# What are before-and-after ads?

> Before-and-after ads show a result by placing the start next to the end. What Meta's health and wellness policy says today, how to test one and how to stay honest.
- **Author**: Marxx
- **Published**: 2026-11-13
- **Category**: Creative
- **URL**: https://marxx.ai/library-glossary/before-and-after-ads

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Before-and-after ads show a result by putting the starting state next to the end state. Meta's Health and Wellness policy lets adult-targeted cosmetic ads show them and adds extra rules for health and weight loss ads.

## What Meta's policy says

Meta's Health and Wellness policy does not ban before-and-after images outright. It is more specific than that. Its change log lists updates on 26 December 2024 and 22 July 2026 ([Meta Transparency Center](https://transparency.meta.com/policies/ad-standards/restricted-goods-services/health-wellness), checked 2026-10-20). Today it says:

- Dietary, health, weight loss or weight gain products and services, and cosmetic products, procedures or surgeries, must target people aged 18 or older.
- For those 18 and older, ads for general cosmetic products, procedures or operations can depict a before-and-after transformation.
- A dietary weight loss or weight gain ad can show people using the product and the impact of using it, and clearly indicate the time taken to see noticeable results.
- Weight loss and weight gain ads cannot show a close-up of pinched fat, or claim results come only from wearable products.
- In a health, weight loss or weight gain context, ads cannot promise a specific outcome in a set time frame without disclaimers or qualifiers.
- Weight loss, weight gain and cosmetic ads cannot state that someone's appearance is inferior.

The 18+ rule does not apply to non-permanent beauty products such as creams, make-up and hair products. Policies change, so read the page first.

## A worked example

Say you sell a INR 349 stain remover. You test a before-and-after photo against a lifestyle shot, with INR 6,000 each.

**Cost per purchase = spend / purchases**

| Ad | Spend | Purchases | Cost per purchase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before and after | INR 6,000 | 12 | INR 500 |
| Lifestyle shot | INR 6,000 | 10 | INR 600 |

The numbers are made up. The before-and-after ad wins this round. Repeat the test before you change your whole account. See [CPA](/glossary/cpa).

## How to stay honest

1. Use the real product and a real result.
2. Keep light, angle and framing the same in both shots.
3. Do not edit the "after" beyond basic colour fixes.
4. Get written permission to use a customer's photos.
5. Say how long the result took.

For an opening line, see [ad hook](/glossary/ad-hook) and [hooks for skincare ads](/templates/hooks-for-skincare-ads). Customer photos fit [UGC ads](/glossary/ugc-ads). If Meta rejects your ad, read [how to appeal a rejected Facebook ad](/guides/how-to-appeal-a-rejected-facebook-ad).

Marxx tracks competitor ads on Meta and Google and has an AI search over 100M+ ads back to 2022. See [competitor tracking](/features/competitor-tracking).

## FAQ

### Are before-and-after ads allowed on Meta?

Yes, for general cosmetic products, procedures and operations aimed at people 18 and older. Weight loss ads have extra rules. Read the policy for your category.

### Why was my before-and-after ad rejected?

Check the claims, not only the image. In health, weight loss and cosmetic categories, Meta bars pinched-fat close-ups, set-time outcome promises without disclaimers and statements that attack appearance. You can also appeal.

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