Advertising in HOF: how to read your board's rules

Almost every orofacial harmonization professional has heard the phrase "you can't post that," and almost none can say which article says so. The rule circulates in WhatsApp groups, in courses, in colleagues' posts, and each version drifts a little from the original. The result is communication dominated by fear or, in the opposite direction, by the confidence that "everyone does it."

The way out is to read the source. This page does not summarize a specific resolution or say what each board allows, not least because rules change and vary between professions. It offers a reading roadmap: how to locate the right text, how to read it methodically, how to turn it into the clinic's internal rules and how to record what was decided. The references are those of Brazil. For examples of phrases that cause problems, see misleading advertising in aesthetics. For the general overview of what may be advertised, what you may advertise (CFO and CONAR).

Which sources go into the reading

An HOF clinic's advertising is usually governed by more than one layer:

Each layer answers a different question. The board's rule says what the professional may and may not communicate. CONAR and the consumer code deal with the honesty of the message. The LGPD covers the use of patient data, including the image. Reading only one of them is reading a piece.

Step by step: how to read a resolution

This roadmap seems laborious, but it is done once and updated when needed. People who have gone through it often find that the rule is clearer than the rumor that was going around.

How to separate prohibition, obligation and recommendation

When highlighting, separate the verbs. They tell you the weight of the rule:

• "Is prohibited," "is not allowed," "forbidden": a limit that allows no negotiation.
• "Must," "is mandatory," "shall appear": information that has to be shown.
• "May," "is permitted": permission, usually with a condition.
• "Is recommended," "it is advisable": guidance, which is not a prohibition but should be followed when in doubt.

Many conflicts come from treating a recommendation as a prohibition ("I can never") or a prohibition as a recommendation ("almost everyone does it"). A three-column table (prohibited, mandatory, allowed with conditions) clears up a good part of the confusion.

Topics that almost always deserve attention

When reading the rule, look for the passages on these topics. They appear in almost every health advertising rule, and each board handles them its own way:

1. Before and after images: whether they may be used, under what conditions and with what authorization.
2. Price, promotion and payment terms: whether they may be advertised and how.
3. Superlatives and comparisons: whether they may be used to describe the professional.
4. Professional identification: name, license number and specialty, when required.
5. Use of technical terms and titles: what may appear and what may not.
6. Advertising equipment and products: how to mention them without improperly promoting them.
7. Partnerships, sponsorships and influencers: how to identify them and who is responsible.
8. Raffles, gifts and perks: whether they are allowed and in what form.
9. Media appearances and interviews: what you may state.

For each topic, note the item in the rule, what it says in your own words and an example of your own. Related pages: advertising harmonization prices, influencers and barter, procedure gift cards and paid ads within the rules.

And when the rule is ambiguous?

Some passages allow more than one reading. When that happens:

1. Record the doubt with the exact passage.
2. Ask the board through an official channel and keep the answer.
3. If necessary, consult a lawyer who works in health law.
4. In the meantime, choose the most conservative communication.
5. Reassess when the rule changes or new guidance appears.

Avoid deciding based on what competitors do. Another profile's practice does not prove it is allowed: it may simply not have been reported. The names of colleagues and competitors should not appear in your communication, and reading the rule is not a game of comparison.

From reading to routine: turning a rule into a habit

Reading the rule solves it once. To make it a habit, the clinic needs a routine:

• Review before publishing, done by a second person with the rules document in hand.
• Team training, especially for whoever answers DMs and WhatsApp.
• Caption and reply templates already reviewed, to reduce improvisation. See ethical captions for HOF.
• A review calendar, with a date to reread the rule and look for updates.
• A publication archive, so you can show what was said and when.

Image, data and consent

Besides the advertising rule, the patient's image involves the LGPD (Brazil's data protection law) and consent. Even when the board's rule allows some use of images, the patient must authorize in a specific, free and informed way, and the clinic must know how to delete them when asked. Read LGPD consent for patient photos, LGPD in clinic marketing and use the image release template as a starting point, always with legal review.

Harmy follows the same line: the images the app generates are illustrative simulations and come with a notice. They serve the consultation and should not be published as an actual result.

Reading the rule is a small investment compared with the cost of a notice, a lawsuit or losing a patient's trust. And there is a positive side effect: those who know the exact limit communicate more confidently within it.