Dermatology practice marketing ideas and rules

Many independent dermatology practices run two businesses under one roof: medical dermatology that patients need, often through insurance, and cosmetic services and products that patients choose and pay for themselves. Each side has its own patients, searches and rules. Good marketing keeps them clearly separated on the website and in ads, and keeps every claim about devices, drugs and products within what the law allows.

Below are practical ideas for a dermatology practice, each with the rule that shapes it. For aesthetics-only businesses, our med spa guides go deeper. Practices that offer tattoo removal can use our guide to laser tattoo removal marketing. For hair removal claims and package pricing, see our guide to laser hair removal marketing. For chemical peel claims and take-home peel products, see our guide to chemical peel advertising rules. For excessive sweating treatments, see our guide to hyperhidrosis treatment marketing. Vitiligo care is covered in our guide to vitiligo treatment advertising. For melasma and dark spot treatment, see melasma treatment marketing. For clear skin claims, see psoriasis and eczema clinic marketing.

This is general information, not legal advice. Federal sources cited were checked on October 28, 2026. State medical boards regulate advertising, use of titles and who may perform cosmetic procedures, and their rules differ. Have a health care attorney review claims about devices, drugs and products before you publish them.

1. Separate medical and cosmetic paths on your website

Someone with a changing mole and someone looking for laser hair removal should not land on the same page. Build separate sections for medical and cosmetic dermatology, each with its own service pages, booking path and pricing or insurance information. Put a clear line on medical pages about which insurance plans you accept, and on cosmetic pages about how self-pay pricing works and whether consultations have a fee.

2. Describe devices accurately: cleared is not approved

Lasers, energy-based devices and many other tools used in dermatology reach the market through the FDA’s premarket notification process, known as 510(k). The FDA explains that under 510(k), a manufacturer must demonstrate to FDA’s satisfaction that a device is substantially equivalent to a device already on the market, and if FDA agrees, the manufacturer can market it. That is a clearance, not an approval. Premarket approval (PMA) is a different, more demanding process.

Say “FDA-cleared” only for devices that were cleared, and “FDA-approved” only for those that went through approval. The FDA’s 510(k) and PMA databases show which applies.
Describe what a device was cleared for, not every use you might make of it.
Keep results claims within what you can substantiate. The FTC requires health claims in advertising to be supported by competent and reliable scientific evidence.

3. Watch the claims on skincare products you sell

Many practices sell skincare in the office or online. How you describe a product can change how the law treats it. The FDA says whether a product is a cosmetic or a drug is determined by its intended use, and that claims in labeling, advertising, on the internet or in other promotional materials can establish that intended use. Its examples of claims that can make a product a drug include claims that it will restore hair growth, reduce cellulite, treat varicose veins, increase or decrease the production of melanin in the skin, or regenerate cells.

So a moisturizer described as hydrating is marketed as a cosmetic, while the same product described as treating a skin condition or reversing aging may be marketed as an unapproved drug. Keep product copy to what the product is legally sold as, and use the manufacturer’s approved claims for any over-the-counter drug products such as sunscreens.

4. Know the Google Ads rules for prescription treatments

Many dermatology treatments involve prescription drugs, including neurotoxins and prescription topicals. Google’s restricted drug terms policy says that for campaigns targeting the United States, you may use prescription drug terms for promotional purposes, in accordance with local laws and regulations, and that you don’t need to be certified to use them in ads and landing pages, but you must be certified in order to keyword-target these terms. Certification is also required for some business types, such as telemedicine providers.

Plan campaigns around the condition or service, such as “wrinkle treatment” or “acne treatment,” unless you have the certification to target drug names as keywords. Our guide to Google Ads for med spas covers aesthetic campaigns in more detail.

5. Check age targeting on social ads

Meta’s Health and Wellness ad standard says ads for cosmetic procedures, including those depicting before and after transformation, may run when targeted to people 18 or older, and it does not allow ads that attack a person’s appearance. Set the age on every cosmetic campaign, and keep copy focused on the service rather than on what is wrong with how someone looks.

6. Show credentials exactly as held

Patients compare dermatology practices by who will treat them. Show each clinician’s real title, license and board certification exactly as they hold them, and be clear about which services each one provides. State rules differ on how terms such as “board certified” and “dermatologist” may be used in advertising, and who may perform cosmetic procedures; check your state medical board’s rules. A claim that overstates training is deceptive under the FTC Act whether it appears in an ad, a bio or a social media post.

7. Use results and patient photos only with authorization

Results galleries are central to cosmetic dermatology, and they carry the most rules. If you are a HIPAA covered entity, using patient photos in marketing requires a written authorization under 45 CFR 164.508. The FTC expects results shown to be typical, or the ad must clearly say what is typical. Our guide to patient testimonials and before-and-after photos explains both, with a checklist for the authorization form.

8. Be careful with free skin checks and offers

Community skin cancer screening events and free consultations are common in dermatology. Free services to people who are or may become patients can raise issues under federal fraud and abuse laws when Medicare or Medicaid patients are involved. The FTC’s guide on the word “free” (16 CFR 251.1) also expects all conditions of a free offer to be stated clearly with it. Have counsel review any free offer, and see our guide to referral and inducement rules.

If the practice offers Mohs surgery or runs a skin cancer clinic, cure rate quotes, Mohs and fellowship wording, skin check events and sunscreen claims are covered in our guide to skin cancer and Mohs surgery clinic marketing.

9. Build pages for the conditions you treat

On the medical side, separate pages for acne, eczema, psoriasis, skin checks and other conditions you treat help patients find you. Explain what the visit involves, who it is for and how it is billed, and avoid outcome promises. Google’s guidance on helpful content rewards pages written for people by someone with real experience, which a dermatologist reviewing each page provides.

10. Ask for reviews and keep up recalls

Ask every patient for an honest review, never in exchange for anything, which the FTC’s reviews rule (16 CFR 465.4) bans for reviews of a particular sentiment. Reply without confirming that someone is a patient; see how to reply to patient reviews. For follow-ups such as annual skin checks, a patient recall system keeps patients on schedule.

Ideas to skip

“FDA-approved” for devices that were cleared.
Disease or anti-aging treatment claims for cosmetic products.
Drug names as keywords without Google certification.
Patient photos without written authorization, or results that are not typical without saying so.
Free screenings or offers that have not been reviewed by counsel.

How we help

We build websites, local search and ad campaigns for independent practices, with separate paths for medical and cosmetic services and claims kept within what each practice can support. We do not give legal advice. See our med spa marketing and Google Ads for practices services, or the full list in our healthcare marketing rules guide.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between FDA-cleared and FDA-approved?

Most devices used in dermatology are cleared through the 510(k) process, where the manufacturer shows the device is substantially equivalent to one already on the market. Approval is a separate, more demanding premarket approval process. Use the term that matches the device.

Can a dermatology practice advertise Botox or other prescription drugs on Google?

In the United States, Google allows prescription drug terms in ads and landing pages without certification, in line with local laws, but you must be certified to use them as keywords.

Can we say our skincare products treat acne or reverse aging?

The FDA says claims to treat or prevent disease or to affect the structure or function of the body can make a product a drug. Describe cosmetics as cosmetics, and use approved claims for over-the-counter drug products.

Can we run free skin cancer screening events?

Many practices do, but free services can raise fraud and abuse questions when Medicare or Medicaid patients are involved, and the terms of any free offer must be clear. Have counsel review the event.

Can we show before-and-after photos?

Only with written patient authorization if you are a HIPAA covered entity, with typical results made clear, and within each ad platform’s rules.

Dermatology practice marketing: ideas and the FDA, FTC and ad rules