How to Build Your Practice’s Before and After Photo Library

Before and after photos are a powerful tool for showcasing the capabilities and previous work of your medical aesthetics practice. These photos can serve as your resume or proof and help entice patients to commit to a treatment or procedure. That being said, there is more to the process than pulling out a cellphone and snapping a quick picture. Read on for a list of tips and tricks to enhance your practice’s before and after photo library: 

1. Get in the habit of asking patient’s permission

   In order to build a library of patient before and after photos, you will need your patients permission to feature their photos on your website and social media channels. Request they quickly sign a brief consent form to keep on file at your practice. 

2. Invest in proper equipment 

   You don’t have to spend a fortune, but investing in a few items that will enhance the look of your photos will pay back immensely in the long run. 

   Our first recommendation is to have a practice-owned device solely used for capturing before and after photos.  

   Though phone cameras continue to improve each year, they are still lacking in image quality when compared to a full-frame sensor camera. That being said, there’s no problem in trying both and seeing what works best for your practice. 

   You should also always consider lighting. This is perhaps the most important variable, as most practices have fluorescent lighting – which tends to not be very forgiving. If you decide to always take before and after photos in the same  section of your practice, consider trading out the lights in this area for LED bulbs. If you want to take this a step further, invest in a few softbox lights. These help evenly light the patient’s face, unlike overhead lights, which can oftentimes create shadows and make any detail below the eyes difficult to see. 

3. Take the photo in front of a white or solid color wall 

   Don’t let a distracting background take away from your amazing results. Pose your patients in front of a plain background, or consider purchasing a collapsible background. 

4. Avoid inconsistencies between the two photos

   It can be difficult for viewers to appreciate your work if the angle or lighting is different between the two images. The only thing that should change between the photos is the patient’s appearance – nothing else! 

5. Do not airbrush or doctor the photos

   Before and after photos are all about showing off the natural, attainable results of your practice’s offerings. The quickest way to lose patient trust is by airbrushing or doctoring these photos. Even applying a filter can be seen as too much, so avoid doing anything that could make the photo seem that it was altered. 

At Synergy Aesthetics, we are here to support you. Our team is available to speak with you should you have any questions, contact us today—Your Success is Our Success!