Your Facebook or Instagram ad with a before and after image was rejected, and the notice cites Meta's health rules, sometimes still named "Personal Health and Appearance" and now covered by Meta's Health and Wellness advertising policy. Before and after images aren't banned outright on Meta, but the rules depend on the product and the audience. This guide explains where the line is and how to fix the ad. This is general information, not legal advice.
What the rejection means
Meta's current Health and Wellness policy allows before and after transformations for general cosmetic products, procedures or surgeries, as long as the ad targets people 18 or older. Weight loss imagery is treated more strictly. Meta's change log shows this policy changed in July 2026, so check the live policy before relying on older advice.
| Product | Before and after image |
|---|---|
| General cosmetic product or procedure | Allowed when targeting 18 and older |
| Weight loss or gain product | Restricted. No close ups of pinched fat |
| Skin whitening or bleaching | Not allowed. Meta's own example of a rejected image |
Common causes
Most rejections come from the image combined with the copy or the audience.
- Audience: A cosmetic or weight loss ad not limited to people 18 and older
- Pinched fat: A close up of a body area with pinched fat
- Inferiority: Copy or images that attack someone's appearance or body
- Negative self-image: Meta's Advertising Standards bar content that implies or tries to create negative self-perception to promote diet or weight loss
- Unrelated weight images: Meta bars side by side weight loss or gain images that aren't related to a product or service
Find the reason
Meta gives the reason in Business Support Home, linked from the rejection email. Meta suggests checking each part of the ad: image, video, text, targeting and landing page.
Fix it step by step
Change the part that broke the rule, then resubmit.
- Step 1: Read the reason in Business Support Home
- Step 2: Set the ad's audience to 18 and older if the product is cosmetic, dietary or weight related
- Step 3: For weight loss ads, remove close ups of pinched fat and any framing that presents the before body as a problem
- Step 4: Remove negative or attacking captions
- Step 5: Edit the ad in Ads Manager. Meta reviews edited ads again automatically
- Step 6: If you believe Meta got it wrong, select the ad in Business Support Home, click Request review, then Submit
Prevent it
Platform rules are only half of it. US advertising law also applies to before and after results, so a compliant ad can still need changes.
- ✅ Check the product type and audience before you upload the creative
- ✅ Keep captions neutral and factual
- ❌ Don't delete a rejected ad you plan to appeal. Meta says you may lose the ability to request a review
- ❌ Don't assume a cosmetic exception covers weight loss
See before and after photos and FTC rules.
Doing this at scale
Images are only part of the review. Meta also checks the landing page, and ContentGuard scans your product descriptions, classifies each claim as safe, risky or prohibited against the rule profile you choose, cites the governing FDA or FTC rule and proposes a rewrite you can apply in one click. It's a screening tool, not a substitute for legal review. See ContentGuard.