AHPRA's new cosmetic procedure guidelines reset the rules for non-surgical advertising and influencer work
AHPRA and the National Boards' two new cosmetic procedure guidelines came into effect on 2 September 2025, after their announcement in June. The advertising rules tighten image use, reinforce the testimonial ban for influencers and brand ambassadors, mandate total-price disclosure, and prohibit advertising aimed at under-18s. For cosmetic injectables, in-person or video consultation is now required every time a practitioner prescribes — asynchronous prescribing through forms or text is out. The reset hits a sector that has been running on the e-commerce playbook.
- AHPRA
- Cosmetic
- Medical
The two guidelines — covering practitioners who perform non-surgical cosmetic procedures and those who advertise higher-risk non-surgical cosmetic procedures — were announced on 3 June 2025 and commenced on 2 September 2025. The Medical Board of Australia and the Nursing and Midwifery Board sit behind the rules, and the obligations bite on every clinic running paid acquisition.
On the advertising side: only real images, no airbrushing or editing that misleads, and a results-may-vary warning on any ad that uses imagery. Pricing in advertising must be clear, accurate and reflect the total price of the procedure — not just consultation fees or starting-from numbers. The pre-existing testimonial ban under the National Law is reinforced and extended explicitly to social media influencers and brand ambassadors. The Medical Board's advertising guidance frames influencers as a heightened risk to patient expectations.
For cosmetic injectables, the prescribing pathway has changed. Each prescription now requires an in-person or video consultation. Asynchronous prescribing through online forms, text or email is prohibited. Advertising of cosmetic procedures aimed at people under 18 is banned, higher-risk procedures must be marked as adult content on social platforms, and a seven-day cooling-off period applies for under-18 patients between first consultation and the procedure.
AHPRA framed the change as overdue. CEO Justin Untersteiner is reported to have said the regulator will not hesitate to act where practitioners prioritise profits over patient care. Medical Board Chair Dr Susan O'Dwyer is reported to have said exploitative advertising had grown as fast as patient demand. The Cosmetic Surgery Enforcement Unit, established with $4.5 million in additional funding, gives those statements an enforcement spine.
The shape of the breach the regulator catches has not changed — image-led claims, before/afters, influencer endorsements, starting-from pricing, async prescribing for injectables. What changed is that every one of those is now named in a guideline. Platform approval is not a defence. AHPRA is the regulator.
“If your cosmetic clinic's funnel runs on edited before/afters, influencer reels, starting-from pricing or DM-based injectable booking, assume each surface is now a separate regulator-readable advertisement. Rebuild around real images, total price, named procedure detail and synchronous consultation — before the enforcement unit reads your account.”
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