Email is one of the cheapest ways for a med spa or spa to stay in touch with clients between appointments. Many clinic newsletters get low engagement because they are written as promotions rather than as useful information. The people on your list already know you, and emails that explain treatments, set expectations and follow up after appointments tend to get read. They also support rebooking without relying on discounts.
This guide covers how to write clinic and spa emails, the U.S. rules that apply to them, how to use segmentation and automation, and which metrics to track.
Writing emails clients will read
Subject lines work best when they say plainly what the email contains. "What to expect in the week after your peel" tells the reader what they will get, while "Your glow-up starts NOW!" reads as a sales email. Many inboxes also show the first line or two as a preview, so use them to say what the email covers and who it is for.
Keep the body easy to scan, especially on a phone. Short paragraphs, plain language and a subheading or two make treatment information far easier to take in than a wall of text.
Then run every client-facing email through one test: would your provider say this, in these words, to the client sitting in the treatment chair? If a line would sound strange coming from your lead injector or esthetician in person, it does not belong in the email either.
Emails should sound the way your providers talk to clients in person. For example:
- "Some redness and mild swelling are normal for 24 to 48 hours. If anything feels different from what we discussed, call us and we will see you."
- "Say goodbye to tired skin and hello to a whole new you!"
The first reads like advice from the person who did the treatment. The second reads like an ad and does not match how your providers speak to clients.
The rules that apply to clinic and spa email
A newsletter is marketing, and the same rules that govern your website and ads apply to your inbox. Three sets matter most for U.S. med spas and spas.
CAN-SPAM
Every commercial email you send has to meet the Federal Trade Commission's CAN-SPAM requirements. In practice that means honest sender details and subject lines, your valid physical postal address in every email, a clear and free way to unsubscribe, and honoring opt-outs within 10 business days. Most email platforms handle the footer for you, but you are still responsible for making sure unsubscribes actually stop the emails, including on any list you import later.
HIPAA for med spas
A med spa that keeps patient charts and delivers medical treatments is usually a HIPAA covered entity, and that changes how you can email patients. HIPAA draws a line between communications about care and marketing. Appointment reminders, treatment follow-ups and care coordination generally count as treatment, not marketing, so they do not need special permission. Using a patient's health information to promote a product or service is different. If you segment your list by treatment history and send those patients a promotional offer, that is marketing that uses protected health information and generally needs the patient's written authorization.
Two practical consequences follow. First, check that your email platform will sign a business associate agreement before you upload patient records to it, because not every mainstream platform will. Second, keep a clear separation between a general newsletter list built from opt-ins and a patient list tied to treatment records. Day spas that do not provide medical treatment are usually outside HIPAA, but the same habits still build trust.
Reviews, testimonials and before-and-after photos
The FTC's final rule on consumer reviews and testimonials bans fake or misleading testimonials and bars businesses from offering incentives for reviews with a particular sentiment. For med spas, a patient's name, photo or story is also health information, so using a testimonial or before-and-after photo in marketing requires a signed authorization that stands apart from the treatment consent form.
Keep claims accurate and avoid pressure tactics, exaggerated results or messaging that plays on insecurity. Have the treating provider check any clinical information before an email goes out.
Segmentation
Many clinics send the same newsletter to their whole list and judge email on how that one send performs. Segmentation means splitting the list into smaller groups so each group gets content that fits where they are with your practice.
Start with information that is not clinical and that you already have:
- When someone joined the list and how (website form, front desk, event, lead magnet)
- Whether they have booked with you yet, or are still a prospect
- Which topics or services they asked about
- Whether they have clicked on past emails
A new subscriber who has never booked might get a welcome sequence. A client who asked about facials might get skin care education. A subscriber who has not clicked anything in six months might get a re-engagement email before being removed.
Segmenting by treatment history is more effective, but for med spas it is also where HIPAA applies. As covered above, sending a promotional offer to patients selected by their treatment records generally needs written authorization, while follow-up care and reminders about treatment the patient is already receiving generally do not. Set up your segments with that line in mind.
Automated emails vs. newsletters
Automated emails are sent when a client does something, such as joining the list, booking a consultation or finishing a treatment. Newsletters (broadcast campaigns) go to a list on a schedule. Automated emails consistently get more clicks because they arrive when the information is relevant to the reader.
Klaviyo's 2026 benchmarks, based on more than 183,000 brands, show the size of the gap:
| Category | Average click rate, campaigns | Average click rate, automated flows |
|---|---|---|
| Health and beauty | 1.24% | 4.8% |
| All industries | 1.69% | 5.58% |
These figures come mostly from ecommerce brands, and there is no published benchmark for med spas specifically, so use them as a rough guide rather than a target.
