have to use your own autonomy. Awareness is part of being regulated. If you know the answer would be “absolutely not” in another clinical setting, then you’ve got your answer.

We see so many practitioners pushing the boundary on advertising prescription-only medications, for example. This isn’t a subtle slip; it’s a conscious bend of the rules. Practitioners take the “risk” because it benefits their business, while completely ignoring legality and professional guidelines. “I didn’t know,” or “everyone else does it,” doesn’t cut it when you’re accountable to a regulator. When you choose to work in independent practice, you accept full responsibility for every inch of your work, and that includes what you post online. My boundaries are simple: If I had to explain my actions to my regulator tomorrow, would I be able to justify them? If the answer is no, then it doesn’t go online.

Another thing to consider is that, to the public, regulated and unregulated practitioners appear the same online. That’s part of the problem, especially in a country like the UK. Patients can’t see the difference, and half the time, practitioners don’t make it easier. Other countries have started to clamp down harder. In parts of Europe, there’s a clearer framework for how regulated practitioners are expected to behave online. But we have to be careful what we wish for… In the southern hemisphere, they’ve taken regulation to an extreme where it risks becoming restrictive even for safe, ethical practice.

The main positive of regulation is obvious – patient safety and a fair playing field. Everyone should be accountable to the same standards, instead of this mix of some following the rules while others do whatever they like. The negatives only exist if regulation goes too far, but I’d take stricter oversight over the chaos we’ve currently got in the UK.

MINDFUL MEDIA

It’s World Mental Health Day in October, so it’s the perfect time to talk about this side of social media. Whether we like it or not, it’s having a massive impact on the mental well-being of patients. Social media fuels comparison, sets unrealistic beauty standards and feeds into body dysmorphia. And if we’re honest, our sector has not done a good enough job of protecting patients from that.

We should be screening more thoroughly, asking harder questions in consultations, and using proper cool-off periods before treatment. Treatments in aesthetics carry a high risk, and the impact of complications isn’t just physical; it can devastate mental health. And yet we’ve got practitioners who are fuelling the problem. Speculating about celebrities, commenting on what “work” someone has had, using clickbait just to drive views… None of that is patient-centred or safe.

When a patient comes into clinic with a filtered image or a celebrity photo, asking me to make them “look like that,” I use it as a teaching moment. We go deep into the anatomy of ageing, into how genetics play a role, into why they look in the mirror and see changes. I remind them that no one else is them, and that individuality is worth celebrating. Sometimes I’ll even break into a McFly moment (“it’s all about you”) because at the heart of it, that’s what medical aesthetics should be about: the individual, not a carbon copy.

It’s important to mention that social media isn’t all bad. Used properly, it’s one of the best tools we’ve got. It can educate, build trust and raise standards. It can show patients how to stay safe in our unregulated sector, and educate them on important topics like body dysmorphia. But only if we actually use it responsibly.

Patients often can’t tell the difference between evidence-based education and marketing hype, and it should be our responsibility to make sure they don’t have to guess. Too many practitioners become sheep, copying whatever content gets the most engagement with no patient safety in mind. Instead, show patients what makes you you. Show them your clinical process, your work, your standards. Don’t hide behind filters, gimmicks or celebrity gossip.

Transparency is also non-negotiable. We’re bound by the duty of candour. That means being honest, clear, and being real. Is a filtered before-and-after photo transparent? No. Is using lighting tricks to exaggerate a result transparent? No. Patients deserve honesty, both in-clinic and online.

SO, IS SOCIAL MEDIA HELPING OR HARMING THE AESTHETICS SECTOR?

Honestly, both. For the healthcare sector, it’s harming us. It dilutes standards, blurs what’s safe and can confuse patients. From an education standpoint, it can be crucial to inform our patients and help them make better decisions, but only if we use it correctly.

So, where do we go from here? Well, regulation has to catch up. The Department of Health needs to wake up to the damage being done and the potential good that could come if we actually set proper standards.

For new practitioners entering medical aesthetics, my advice is to educate yourself. Learn what you can and can’t advertise and where the boundaries are. Ask, would I say this, do this, or post this if I was working in another clinical setting? If the answer is no, then don’t put it online. Social media is not neutral. Every post has an impact on patients, on their mental health, and on the reputation of our sector. We can keep blaming “the industry,” but the truth is this: we’re part of it. If we want standards raised, it starts with us, what we post and the example we set.

AMY BIRD

Amy Bird RGN NMP is an award winning nurse prescriber, speaker, trainer and KOLwith more than a decade of full time experience in medical aesthetics. She is lead nurse at her practice, KAST Medical Aesthetics in Cheshire and recently became chair at BAMAN. She is a passionate advocate for best practice, standards and patient safety.