The vibe check: why peptides suddenly feel like everywhere

If you feel like you’re the only one who isn’t “on peptides,” you’re not imagining it. In late 2025, major outlets started calling out a surge in injectable peptide use promoted by influencers and celebrities, often for injury recovery, muscle, skin, and longevity, despite limited human evidence for many of the popular compounds.

At the same time, GLP-1 medications (often casually lumped into “peptides” in pop culture) changed the conversation around body composition and metabolic health, which poured gasoline on the whole category.

So yes, peptides are trending. But here’s the part that matters:

There are really two different peptide worlds.

1. Regulated, FDA-approved peptide medicines (prescribed, monitored, and manufactured with strict standards)

2. Unapproved or experimental peptides sold through the “wellness economy,” sometimes labeled “research use only,” sometimes compounded, sometimes sourced in ways that make cautious people very uneasy

If you’re a biohacker who likes data and hates regret, you’re going to want that distinction tattooed on your brain.

What is a peptide, actually?

A peptide is a short chain of amino acids (think: mini-protein). In the body, peptides often act like messengers. Some bind to receptors and influence pathways tied to appetite, inflammation, tissue repair, sleep, and more.

That’s why the idea is so alluring: “Target a pathway, change an outcome.”

The problem is that the wellness market treats peptides like Pokémon. Gotta catch ’em all. Stack ’em. Rotate ’em. Inject ’em. And that’s where caution is smart.

*It’s an appropriate time to note in this blog that we are not recommending you take or do not take peptides on your wellness journey. We are simply supplying you with some facts and ideas so you can decide for yourself.

The “two buckets” that keep you in the clear

Bucket 1: FDA-approved peptide medicines (real track records)

These include (examples): semaglutide and tirzepatide class medications used for diabetes/weight management under clinician supervision.

Even here, cost and access are real barriers. Out-of-pocket pricing has been high, and discounts/programs have shifted as demand and supply changed. goodrx.com+2Barron’s+2

Bucket 2: Unapproved/experimental peptides (the Wild West)

This is where you see names like BPC-157, TB-500, CJC-1295, ipamorelin, melanotan II, MOTS-c, semax, and so on.

The FDA has raised safety concerns about certain bulk drug substances used in compounding, including peptides, citing risks such as immunogenicity, impurities, limited human safety data, and more. Reuters has also reported FDA warning letters to companies selling unapproved versions of GLP-1 drugs online, often marketed under “research use only” language.

Translation: a lot of what’s trending is not “supplement casual.” It’s “be careful what you put in your body” serious.

Why cautious biohackers hesitate (and why that’s not “being behind”)

If you’re hesitant, it’s usually for one of these very sane reasons:

• You don’t want to inject something that lacks long-term human data

• You don’t want to gamble on purity, dosing accuracy, or contamination

• You’re not trying to buy something illegal or mislabeled accidentally

• You’re not into paying high monthly costs for a protocol that might not deliver

• You want to see patterns, not chase hype

Even athletes run into this: agencies like USADA have warned BPC-157 is an unapproved substance and prohibited in sport.

So no, you’re not “late.” You’re discerning.

Typical price reality (so you can budget like a grown-up)

Pricing varies wildly by peptide, source, medical oversight, and whether it’s bundled with labs, consults, and coaching.

Here are real-world ranges you’ll see in clinics and telehealth marketing:

• Many clinics market “peptide therapy” in the ballpark of $200–$600/month (often more for specialty stacks) Esthetic Solutions Med Spa+1

• Some clinics publish menus showing specific peptide bundles ranging roughly from $150–$400+ depending on what’s included

• For GLP-1 weight-care programs, pricing programs and discounts shift frequently. GoodRx has promoted limited-time pricing (example: $199 intro, then $349/month for certain fills).

• Some telehealth sites advertise compounded GLP-1 programs around $199/month billed quarterly (example marketing). I noted many practitioners in my circle use Joi + Blokes.

One additional important note: the FDA has issued multiple warnings and policy updates regarding compounded GLP-1s, dosing errors, and concerns about unapproved salt forms (semaglutide sodium/acetate).

So yes, peptides can be expensive. And yes, the cost conversation must include safety and legitimacy.

