age well

Peptide Therapy at RegenCen

Targeted treatments for metabolism, hormones, and healthy aging

Q: Can peptide therapy be combined with other RegenCen treatments?

Yes, and it often is. The most common combinations: BHRT + Sermorelin — the standard progression for patients who have optimized hormones and want to go further with body composition, sleep, or energy BHRT + GLP-1 — for patients on hormone therapy who have a significant metabolic or weight management goal GLP-1 + Sermorelin — for patients addressing both metabolic health and body composition simultaneously; sermorelin can help preserve muscle mass during the fat loss phase of GLP-1 therapy PRP + other therapies — PRP is often combined with aesthetic or regenerative treatments at our aesthetic division, Cosmetic Skin & Laser Center (CSLC) Your care team will discuss what makes sense for your specific goals and circumstances.

Your body already produces thousands of signaling compounds that govern how you burn fat, build muscle, sleep, and age. Peptide therapy works by precisely restoring the signals that have weakened —under physician supervision — with treatments grounded in decades of research.

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Peptides Quick Facts

Peptides we offer:
GLP-1 medications
Sermorelin
PRP

Best for:
Weight & metabolism
Body composition
Sleep
Energy
Skin health

How they work:
Targeted signaling compounds, physician-prescribed

Treatment format:
Self-administered injection (weekly or nightly, depending on therapy)

Who evaluates you:
Licensed medical providers under the clinical review and guidance of Dr. Gustav Lo, MD (17+ years in hormone and metabolic medicine)

What are peptides?

You've probably heard the word everywhere: on podcasts, in your social feed, from someone who swears by them. But here's the thing: most people using the word “peptide” don't actually know what it means. And that matters, because the difference between a peptide that works and one that doesn't comes down entirely to which one, for what purpose, under whose supervision.

Peptides are short chains of amino acids — smaller than proteins, but made of the same building blocks. Your body already produces tens of thousands of them naturally. What makes them clinically valuable is their function: they act as signaling compounds, carrying specific messages to specific cells and triggering specific responses.

When your body receives a peptide signal, it's essentially receiving an instruction

Burn this fat for fuel.
Release more growth hormone.
Stop feeling hungry.
Repair this tissue.

The reason peptide research has accelerated so dramatically in recent years isn't because something was invented. It's because scientists finally understood how many of these molecular messengers existed, what they were saying, and what happened when those signals weakened with age.

There's an important distinction between medical-grade peptide therapy and what‘s sold online. Here's what you need to know:

Why oral peptide supplements don‘t work, and medical-grade therapy does

Most supplements labeled “peptides” don't survive the digestive process. Here's why: peptides are chains of amino acids, and your digestive system is designed to do exactly one thing with them: break those chains apart, link by link, and use the pieces as raw material. The signal is destroyed before it ever reaches its target.

As RegenCen's Founder & Chief Medical Officer Dr. Lo puts it: "The message goes into a shredder."

Medical-grade peptide therapy works because the chain is kept intact — delivered by injection in a way that preserves the signal so the body can receive and respond to it. That's the difference between something that does nothing and something that works.

There's also an important distinction between peptides that are studied, legal, and clinically appropriate, and compounds being sold on gray-market websites for “research purposes only.” Some of those are simply unproven. Others have been explicitly prohibited from human use by the FDA. At RegenCen, we work exclusively with therapies that have been studied extensively, used safely in clinical settings, and prescribed within a clear legal framework.

How peptides fit into what we know about aging

One of the central realities of aging is that certain biological signals weaken. Growth hormone output declines steadily starting in our 30s. Appetite-regulating hormones shift. The body holds on to fat more aggressively and builds muscle less efficiently. Sleep architecture changes. Skin turnover slows.

These aren't random. They follow specific signaling pathways, and in many cases, restoring or amplifying the right signal can meaningfully reverse the pattern.

This is why peptide research has become one of the most active areas in longevity and metabolic medicine. The first major clinical peptide therapies, including GLP-1 medications, took decades to develop from initial discovery to approved drug. The research that produced them opened a door, and scientists and clinicians are now moving quickly through it.

How peptides fit into RegenCen’s approach to longevity care

At RegenCen, we think about treatment in layers.

The foundation is hormone therapy, specifically bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT). When estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and other key hormones decline with age, the effects ripple across nearly every system in the body: sleep, mood, energy, metabolism, cognition, libido, bone density, and more. Restoring hormonal balance addresses the broadest set of symptoms with the single most impactful intervention available in longevity medicine.

