Last updated 20 October 2026 — by Adrian Tan, SDM. Marketing guidance, not legal or medical advice. References are to the Singapore Medical Council’s Guidelines on Aesthetic Practices for Doctors (2016 Edition), the SMC Ethical Code and Ethical Guidelines (2016 Edition), and the Healthcare Services Act 2020 and Healthcare Services (Advertisement) Regulations 2021 on Singapore Statutes Online as at 20 October 2026. Where we infer how a rule applies, we say so.
Search “aesthetic clinic marketing Singapore” and most of what ranks is agency advice: post before-and-after photos, collect patient testimonials, run a launch promotion, call your doctor Singapore’s leading aesthetic physician. In Singapore, for a licensed clinic, every one of those tactics breaks a rule.
Aesthetic medicine is one of the most competitive categories in Singapore digital advertising, and one of the most tightly drawn. A doctor-run clinic answers to the Healthcare Services Act, its advertising regulations, the Singapore Medical Council’s ethical code and a separate set of SMC guidelines written just for aesthetic practice. A beauty salon offering facials and slimming is not a clinic at all, yet it can still commit a healthcare advertising offence if it promises to treat a skin condition. And the machines in the room decide which of the two you are allowed to be.
This guide covers both sides: doctor-run aesthetic clinics and non-medical beauty and slimming centres. It focuses on what is specific to aesthetics. The general clinic advertising rules — reviews, promotions, links — are covered in our guide to dental clinic advertising rules in Singapore, which applies the same Healthcare Services Act regulations, and the cosmetics side in our guide to advertising cosmetic product claims in Singapore.
The four rulebooks, and who they bind
| Rulebook | Binds | What matters for aesthetics |
|---|---|---|
| SMC Guidelines on Aesthetic Practices for Doctors (2016) | Registered doctors | Which procedures a doctor may offer; banned titles; misleading images |
| SMC Ethical Code and Ethical Guidelines (2016) | Registered doctors | B10 aesthetic duties; G2-G4 advertising standards |
| Healthcare Services Act and Advertisement Regulations 2021 | Licensed clinics, and in parts anyone | Before-and-after ban; names and logos; s 31A treatment claims by non-licensees |
| SCAP (self-regulatory) and the CPFTA | Everyone, especially salons and slimming centres | Slimming claims; testimonials; unfair sales practices |
Part 1: doctor-run aesthetic clinics
What a doctor may offer at all
The SMC’s Guidelines on Aesthetic Practices for Doctors (2016 Edition, in force 1 August 2016) do something unusual: they list the aesthetic procedures doctors may perform, and say that only listed procedures may be offered (para 12). The SMC page was last updated in August 2026, and MOH told Parliament in October 2023 that a review was due to finish in 2024; we found no newer edition, so the 2016 text is the one in force.
Table 1 (para 13) covers procedures that GPs and other doctors may perform once they have either a minimum case log from a 2006-2008 reference period or a Certificate of Competence approved by the Aesthetic Practice Oversight Committee (APOC). Table 2 (para 15) lists procedures reserved for particular specialists.
| Group | Examples from the guidelines | Who may perform |
|---|---|---|
| Table 1, non-invasive | Chemical peels; IPL rejuvenation; radiofrequency, ultrasound or light-based skin tightening; laser and IPL hair removal; external fat reduction (heat, cold, ultrasound) | Doctors with 30 logged cases or a Certificate of Competence |
| Table 1, minimally invasive | Botulinum toxin (30 cases); fillers for face, neck and hands only (30); thread lifts (20); sclerotherapy (20); vascular, pigment, fractional and ablative lasers (30) | As above |
| Table 1, invasive | Body fat grafting; hair transplant; dermabrasion (10 cases each) | As above |
| Table 2, specialist only | Abdominoplasty and breast enhancement (plastic surgeons); eyelid surgery; rhinoplasty (ENT or plastic); facelift; vaginoplasty and labiaplasty (O&G or plastic) | Named specialists only |
| Not permitted | Mesotherapy, carboxytherapy and other former “List B” procedures (paras 23-24) | No one, outside an approved clinical trial |
The marketing consequence is direct. Your service menu is an advertisement, so it may only list procedures your doctors are credentialed for. A “mesotherapy” page, a filler page that mentions areas beyond face, neck and hands, or a new imported device marketed before APOC has approved the procedure (paras 25-26 require an application with at least three published papers) puts the doctor in breach. The High Court’s decision in Low Chai Ling v Singapore Medical Council [2012] SGHC 191 is the reminder: the disciplinary charges there were built on treatments listed on the clinic’s website. The appeal succeeded on other grounds, but the method — read the website, then ask whether the doctor could lawfully offer what it lists — is exactly how a complaint is investigated.
