Marketing consultant Nils Dávila notes that AI makes it harder to distinguish between real results and generated ones, and obliges clinics to better explain the decisions behind each treatment. For years, before-and-after photographs have been one of the most-used tools by doctors and clinics to show results and build trust among patients. They still carry substantial weight: a study published in Aesthetic Surgery Journal found that 87% of patients considered these images important when choosing a professional for an aesthetic treatment.
However, AI is changing the value of these images. As it becomes easier to create or modify photos and produce visually perfect results, the physician’s criteria may become the element that truly differentiates one professional from another. For the patient, it’s no longer just about verifying what result was achieved, but also understanding what decisions the professional made to reach it.
«We’re reaching a point where a single image, no matter how impressive, is no longer enough to build trust. The patient knows that today a photo can be retouched or even created from scratch in minutes», explains Nils Dávila.
Now all it takes is opening Instagram or TikTok to encounter dozens of stunning transformations and seemingly perfect results. At the same time, the ability to modify or generate images gives patients more reasons to question what lies behind a result.
To what extent is it difficult to distinguish real from fake
A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences showed just how challenging it can be to tell real from AI-generated. Participants struggled to differentiate real faces from AI-created faces, and in one test, they even found synthetic faces more trustworthy.
For Dávila, this doesn’t mean doctors should stop posting before-and-after images. On the contrary, it remains an effective way to show results. What changes is the need to accompany those images with information that lets the patient understand the criteria and decisions behind each case.
Showing the result isn’t enough
The majority of before-and-after posts we find on social media follow a similar format: one image from before treatment, another after, and a brief description of the procedure performed. The patient can see the change, but knows little about the process that led to that result.
«If everyone can show spectacular results, the result alone stops explaining why a patient should choose you. That’s where it becomes much more valuable to show the physician’s criteria», notes Dávila.
That criterion can appear in aspects that usually fall outside the post: what the professional observed when evaluating the case, which alternatives were considered, why they chose a particular technique, what limits they decided to respect, or what aspects they chose not to modify.
For example, a plastic surgeon may show the result of a rhinoplasty and explain why they opted for a conservative modification rather than pursuing an entirely different nose. A cosmetic physician may explain why they ruled out a treatment the patient initially requested or why they considered another option more appropriate.
«When you explain the decisions behind a case, the patient begins to understand how you think as a physician. And that says much more about you than a photo alone»,
explains Dávila.
Experience as a differentiating factor
AI will make producing images, videos, and visually perfect content increasingly easy. As a result, that visual perfection may progressively lose some of its ability to differentiate one professional from another.
Medical judgment functions differently. It is built on training, experience, and exposure to hundreds of different cases, and it manifests most clearly in the decisions the professional makes when multiple options are available.
From a medical marketing perspective, this also means a shift in how to communicate. The opportunity is no longer solely about proving good results, but about letting the patient understand why the professional makes certain decisions and how they would approach a case like theirs.
«AI will make producing perfect content easier. That’s why I believe medical marketing will have to rely less on seeming flawless and more on demonstrating judgment. An image can be copied or fabricated; a way of thinking built over years of experience is far harder to replicate,» says Dávila.
Before-and-after photos aren’t going away and will likely continue to be an important part of communication for many clinics. The photo will continue to show the result, but explaining the decisions behind it will allow the patient to get to know the professional who achieved it.