Peptides are the next layer. They're targeted: aimed at specific, defined outcomes rather than broad systemic restoration. Where BHRT is the foundation, peptides are the refinement: addressing what remains after the foundation is in place.

Think of it this way: after optimizing hormones, most patients see real, meaningful improvement across a range of symptoms. But some things persist. The belly that won't respond. Sleep that's better but not right. Energy that's improved but still falling short. Body composition that's plateau'd. These are the kinds of specific, named complaints that peptide therapy is designed to address.

At RegenCen, we move from a broad approach to a targeted one —from addressing the whole target to aiming for the bull's eye.

This is also part of what distinguishes RegenCen. We don't prescribe peptides as a blanket solution. We evaluate each patient individually, start with the foundation that addresses the most, and apply targeted therapies precisely where they're warranted.

The peptides we currently offer in clinical practice, and when each is most appropriate:

GLP-1 medications (semaglutide and tirzepatide)

GLP-1 medications address metabolic health, weight management, appetite regulation, and blood sugar balance. They're best suited for patients whose primary challenge is weight that doesn't respond proportionally to effort, persistent food noise and cravings, or metabolic concerns including insulin resistance.

They can be used as a standalone treatment for patients whose hormones are otherwise healthy, and they're also used alongside BHRT for patients who are on hormone therapy and want targeted metabolic support.

→ Learn more about GLP-1s at RegenCen

Sermorelin

Sermorelin addresses the growth hormone pathway, stimulating the body's own pituitary gland to produce more growth hormone naturally. It's used for body composition (particularly visceral fat reduction), sleep quality, energy, muscle support, and skin health.

Sermorelin is most effective when used to refine progress that's already underway, most commonly in patients on BHRT who have seen real improvement but are hitting a wall with specific complaints. Lab work (IGF-1) informs whether someone is likely to benefit.

Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)

PRP — platelet-rich plasma — is your body's own concentrated source of growth factors and peptides, drawn from a small sample of your blood, processed, and reintroduced at a targeted site to signal tissue repair and regeneration.

PRP isn't a synthetic compound. It's your own biology, concentrated and directed. Because it's autologous (from your own body), it carries no risk of immune reaction. It's used at RegenCen for joint and tissue healing, sexual health, hair restoration, and skin rejuvenation.

→ Learn more about PRP at RegenCen

GLP-1 therapy at RegenCen

GLP-1 medications — semaglutide and tirzepatide — work by amplifying a signaling pathway that's already part of your biology, targeting appetite, metabolism, and blood sugar simultaneously. What makes them genuinely different from prior weight loss approaches is that they don't just reduce appetite mechanically. They change the underlying signaling that drives hunger, cravings, and the reward response to food. Most patients describe it as the food noise going quiet.

Beyond appetite and weight, GLP-1 medications show meaningful effects on cardiovascular markers, blood sugar regulation, and inflammatory signals. Emerging research continues to identify new applications.

At RegenCen, GLP-1 therapy is offered both as a standalone treatment and as part of a broader metabolic and hormone optimization plan.

See the full program details, what's included, and how to get started →

A few things about GLP-1 therapy that are specific to how it fits within a peptide and hormone optimization approach:

How GLP-1 fits with sermorelin and hormone therapy

This is the question we get most often from patients who are already on BHRT or considering sermorelin alongside a GLP-1 medication, and it's a genuinely important one, because the three therapies work on different systems and serve different purposes.

GLP-1 and BHRT address different root causes of the same symptoms. Hormone therapy corrects the broad metabolic consequences of sex hormone decline, the kind of weight gain that responds poorly to effort because the underlying hormonal environment is working against you. GLP-1 medications address appetite signaling and insulin response directly. For many midlife patients, especially women in perimenopause and menopause, both are contributing to the problem. Starting with BHRT often makes a significant difference, and for patients who still have meaningful metabolic or appetite-driven weight concerns after hormones are optimized, GLP-1 therapy becomes a logical next layer.

GLP-1 and sermorelin work on different but complementary systems. GLP-1 medications reduce overall caloric intake and drive fat loss through appetite regulation. Sermorelin addresses what happens to body composition during that process, specifically the tendency to lose muscle alongside fat when in a caloric deficit. Growth hormone, which sermorelin supports, is highly anabolic and preferentially burns visceral fat while signaling the body to preserve and build lean mass. Patients using both therapies together often find they lose fat more effectively and maintain more of the muscle they've worked to build. The combination also addresses sleep and energy, which GLP-1 therapy alone does not target directly.