Titles: “aesthetic physician” is not allowed
Paragraph 4 of the guidelines states that aesthetic practice is not a specialty or subspecialty, and that the titles “aesthetic physician”, “aesthetic dermatologist” and “aesthetic plastic surgeon” are not allowed. Titles must follow sections 64 and 65 of the Medical Registration Act. Under paragraph 5, a GP describes themselves as a General Practitioner or Family Physician; a dermatologist or plastic surgeon uses only that registered specialist title. The ECEG’s B10 adds that a doctor must not imply they are a specialist in aesthetic medicine.
This is where bios, Google Business Profiles, Instagram handles and ad copy most often go wrong. In 2010 the SMC found that a doctor had misrepresented himself as a specialist plastic surgeon to a patient and on his website, in breach of section 65 of the Medical Registration Act. Some quick rewrites:
- “Dr Tan, aesthetic physician” → “Dr Tan, General Practitioner, Certificate of Competence in botulinum toxin and fillers” (if accurate).
- “Our aesthetic dermatologist” → “our dermatologist” (only if registered as one), otherwise remove.
- “Clinic name: Orchard Dermatology Aesthetics” → under s 29(2A) of the Healthcare Services Act (in force 26 June 2023), a clinic may not use a specialty term such as “dermatology” in its name or logo unless it has that specialist.
The before-and-after ban
Regulation 5(1)(d) of the Healthcare Services (Advertisement) Regulations 2021 prohibits licensees from using before-and-after images — and “only after” images — in advertisements, whether the images appear in one ad or are split across several. Regulation 5(2) allows them inside a consultation with the patient. This is an outright ban on public advertising, not a “use with care” rule, and it is the single biggest difference between how Singapore clinics can market and how aesthetic brands in other markets do.
Platform rules make this easier to get wrong. Meta’s Health and Wellness ad standards permit ads for cosmetic procedures that show before-and-after transformations, provided they are targeted at people aged 18 and over. That is a statement of what Meta will accept, not of what Singapore law allows. A clinic ad that passes Meta’s review can still breach regulation 5(1)(d).
The SMC advertising standards, applied to aesthetics
Guideline G2 of the ECEG requires doctors’ information to be factual, accurate, verifiable and not misleading, and lists what it must not be: unduly persuasive, extravagant, sensational, enticing or alluring, laudatory, comparative or disparaging, or offering financial inducements. For aesthetics, several of G2’s specific bans read as if written for the category:
- No advertising that creates dissatisfaction with a person’s self, body image or physical attractiveness — so “Tired of looking old?” and “Hate your double chin?” headlines are out.
- No glitz, glamour, celebrities or fashion-world imagery to promote services.
- No free or discounted treatments, time-limited offers or credit-card tie-ups as inducements.
- No testimonials on any media you control, which includes your website and your own social accounts.
G3 bars unsolicited emails and messages and the viral spreading of ads on social media; G4 allows images for education only and requires paid content to be disclosed at the start. B10 adds a positive duty that is useful copy guidance in itself: when advertising or advising on aesthetic procedures, give objective information about the outcomes patients can reasonably expect. B10 also requires doctors to screen for body-image disorders and not to treat minors, which is why age-gating and a “suitable for” line belong on the booking page.
