Botox advertising rules in the UK: what a clinic or dental practice can post, with five rewrites that pass

Botox cannot be advertised to the public in the UK. It is a prescription-only medicine, so a post, a hashtag or an offer that names it or points to it breaks the advertising code and the medicines regulations, whoever holds the syringe. What a clinic can advertise is the consultation.

The rule covers aesthetics clinics and dental practices that have added facial aesthetics, whose social media was set up for whitening and hygiene.

The rule and where it comes from

Two rules say the same thing. Rule 12.12 of the CAP Code reads: "Prescription-only medicines or prescription-only medical treatments may not be advertised to the public." Regulation 284 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 reads: "A person may not publish an advertisement that is likely to lead to the use of a prescription only medicine."

The Committee of Advertising Practice and the medicines regulator, the MHRA, sent the sector a joint enforcement notice in January 2020. It names Botox, Vistabel, Dysport, Bocouture and Azzalure. It says the ban applies "even if the POM is administered by a registered medical professional". It warns that an advertiser who will not comply can be referred to the MHRA or to their professional regulator. For a dentist that regulator is the GDC, whose standard 1.3.3 requires advertising to be accurate and not misleading.

What counts as an advert

The notice covers "paid-for ads, non-paid-for marketing posts on your or others' pages and influencer marketing". An ordinary post on the practice's own Instagram page is an advert. So is a hashtag, an image with the product name in it, or a made-up name such as "Beautytox" where the reference is obvious.

What you may and may not say

The ASA's advice, updated on 29 October 2025, allows the product name on a clinic's own website in two places: as a possible outcome of a consultation, and in the price list. CAP's short guide adds that it should not appear on the homepage. Social media gets no such allowance. The ASA says any reference there, hashtags included, is likely to be seen as an implied advert.

Five rewrites

1. "Botox now available, three areas, book today." Rewrite: "We now offer consultations for the treatment of lines and wrinkles with [clinician's name and registration number]. Book a consultation." No product name, and no price beside it.
2. A filler photo tagged #botox #brotox #antiwrinkle. Remove all three tags. Tag what the picture shows: #dermalfillers.
3. "Wrinkle relaxing injections every Thursday." Rewrite: "Facial aesthetics consultations every Thursday." The original phrase can only mean the medicine, so it goes.
4. A forehead before-and-after from a toxin patient. No compliant version exists, so take it down. A filler before-and-after can stay only if you hold signed and dated proof that the photos are genuine and unaltered, and no filter has been applied.
5. "20% off anti-wrinkle injections, ends Friday." Delete it. An offer on a prescription-only medicine is banned outright. CAP also warns against short deadlines such as "Hurry, offer ends at midnight" on any cosmetic procedure.

CAP also rules out wording that trivialises treatment, such as a procedure "performed on your lunch break".

Fillers and mixed lists

The notice says fillers "may be advertised provided there is no implication that a POM is also available". Name them as "dermal fillers" or "cosmetic fillers". A list that reads "injectables" or "anti-wrinkle treatments" beside the fillers undoes that, because the reader assumes the toxin is on the menu.

Under-18s

Two separate rules apply.

• Advertising. CAP rule 12.25 took effect on 25 May 2022. Adverts for cosmetic interventions must not be directed at under-18s, and online, social, email and print adverts cannot appear where under-18s make up 25% or more of the audience.
• Treatment. In England it has been an offence since 1 October 2021 to administer botulinum toxin, or a filler for a cosmetic purpose, to a person under 18. The Act lists a registered dentist as a regulated health professional, whose defence depends on acting under the directions of a registered medical practitioner.

The check before a post goes out

1. Read the caption, the text in the image and every hashtag for a product name or a phrase that can only mean the toxin.
2. Check that no price or offer sits beside the words "anti-wrinkle".
3. If the post shows a result, confirm it is not a toxin treatment and that the signed proof is on file.
4. Check the audience settings exclude under-18s.
5. Have the prescriber or a GDC registrant approve it, and keep the approved version with the date.

Patient comments and reviews need the same care. A reply that thanks a named reviewer for "coming in for Botox" advertises the medicine and discloses a treatment in one line. The guide to replying to reviews without breaching confidentiality covers the second half of that. The treatment plan follow-up template applies the same no-pressure rule to private messages.

Who signs it off

A GDC-registered professional or the practice manager reviews anything a tool drafts before it reaches a patient, and that includes captions written by a marketing agency or an AI tool. This page is general information, not clinical or legal advice. CAP's Copy Advice team gives free advice on a specific advert before it is published.