A “start here” peptide list people keep asking about (with plain-English intent)

Below is a practical, trend-aware snapshot (not endorsements).

Weight care / metabolic (regulated, but often discussed as “peptides”)

• Semaglutide class (prescription)

• Tirzepatide class (prescription)

• Liraglutide class (prescription)

• Next-gen investigational names also circulate online (proceed with caution)

Repair/recovery (popular, but many are unapproved for general use)

• BPC-157 (injury/gut chatter; limited human data; FDA has raised concerns in compounding context)

• TB-500 (soft tissue recovery chatter; unapproved trend coverage)

• GHK-Cu (skin/hair collagen chatter; often topical)

“Longevity” / neuro (hyped online, evidence varies, often unapproved)

• Epitalon/Epithalon (anti-aging chatter)

• Semax / Selank (focus/stress chatter; FDA has noted compounding safety concerns for semax as a bulk substance in certain contexts)

• MOTS-c (mitochondrial chatter; FDA has noted limited human exposure data in compounding context)

The safety checklist that keeps you out of trouble (and out of drama)

These are the recommendations I would follow if I were to use them. But for me, the risk and the lack of sufficient data over time aren’t at a point where I feel comfortable.

1. Always separate FDA-approved peptides from unapproved peptides

2. Never tell people to self-inject or to buy “research chemicals”

3. Encourage physician oversight and legitimate sourcing

4. Mention compounding cautions (dosing errors, salt forms, adverse event reports)

5. State clearly: educational content, not medical advice

That’s how you can be chatty and still be protected.

Now the fun part: a frequency-first alternative for the cautious crowd

Here’s the honest truth: many people love the idea of peptides but do not love the risks, the price, or the commitment. That is where I am as a biohacker and bioenergetic practitioner.

In the AO Scan Global community, some wellness professionals and personal users take a “frequency-first” approach before deciding whether a peptide protocol is right for them. Furthermore, they have found a way to expose their bodies to peptide frequencies without taking the peptide itself.

This is not presented as a cure, treatment, or medical replacement. It’s an educational, bioenergetic strategy people use to explore resonance patterns and support routines. Clinics worldwide use the same frequency strategy for supplements, foods, herbal tinctures, and other products.

The frequency concept leveraging AO Scan

An actual peptide substance can affect the body through chemical reactions. But it can also be explored as information (frequency signature) in energetic frameworks.

When you use frequency-based approaches, you’re not swallowing or injecting the compound. You’re working with the informational imprint of the different frequencies. The Solex AO Scan technology supports users all over the world in a similar fashion with frequencies of homeopathics, cell salts, nosodes, supplements, detox protocols, etc.

That’s why some frequency-based companies are now marketing peptide “preset” style programs as a non-physical alternative, emphasizing the idea that it doesn’t go through digestion or liver metabolism because you’re not ingesting a substance. (Claims vary, evidence varies, and I recommend framing it as exploratory.)

*This is what I’ve done with my AO Scan technology!

How this looks in AO Scan terms (educational overview)

If someone is peptide-curious, the “frequency-first” method can look like:

1. Do your research first
   Pick one peptide you’re curious about and learn what it is claimed to do, what evidence exists, and what risks exist.

2. Talk to your clinician if you’re considering medical use
   Especially for injectable, hormonal, metabolic, or growth-related treatments.

3. If you have a single, legitimate sample dose (not a recommendation to obtain one, just describing the method), you can use the SEFI process to imprint its frequency signature into a carrier people commonly use in frequency wellness routines, such as:

• mineral water

• sugar pellets

• SEFIdots

• gemstones & crystals

4. Clinics can build a peptide database for scanning
   Just as practitioners build supplement libraries, a clinic that has legitimate access to a variety of peptides can catalog them. Then, at any given time, the system can surface which items appear most resonant in that moment. This means an AO Scan user can take a single peptide dose, place it on the device, and scan its frequency into a Peptide database. Once all peptides are checked in, users can use the Quick Scan feature to identify which peptide best resonates with their body at that time.  *This is a typical list of what someone might include in their AO Scan frequency database for peptides. It is my list from the AO Scan peptide database.