Part 2: beauty salons and slimming centres
The machines decide what you are
Many disputes about who may advertise what come down to equipment. NEA’s guidance on apparatus used in the beauty and medical aesthetic industry is clear on three points:
| Device | Status under NEA guidance | Marketing consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Class 4 lasers | May be operated on humans only by registered doctors in MOH-licensed premises | A salon cannot offer or advertise Class 4 laser treatments |
| High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) | Same: registered doctors in licensed premises only; suppliers must not sell to beauticians | “Salon HIFU facial” ads describe an unlawful service |
| Intense pulsed light (IPL) | Not regulated by NEA under the Radiation Protection Act | Salons may offer IPL hair removal and advertise it, within general claim rules |
Dealing in Class 3B and Class 4 lasers also needs an NEA licence, with penalties of up to $100,000 and/or five years under the Radiation Protection Act. And injectables such as botulinum toxin are prescription-only medicines that may not be advertised to the public at all, a rule explained in our health product advertising guide. So a salon’s ad for “baby Botox” is wrong twice over.
Section 31A: when a salon commits a healthcare advertising offence
Since 26 June 2023, section 31A of the Healthcare Services Act makes it an offence for anyone who is not a licensee to advertise a skill or service for treating an ailment, disease, injury, infirmity, disability or abnormality of mind or body, or any other condition, with a penalty of up to $20,000 and/or 12 months. Section 31B adds that anyone described as “Doctor” in a healthcare advertisement who is not a practising registered professional must have their qualification and a disclaimer shown. Section 31C lets the Director-General of Health order an advertisement rectified or withdrawn.
Our reading of what that means for salon copy:
- “Acne treatment facial”, “eczema relief therapy” and “pigmentation treatment” describe the treatment of a condition. A salon advertising them risks s 31A.
- “Deep-cleansing facial for congested skin”, “hydrating facial for dry, sensitive skin” and “brightening facial” describe cosmetic care. That is the safer register.
- A salon founder with a PhD or an overseas medical degree who is not registered in Singapore should not appear as “Dr” in ads without the s 31B qualification and disclaimer.
Slimming claims under SCAP Appendix H
Slimming centres are governed less by statute than by the Singapore Code of Advertising Practice’s Appendix H on slimming products and services, and by consumer protection law. Appendix H’s key clauses:
- 1.2: testimonials from users do not constitute substantiation. “Our clients lose 5kg a month” needs evidence beyond their stories.
- 2.1.5 and 2.1.6: claims that weight can be lost without diet are not acceptable, and loss of water must not be presented as slimming — the trap behind “lose 2kg in one session” sauna and wrap results.
- 5.1: no claims that a method cannot fail.
- 5.4.1: slimming claims are not acceptable for massage or vibrating machines, sauna and wrap treatments, products said to raise the metabolic rate, or diuretics.
Sales practices: the complaint data
Beauty is consistently one of the most-complained-about industries in Singapore. CASE reported a sharp rise in beauty complaints in 2025, and media reports of its mid-2026 figures put beauty at the top of the complaints table, mostly over failures to honour contracts and aggressive sales. Regulators have acted on the sector under the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act: in July 2026 the Competition and Consumer Commission announced that the operator of the Beautique and The Mineral Boutique brands had committed $1 million for refunds and now displays a 14-day refund policy. Package selling and its rules are covered in our guide to marketing prepaid packages in Singapore. For advertising, the lesson is that “first trial $38” offers which lead to hard-sell package upgrades are exactly the pattern regulators are now watching.
