You talk about results and risk honestly by saying that results vary from person to person, that every procedure carries risk, and that the practitioner will explain both at a consultation. Our Ahpra check flags promises of an ideal result and any wording that implies a procedure is safe, comfortable or certain.
This is the hardest part of cosmetic copy because it is where clinics most want to sound reassuring. I will show what the rules say, why plain wording works, and give sentences you can adapt.
What does the guidance say about results?
Cosmetic advertising should not create unrealistic expectations about results. That is how the check on this site states it, and it flags claims of an ideal result. Superlatives about outcomes are on the list, and so are words that suggest a certain outcome.
The practical reading is simple. Do not describe what a patient will look like. Describe what the treatment is for and what the process is, and let the practitioner talk about likely outcomes with the person in front of them.
What does it say about risk and safety?
Advertising should not claim or imply that a procedure is safe, carries no risk, involves no discomfort or has a certain result. Every procedure carries some risk and results vary. Our check flags wording that says a procedure has no risk, causes no pain or has no complications, plus any promise of a certain outcome.
Notice that this is not only about the obvious words. A page that never says 'safe' but is full of reassurance, with nothing about risk, reads the same way to a reader. Balance matters more than any single word.
What wording do the check's own suggestions use?
Our check suggests these patterns, and I use them as a starting point:
- Results: 'Results vary from person to person. Your practitioner will talk you through what to expect.'
- Risk: 'All procedures carry risks. Your practitioner will explain them at your consultation.'
They are plain on purpose. They are short enough to sit on every treatment page without taking over, and they point to the right place for the real conversation. Adapt them to your clinic's voice, and show the final version to your adviser.
Why is wording that plays on insecurity a problem?
Because advertising should not encourage people to feel negatively about their appearance. Our check looks for phrases that treat a person's features as faults to be corrected, plus ones that tell a reader not to live with something.
The fix is to describe the treatment and what it involves, without suggesting something is wrong with the reader. A page can be warm without telling the visitor they have a problem to solve. I would also check the small text: image captions, button labels and the first line of a pop-up are where this wording tends to sneak in, because they are written fast and rarely reviewed.
How do you write a page that is honest and still useful?
- 1Say what the treatment is for, in neutral words.
- 2Say who does it and what their role is.
- 3Describe the consultation: what is asked, assessed and explained.
- 4State the risk line and the results line once, clearly.
- 5Tell the reader how to book and what happens next.
Notice what is absent: no photo of an ideal result, no adjective about how the patient will feel, no deadline. A reader who wants more gets it at the consultation, from a person who can be held to what they say.
What about before-and-after photos?
I can only tell you what our check does and does not do. It reads text, so it will not see a photo, and it does not judge images. Whether a photo or its caption raises an issue is a question for your adviser and the current guidelines. I would treat any caption that implies a result as covered by the same results rule above.
If you are unsure, leave it out of public pages until your adviser has approved it in writing. A page without a gallery is a smaller risk than a page with one that you cannot defend.
How do you handle a patient who asks for a promise?
You tell them what you can say and what you cannot. A patient who asks 'will it work?' is asking for reassurance, and the honest answer is that it depends on the person, which is why a consultation exists. Train front desk staff to give that answer kindly and then book the consultation.
The same applies to online chat and to written replies. Anything a person at your clinic types into an enquiry reply is your clinic speaking. That is why Conduit does not give medical advice: clinical questions go to your team, and the system's job is to carry the enquiry to a booked consultation with the health questions and consent first.
Does the same apply to your messages?
Yes. Texts, emails and automatic replies are held to the same rules as your website, so no promises about results and no claims about safety. Conduit's check looks for ranking claims and promises about results in every message, and your clinic approves each template.
To see where else wording slips, read how to check your website for Ahpra problems, then run the Ahpra check. It is a wording check, not legal advice, so the last read should be your adviser's.