The order matters. For most patients in midlife, the sequence we recommend is: optimize hormones first (BHRT), then evaluate whether GLP-1, sermorelin, or both are appropriate for what remains. Applying targeted therapies before the hormonal foundation is in place often means treating downstream symptoms rather than their cause.

How long do you stay on GLP-1 therapy?

This is one of the most important conversations we have with patients, and one of the most commonly misunderstood aspects of GLP-1 treatment.
For many patients, GLP-1 therapy is a long-term commitment rather than a finite course. When the medication stops, the signaling changes stop with it. For a significant proportion of patients — research suggests around 75% — appetite patterns return and weight follows over time. This happens because the underlying biology that drove the original weight accumulation hasn't permanently changed; the medication was managing it.

This is not a failure. It's how the biology works. The appropriate question isn't “when can I stop?” but “what does the right long-term approach look like for me?” For some patients, that means staying on a maintenance dose indefinitely. For others, it means stopping after reaching a goal and monitoring closely. For a smaller group, the neurological patterns may shift enough over time that stopping is sustainable, but we don't yet have enough long-term data to predict who that will be.

Dr. Lo and his team discuss this candidly with every patient at the start of treatment. The evidence is also showing that stopping and restarting GLP-1 therapy is less effective than continuing, meaning that for patients at high risk of weight recurrence, going off the medication entirely is worth careful consideration. We factor this into every patient's plan.

Side effects and how we manage them

GLP-1 medications have a well-characterized side effect profile, primarily affecting the gastrointestinal system: nausea, altered digestion, and appetite changes that can be uncomfortable during dose escalation. These effects are most common in the early weeks of treatment and at each dose increase, and they tend to improve significantly as the body adjusts.

Managing these side effects well requires clinical experience. Our team has prescribed GLP-1 medications to thousands of patients and has developed real-world familiarity with how these medications behave across a wide range of individuals, including when to pause a dose increase, how to support patients through the adjustment period, and when a symptom warrants closer attention.

We don't set patients up to navigate this alone.

GLP-1 therapy: who is and isn’t a good candidate

You may be a good candidate for GLP-1 therapy if:

Your weight hasn't responded proportionally to diet and exercise, or returns despite your efforts
You experience persistent food noise, such asconstant hunger, strong cravings, or difficulty feeling satisfied despite eating adequately
You have blood sugar irregularities, insulin resistance, or metabolic concerns
You've tried other structured approaches and found them unsustainable
You're managing a significant amount of weight and want physician-supported, evidence-based help

GLP-1 therapy is likely not the right fit if:

You're looking for a short-term fix with no intention of addressing underlying lifestyle patterns
(FLAG FOR DOC FOR CLINICAL REVIEW) You have a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2
You're pregnant or planning to become pregnant

Every patient is evaluated individually. Our recommendations are based on your health history, lab work, symptoms, and goals, not a general protocol applied the same way to everyone.

Sermorelin therapy at RegenCen

Growth hormone doesn't stop mattering after adolescence. In adults, it governs fat metabolism, particularly the breakdown of deep abdominal fat. It drives muscle synthesis and recovery. It regulates the deep, restorative stages of sleep. It influences skin cell turnover, dermal thickness, and hydration. And it contributes to cellular energy production.

Beginning in our 30s, growth hormone output declines steadily. The effects are gradual, and they tend to look a lot like what we assume is just getting older.

The belly that resists effort.
Sleep that's lighter.
Recovery that takes longer.
Muscle that's harder to build.
Skin that's thinner and less resilient.

Sermorelin works by restoring the signal your body is no longer sending as reliably, not by forcing growth hormone in from outside, but by prompting your own pituitary gland to produce more of it naturally, within the body's own regulatory framework.

This is a meaningful distinction. Sermorelin works with the body's existing feedback system. It restores a signal. It does not override the mechanism that keeps growth hormone in a safe, appropriate range.

More on how sermorelin works, who benefits most, and what patients typically experience:

How sermorelin works: the biology explained

The body produces growth hormone through a self-regulating loop. The hypothalamus releases a peptide called growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), a signal that travels to the pituitary gland, which then releases growth hormone into the bloodstream. As growth hormone rises and its downstream marker (IGF-1) increases, the body's feedback system detects the change and releases a counterbalancing compound (somatostatin) that tells the pituitary to stop. The system cycles: release, detect, stop, release again.

