A common mistake in a podiatry practice goes like this: a nail correction turns out well, the specialist makes a before-and-after collage and posts it the same evening. A week later the client sees their own foot on the practice page and asks why nobody asked them first. The photo was taken for the visit record, and the client had never agreed to see it in an advert.
Before-and-after pictures do show what a podiatrist can do. They also show part of someone's body, and that person gets a say in where it appears.
Taking a photo and showing it are separate questions
Most photos in a podiatry practice are taken to document a visit: the state of the nail before treatment, a corn, a brace on the day it was installed. Their job is to help the specialist compare and decide. Clients usually accept this without question, because it is part of their care.
A post on Instagram or Facebook is another matter: strangers see it, and it can stay online long after the course of treatment is over. So the question "may I take a photo?" does not cover the question "may I show it?". Ask both, and ask them separately.
- Explain why you take photos during the visit: to track progress and compare.
- Ask separately whether the client agrees to have their photos shown publicly.
- Accept a "no" calmly and treat the client exactly as before.
Getting consent in writing
A verbal "sure, go ahead" is easy to forget, both for you and for the client. A signed photo consent settles the question in advance. It is better to sign it at the first visit, before the first photo, than to look for the client later when you already want to post something.
Before the client signs, let them read the text. Say in plain words what the photos will be used for and where they may appear. If the client asks to see the form first, show it without hurry, so the signature does not come as a surprise to anyone later.
Keep in mind that a client may change their mind. If they ask you to remove a photo, remove it from your page and do not post new ones of them.
What to check before you post
Even with consent, look at every photo as if it were your own foot on the screen. A few habits help:
- Crop to the area of work. A nail or a heel is enough; the face, the room and personal items are not needed.
- Look for details that identify a person: a tattoo, a birthmark, jewellery, a recognisable bag or shoes in the frame.
- Do not write the client's name, age or diagnosis in the caption. "Ingrown toenail, brace correction" says enough.
- Check the background. A screen with a client list or a form on the desk should not get into the picture.
- Show the result honestly: the same angle and light before and after, without filters that change the colour of the skin.
When you are unsure about a photo, leave it in the record and pick another case for the post.
Keeping work photos out of your personal phone
Many specialists photograph clients on their own phone and the pictures end up in the phone gallery, next to family photos. From there it is one wrong tap to send a client's foot to the wrong chat. It is also hard to find the right picture months later, and to know whether a particular client agreed to publication.
It helps to keep work photos with the client's record and make the collage for social media from there. In PodoCard photos are attached to the visit and gathered in the client's gallery, not in the phone gallery. Two to four of them can be put into a before-and-after collage with the date under each frame and saved as a JPG to share. The photo consent is one of the two standard forms: the client signs it on the screen, and the signed PDF stays in their card, so before posting you can open the card and see whether it is there.
If a client withdraws their consent later, you will know which of your posts show them, because every collage was made from their card.
