Skincare and Aesthetics Before and After Photos: A Consistent Method

Control the light first

Light changes skin more than almost anything else in a photo. Use the same source every time: either diffused daylight from a window facing you, or the same lamps in the same positions. Avoid mixing daylight with warm room lights, and avoid on-camera flash, which flattens texture and creates hot spots.

If your camera allows it, lock the white balance and exposure rather than letting them adjust for every shot. On a phone, tap to focus on the face and keep the same distance so automatic settings behave similarly. Note your settings so they can be repeated.

Use standard views and positions

Clinical photography usually records a front view, both 45-degree oblique views, and both side profiles, with close-ups of the treated area as needed. Keep the head level — imagine a line from the ear canal to the bottom of the eye socket parallel to the floor — and use a neutral expression with closed lips.

Mark the floor or use a chair that does not swivel, and keep the camera at the same distance and height. Use a plain, matte background in a neutral colour. Remove makeup, pull hair back, and remove glasses and jewellery that could hide the area being compared.

• Front, left and right 45°, left and right profile.
• Head level, neutral expression, lips closed.
• Bare, clean skin; hair off the face.
• Same distance, height, and focal length each visit.
• Plain matte background in a neutral colour.

Choose sensible intervals

Photograph before the first treatment or routine change, then at intervals that suit the expected timeline. Skin renews over weeks, and many treatments take weeks or months to show their full effect. Record the date, products or treatment, and any relevant circumstances, such as a recent sunburn or a breakout, alongside each set.

Present results honestly

Do not apply filters, smoothing, or retouching to before and after photos, and do not edit one image more than the other. Advertising regulators, including the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority, have ruled against cosmetic ads whose images were filtered or edited in ways that exaggerated the effect. Rules on advertising treatments — and on which treatments may be advertised at all — vary by country and profession, so check the code that applies to you before publishing.

Show results that are typical, and say how long after treatment the photo was taken. A labelled pair such as “Before” and “12 weeks after” is clearer than an unlabelled transformation.

Consent, storage, and privacy

For patients and clients, consent to clinical photography and consent to use the photos in marketing are separate decisions. Ask for each in writing, explain where photos will appear, and respect a later withdrawal. Store clinical photos securely, according to the data-protection rules that apply to health information where you work.

BeforeAfterly compares and lays out images in the browser and does not upload the files you choose, which keeps it out of your storage chain. It is not a clinical records system; keep originals in your practice’s secure system.

Compare and share the photos

Use Split in the comparison slider to move across the treated area, and Crossfade to see changes in tone and redness. For a still image, use the photo maker’s side-by-side layout with labels showing the time since treatment. The image difference checker can highlight where an image changed, but small shifts in head position also register, so treat it as a guide rather than a measurement.

Open the comparison slider ↗ · Make a labelled side-by-side ↗