As we age, the hypothalamus becomes less active in initiating this process. The signal weakens. The loop runs less often. Growth hormone output declines.

Sermorelin is structurally nearly identical to the first portion of natural GHRH, the precise signal your hypothalamus is no longer sending with the same frequency. When injected at bedtime (when growth hormone release naturally peaks), it initiates the loop. The pituitary responds. Growth hormone is released. And then — critically — the body's own feedback system does exactly what it's designed to do: it shuts it down.

This is what makes sermorelin fundamentally different from older approaches where growth hormone itself was injected directly. Direct injection bypasses the feedback loop entirely. Growth hormone accumulates. The body's regulatory system is overridden, and real risks follow, including metabolic disruption, abnormal tissue growth, and other consequences of sustained excess growth hormone.

Sermorelin doesn't create those conditions. The shut-off mechanism stays intact. Sermorelin works with the body instead of forcing something into it.

Who is a good candidate for sermorelin, and how we determine it

Sermorelin is not appropriate for everyone. Before recommending it, your RegenCen provider evaluates IGF-1 through lab work. IGF-1 is the primary downstream marker of growth hormone activity —it reflects how much growth hormone the body has been producing. Patients in the lower range for their age group tend to respond meaningfully. Patients in the upper range are unlikely to benefit, and we say so directly.

Sermorelin tends to be most effective for patients who:

Are already on BHRT and have seen good progress, but have hit a plateau with one or more specific complaints such as body composition, sleep, energy, or skin.
Are over 40 and experiencing changes in body composition (more abdominal fat, less muscle definition) despite consistent effort.
Have lab work indicating lower-range IGF-1 for their age.
Are actively working on nutrition and fitness. Sermorelin amplifies effort, it doesn't substitute for it.
Are experiencing sleep that's improved with BHRT but still not fully restorative.
Are interested in skin quality as part of a longevity approach.

Younger patients (30s) can also be good candidates if their IGF-1 is low and they have a specific complaint: body composition that won't respond despite genuine effort, or persistent difficulty with muscle and abdominal fat.

Sermorelin is not a first-line treatment. It's a refinement, best deployed when there's already a foundation in place and a specific, named problem to address.

What patients typically experience, and when

Results with sermorelin build progressively. The timeline varies by what you're targeting:

Sleep (often within 1–2 weeks): Usually the first thing patients notice. Deeper, more restorative sleep, specifically the deep stages that become lighter with age. Many describe waking feeling more genuinely rested than they have in years.

Body composition (4–6 weeks, with active effort): Sermorelin preferentially stimulates fat metabolism from the abdomen, specifically visceral, intra-abdominal fat, which is metabolically the most harmful and often the most resistant to conventional effort. It also supports muscle protein synthesis, meaning patients who are exercising and eating enough protein typically see improved muscle response. Changes here require work alongside the therapy.

Energy (builds over weeks): Often described as “feeling more like myself” rather than a sudden lift. Tends to be noticed in the context of other changes: patients realize they're recovering faster, performing better, and feeling less depleted.

Skin (slower to appear, striking for many): Sermorelin stimulates skin cell turnover, promotes production of proteoglycans (compounds that bind and retain water within the skin), and increases dermal thickness and blood supply. Skin becomes more resilient, more hydrated, more luminous over several months. Sermorelin isn't a cosmetic treatment but rather a systemic effect that shows up on the surface.

Sermorelin treatment format, cycles, and what to expect practically

Sermorelin is self-administered by subcutaneous injection five nights per week at bedtime. The process is essentially identical to a GLP-1 injection: a very small needle, just beneath the skin, takes seconds. Most patients find it straightforward after the first few nights.

Sermorelin requires refrigeration.

RegenCen typically recommends an initial cycle of 10 to 12 weeks, followed by a four-week break and reassessment. Your provider, under Dr. Lo's clinical guidance, evaluates IGF-1 alongside symptom improvements at the end of each cycle and determines whether a subsequent cycle is appropriate and what it should look like.

Some patients use sermorelin in defined cycles tied to a specific goal, like reaching a body composition milestone or addressing a sleep complaint, and then stop. Others incorporate it into an ongoing longevity protocol. A few use it indefinitely for anti-aging and skin quality. The decision is individualized, revisited at each cycle, and never assumed to be the same for everyone.