   Peptide Frequency Database Entry List

   Semaglutide — appetite & metabolic support
   Tirzepatide — dual incretin metabolic support
   Liraglutide — glycemic & weight management
   Pramlintide — satiety & post-meal balance
   Cagrilintide — amylin pathway weight support
   Retatrutide — triple agonist metabolic support

   Tesamorelin — body composition & lipid metabolism
   Sermorelin — growth hormone release support
   CJC-1295 — GH/IGF-1 stimulation
   Mod-GRF (1-29) — GH pulse amplifier
   Ipamorelin — recovery & sleep support
   Hexarelin — anabolic & tissue support
   GHRP-2 — GH release support
   GHRP-6 — GH release & appetite support
   MK-677 (Ibutamoren) — GH secretagogue (oral, non-peptide)

   BPC-157 — tendon ligament gut repair
   TB-500 — soft tissue regeneration
   Thymosin Beta-4 — wound healing & tissue growth
   GHK-Cu — skin collagen & hair support

   Thymosin Alpha-1 — immune modulation
   LL-37 — antimicrobial & immune balancing
   VIP (Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide) — anti-inflammatory & immune reset
   KPV — gut lining & inflammation calming
   ARA-290 (Cibinetide) — neuropathy & inflammation support

   Selank — stress relief & mental clarity
   Semax — focus & neuroprotection
   DSIP (Delta Sleep-Inducing Peptide) — sleep support

   Epitalon (Epithalon) — longevity & telomere support
   MOTS-c — mitochondrial & metabolic resilience
   SS-31 (Elamipretide) — mitochondrial function support
   FOXO4-DRI — senescent cell support (senolytic)

   Bremelanotide (PT-141 / Vyleesi) — sexual vitality support
   Melanotan II — skin tone & melanin stimulation
   Afamelanotide (Scenesse) — photo-protection support

   Teriparatide (PTH 1-34) — bone density & fracture support
   Abaloparatide — bone density support
   Calcitonin — bone metabolism & pain support

   Octreotide — hormonal & GI regulation
   Lanreotide — endocrine modulation
   Desmopressin — fluid balance support
   Oxytocin — emotional & bonding support

   IGF-1 LR3 — muscle growth & cell repair
   PEG-MGF — muscle recovery signal
   Follistatin-344 — myostatin inhibition support

5. Use it as a pattern tool, not a diagnosis
   I recommend that you scan yourself a few days in a row to see patterns of what peptides show up often on your top 6 within the Quick Scan.  Once you have identified this, you may want start imprinting those frequencies into mineral water, SEFI dots, or sugar pellets and see how your body responds. Then, if you want to take things further and get additional benefits, visit a highly skilled and licensed practitioner for the real stuff. *This is what I am currently doing.  So far, so good!  Frequencies are holding their own and I’m feeling great.

That’s the cautious, biohacker-friendly lane.

Re-cap

If you’re feeling left out, overwhelmed, or skeptical, here’s a clean starting flow:

• Start by learning the difference between regulated vs unapproved peptides

• Decide if you’re exploring for curiosity, performance, aesthetics, or metabolic support

• If you want to avoid injecting anything right now, explore a frequency-first educational approach (SEFI imprinting + pattern tracking). Get your AO Scan subscription, and I’ll be happy to walk you through how many of our users are leveraging frequencies.

• If you decide to pursue physical peptides, do it with a licensed clinician and legit sourcing, period

Quick links (add these as hyperlinks in your blog)

• AO Scan Premium Subscription (learn)

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• Request a Free Educational Demo: 

Author box (use this at the end)

Paige Maurer Wheeler is a biohacker, purveyor of goodness, mom, and bioenergetic practitioner who leads the AO Scan Global community as an Independent Quantum Living Advocate. She has worked with AO Scan frequency technology for nearly a decade, helping wellness professionals and everyday users explore energetic patterns, build repeatable routines, and stay grounded in education-first decision making. The views shared here are her own and not those of Solex Global. This article is informed by a coherence-first writing approach (LucidSeed pre-prompt) and is intended for educational purposes only, not medical advice.

Be Well & Do Good Things

Paige Maurer Wheeler
AO Scan Global Team Leader
Independent Quantum Living Advocate

AO Scan is an educational wellness technology and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical decisions.