Newsletters still have a place for news, seasonal updates and general education. But a small number of automated sequences, set up once and reviewed every few months, will usually do more for client retention than a monthly newsletter on its own.
Four automated sequences to set up first
Welcome sequence
Sent to new subscribers over their first few weeks on the list. A simple version is three emails: an introduction to the practice and its providers in week one, education about the services the person showed interest in during weeks two and three, and what to expect at a first consultation in week four.
Post-treatment follow-up
Sent after an appointment to answer the questions clients usually call about. This might include a check-in 24 to 48 hours after treatment, aftercare guidance around day seven, and a request for a review at whatever point the results are visible. Because it relates to care the client has already received, it generally falls on the treatment side of HIPAA rather than marketing. Keep the content focused on care, not on selling the next treatment.
Rebooking reminder
Sent when a client is likely due for their next visit, based on the treatment cycle. Neurotoxins, for example, usually wear off in about three to four months. Keep the wording low-key and care-focused, such as "It has been a few months since your last appointment. If you would like to review your results or plan your next visit, we are happy to help." For med spas, avoid naming prescription products or implying that a treatment is overdue.
Re-engagement
Sent to subscribers who have not opened, clicked or booked in a set period, often six months. The first email should offer something useful, such as a short guide to preparing for a consultation, and let the reader update their preferences. If they still do not engage after one or two emails, remove them from regular sends. A smaller, engaged list gets better delivery than a large inactive one.
Running promotions by email
Promotions are fine to send, but they work better and cause fewer problems when they are planned and stated plainly. A few guidelines:
- Plan promotions around the calendar rather than sending them whenever bookings are slow. Holidays, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, wedding season and the run-up to summer are natural points for gift cards, packages and seasonal treatments.
- Avoid countdown timers, "only three spots left" claims and very short deadlines for medical treatments. They push clients to decide quickly on something that should be a considered choice.
- Do not promote prescription treatments by brand name in a way that encourages clients to request a specific product.
- Put the useful information first and the offer second, so the email still has value for readers who are not ready to book.
If you need a starting point, members of American Clinics, Salons & Spas can download our free 12-Month Promotions Calendar, which maps out seasonal campaign ideas for each month of the year.
What to measure
Open rates are no longer reliable. Apple's Mail Privacy Protection loads emails automatically on Apple's servers, which registers an open whether or not the person read the message, and Apple Mail accounts for roughly half of all tracked opens. Treat open rate as a rough trend over time, not as a measure of how many people read an email.
These numbers are more useful:
- Click rate, the share of recipients who clicked a link. Compare it with your own past emails as well as industry figures.
- Replies to conversational emails such as post-treatment check-ins, which show the email was read and useful.
- Unsubscribe rate. A sudden rise usually means an email was off-topic, too frequent or too promotional.
- Bookings that come from email links, tracked with UTM tags or your booking system's source field.
You can also ask new and returning clients at check-in what prompted them to book. Note when they mention an email, and review those answers each month alongside your click and booking figures.
Where to start
If your practice is only sending an occasional newsletter today, a practical order of work is:
- Check that every email has a working unsubscribe link and your postal address, and that your platform will sign a business associate agreement if you upload patient records.
- Split your list into prospects and existing clients.
- Set up the post-treatment follow-up first, since it helps clients right away and is the least likely to read as marketing.
- Add the welcome sequence and rebooking reminders.
- Keep a monthly or seasonal newsletter for news and education, and plan promotions in advance.
- Review click rates, unsubscribes and bookings from email once a month.
Frequently asked questions
How often should a med spa send a newsletter?
Once or twice a month is common. Automated emails such as welcome and post-treatment sequences go out on their own schedule, so the regular newsletter can be less frequent if those are in place.
Can a med spa use Mailchimp or Klaviyo?
For a general newsletter list built from opt-ins, most platforms work. If you plan to upload patient records or send emails based on treatment history, use a platform that will sign a business associate agreement under HIPAA.
Do I need consent to email clients?
CAN-SPAM does not require prior consent for commercial email, but it does require a working unsubscribe link and honoring opt-outs. For med spas, promotional emails that use patients' treatment information generally need written HIPAA authorization.
What is a good click rate for a med spa email?
There is no published benchmark for med spas specifically. Klaviyo's 2026 figures for health and beauty brands average 1.24% for campaigns and 4.8% for automated emails, which is a reasonable reference point.
Can I include before-and-after photos in emails?
Only with the patient's signed authorization for marketing use, separate from their treatment consent, and only if the photos are genuine and not edited to exaggerate results.