Who may benefit from peptide therapy at RegenCen

Peptide therapy is not for everyone, and the most important question is never “should I take peptides?” It's “which peptide, for what reason, based on what's actually going on in my body?”

That said, certain patterns of symptoms and life circumstances align well with what our current therapies address.

GLP-1 therapy might be right for you if:

Weight hasn't responded proportionally to consistent diet and exercise
Food noise (persistent cravings, hunger, or difficulty feeling satisfied) is a real daily challenge
You have blood sugar irregularities or metabolic concerns
You've tried structured approaches before and found them unsustainable

Sermorelin might be right for you if:

You're on BHRT and progressing well, but certain things remain unresolved
Body composition is shifting (more belly, less muscle) despite real effort
Sleep has become lighter and less restorative
Energy is lower than your lifestyle should produce
You're interested in skin quality as part of aging well

When peptide therapy may not be the right next step

Peptide therapy is a targeted clinical tool, and that means it works best when there's a clear target. There are circumstances where we'd recommend addressing other things first:

Foundational health habits aren't yet in place. Sermorelin amplifies what your body is already doing. GLP-1 medications work best when paired with real changes to nutrition and movement. If those foundations are missing, the results will be limited and potentially frustrating.
Hormones haven't been evaluated or addressed. For most patients in midlife, hormone therapy is the first and most impactful intervention. Applying peptide therapy before optimizing hormones often means targeting a symptom rather than its root cause.
The expectation is a shortcut, not a tool. These are real medicines with real mechanisms, not magic. Our providers are direct with every patient about what to expect and what the therapy requires of them.

We'd rather tell you it's not the right time than set you up to be disappointed. That's part of what honest, physician-supervised care looks like.

Safety, oversight, and why it matters who prescribes this

The word “peptide” has become a cultural shorthand for ”biohacking wonder,“ and that has created an enormous gray market of compounds sold online, marketed for ”research purposes,“ administered without medical oversight, and in some cases, explicitly prohibited from human use by regulatory authorities.

At RegenCen, we work exclusively with therapies that have been studied extensively, whose mechanisms are understood, and whose clinical use is legally sound. We don't prescribe compounds for which the science is speculative or the regulatory picture is murky.

[FLAG FOR DR. LO / LEGAL REVIEW: (The following paragraph requires careful legal review before publishing — particularly the language around compounded GLP-1 status.) The GLP-1 medications and sermorelin we offer are legally prescribed under physician supervision and manufactured to clinical standards. This is a meaningful distinction, not just regulatory fine print, but a real difference in quality, consistency, and safety.

A few things about our clinical experience and approach that we think are worth knowing:

Dr. Gustav Lo, MD: experience and clinical philosophy

Dr. Lo has been prescribing hormone and metabolic therapies for more than 17 years. He founded RegenCen on the premise that longevity medicine should be evidence-based, individualized, and honest, not protocol-driven, not trend-chasing, and not designed around telling patients what they want to hear.

He's prescribed GLP-1 medications to thousands of patients for more than a decade. He has direct, first-hand familiarity with how these medications behave across a wide range of individuals, including the edge cases, the complications, and the nuanced decisions that don't have a clean answer in the clinical literature.

His approach to medicine is, as he puts it, a craft practiced on evolving science, not a fixed set of rules applied the same way to everyone. The science is always a draft. Good clinical judgment means staying current with the evidence, acknowledging what isn't yet known, and making individualized decisions that account for both.

What we know, and what we're honest about not knowing

GLP-1 medications are among the most studied therapies in recent medical history. Their mechanisms are well understood. Their side effect profiles are known. Their efficacy has been demonstrated in large, rigorous clinical trials. This is not experimental territory.

Sermorelin has a longer clinical history than most people realize: it was first developed nearly three decades ago and has been prescribed in longevity and anti-aging medicine for years.

That said, both therapies continue to generate new research. The long-term effects of sustained GLP-1 use are still being studied. New clinical applications continue to emerge. What the right long-term approach looks like for any individual patient involves some degree of clinical judgment applied to incomplete data.

We don't pretend otherwise. We stay current with the evidence, communicate honestly about what's established versus what's still being figured out, and make decisions accordingly.