Worked example: one treatment, two businesses
Take skin tightening on the jawline. Here is how the same campaign idea plays out for a doctor-run clinic and for a beauty salon.
| Element | Doctor-run clinic | Beauty salon |
|---|---|---|
| Device | HIFU, if the doctor has the case log or Certificate of Competence | No HIFU (doctors only); radiofrequency facial or IPL only, where lawful |
| Headline | “Skin tightening with HIFU: what to expect from your first session” | “Firming facial: a relaxing treatment for skin that feels smoother” |
| Images | No before-and-after or “only after”; treatment-room or device images, educational diagrams | No therapeutic claims in images; SCAP and CPFTA apply to any results shown |
| Who is named | “Dr Lim, General Practitioner” with credentials, not “aesthetic physician” | Therapist names; no “Dr” without the s 31B disclaimer |
| Offer | No discounts, time-limited offers or card tie-ups (ECEG G2) | Allowed, but show full price and terms; no hard-sell upgrades |
| Reviews | No testimonials on media you control (ECEG G2) | Genuine reviews allowed; not as proof of slimming (App. H 1.2) |
Pre-launch checklist
- Map every service on your menu to the SMC guidelines’ Table 1 or Table 2 and the performing doctor’s credentials; remove anything unlisted.
- Audit titles on the website, Google Business Profile, social bios and ads: no “aesthetic physician”, no unearned specialty terms in the clinic name.
- Remove before-and-after and “only after” images from all advertising, including old posts and highlights.
- Strip inducements and testimonials from clinic channels: no discounts, launch promotions or patient reviews on media you control.
- For salons, check devices and wording: no HIFU or Class 4 laser services, and no “treatment” of acne, eczema or pigmentation.
- Check slimming copy against SCAP Appendix H, and show full prices and terms on every offer.
- Check platform targeting: Meta requires 18+ targeting for cosmetic procedure ads.
Where this leaves you
The aesthetic clinics that market well in Singapore win on what the rules leave open: genuinely educational content about procedures, clear credentials, transparent pricing, strong local SEO and a well-run booking journey. Our guide to Google Ads for clinics in Singapore covers the search side, and our digital marketing guide for beauty businesses covers the wider sector.
If you want help building a compliant aesthetic or beauty campaign that still fills the appointment book, our performance marketing team in Singapore can plan and run it with you, and you can see how we work in our client case studies. For the measurement side, start with our complete guide to performance marketing in Singapore.
Frequently asked questions
Can aesthetic clinics in Singapore post before-and-after photos?
Not in advertising. Regulation 5(1)(d) of the Healthcare Services (Advertisement) Regulations 2021 bans licensees from using before-and-after or “only after” images in ads, including on websites and social media. They may be shown to a patient during a consultation.
Can a doctor call themselves an aesthetic physician in Singapore?
No. The SMC’s Guidelines on Aesthetic Practices for Doctors say aesthetic practice is not a specialty, and that the titles “aesthetic physician”, “aesthetic dermatologist” and “aesthetic plastic surgeon” are not allowed. Doctors use their registered title, such as General Practitioner.
Can beauty salons offer HIFU in Singapore?
No. NEA’s guidance says HIFU and Class 4 lasers may be operated on people only by registered doctors in MOH-licensed premises. IPL is not regulated by NEA under the Radiation Protection Act, so salons may offer IPL services.
Can a beauty salon advertise acne treatment?
It is risky. Since June 2023, section 31A of the Healthcare Services Act makes it an offence for a non-licensee to advertise a service for treating a condition, with a penalty of up to $20,000 and/or 12 months. Cosmetic wording such as “facial for congested skin” is safer.
Can aesthetic clinics run promotions or discounts?
Doctors should not. The SMC’s Ethical Guidelines bar doctors from offering free or discounted treatments, time-limited offers or credit-card tie-ups as inducements. Non-medical salons may run offers but must show prices and terms clearly.
Are slimming centre ads regulated in Singapore?
Yes, mainly through SCAP Appendix H and consumer protection law. Slimming claims are not acceptable for massage machines, wraps, saunas or diuretics, water loss cannot be sold as slimming, and user testimonials do not count as evidence.