The difference between RegenCen and online or low-oversight providers

GLP-1 medications are now available through a wide range of channels, such as telehealth platforms, weight loss clinics, compounding pharmacies shipping directly to patients. That accessibility has real value for some people. But it has also created real risk.

The difference comes down to depth of clinical oversight. Knowing how to escalate a dose thoughtfully. Knowing when a side effect is something to manage versus something to investigate. Knowing what to watch for in patients with certain histories, certain medications, certain metabolic profiles.
Knowing what the evidence says about long-term use and having a real conversation about it.

That knowledge comes from clinical experience with a large volume of patients over many years, not from a protocol in a software platform. Our team has that experience. We think it matters, and we're direct about why.

What to expect when you come to RegenCen for peptide therapy

STEP 1 — A REAL CONVERSATION
Before anything else, we want to understand what's actually going on. Your health history, your symptoms, your goals, your lifestyle. What you've tried. What's worked and what hasn't. This shapes everything that follows.

STEP 2 — LAB WORK
For most peptide candidates, we order relevant labs before prescribing anything. IGF-1 for sermorelin candidates. Metabolic markers for GLP-1 candidates. Labs inform the recommendation, and establish your baseline so real progress can be measured.

STEP 3 — A PERSONALIZED PLAN
Your protocol is built for you: specific therapy, specific dosing, specific goals, and honest expectations for what's realistic on what timeline.

STEP 4 — ONGOING MONITORING AND ADJUSTMENT
We follow you through treatment. Labs and symptoms are tracked. Doses are adjusted when they should be. If something isn't working, we say so and figure out why.

More on what the process looks like in practice — including how to prepare and what patients typically want to know before starting:

How to prepare for your first consultation

There's nothing you need to do before your first consultation. Come ready to have an honest conversation about your health history, your symptoms, and your goals, including things you may not have mentioned to a doctor before, like your relationship with food, your sleep patterns, or how your body has changed over the past few years.

If you have recent lab work, bring it or have it available, it may allow us to move more quickly. If you don't, we'll order what we need. We'll also ask about medications, supplements, and any prior experience with hormone therapy, weight loss medications, or other metabolic treatments.

What makes someone a strong responder to peptide therapy?

The patients who tend to get the most from peptide therapy at RegenCen share a few characteristics:

They're engaged and realistic. They come in understanding that these are tools — powerful ones — that work best within a broader commitment to their health.
They have a specific, named complaint. ”I want to feel better“ is harder to target than ”my sleep hasn't been restorative since my 40s“ or ”I can't lose the belly no matter what I do.“
They're willing to be monitored and have the treatment adjusted. Results evolve. What's right at 8 weeks may be different at 6 months.
They ask questions. Good outcomes in medicine come from informed patients who participate in their own care.

None of this is a requirement. But it's a pattern we've observed over many years of treating patients with these therapies.

Frequently asked questions about peptide therapy at RegenCen

Is peptide therapy the same thing as what I see people promoting online?

Not necessarily. The word ”peptide“ covers an enormous range of compounds, from FDA-approved medications with decades of clinical data to gray-market research chemicals that have never been studied in humans and, in some cases, are explicitly prohibited from human use.

What RegenCen offers is a small, carefully selected set of therapies with established clinical histories, known safety profiles, and clear legal standing. We're not in the business of prescribing whatever is trending. We're in the business of recommending what the evidence supports for your specific situation.

Do I need to already be on hormone therapy to try peptide therapy?

No. Peptide therapy can be appropriate for patients who aren't on BHRT, particularly GLP-1 therapy, which is often used as a standalone metabolic intervention for patients whose sex hormones are otherwise healthy.

That said, for many patients in midlife, particularly women in perimenopause or menopause and men experiencing hormonal decline, hormone therapy addresses the broadest set of symptoms most effectively. We'll evaluate your full picture and recommend the sequence that makes the most sense for you.

Will I be on peptide therapy forever?

It depends on which therapy and what you're using it for.

For GLP-1 medications, the honest answer is that many patients benefit from long-term use, because stopping the medication often means the appetite signals it was managing return. That's not true for everyone, and the right long-term approach is discussed individually with each patient.

For sermorelin, the approach is typically cyclical, defined treatment periods with breaks in between, reassessed at each cycle. Some patients use it for a specific, time-limited goal. Others incorporate it into ongoing longevity care.

Neither therapy is forever by default. Both require an ongoing conversation about whether continued use is appropriate.

Are there side effects I should know about?

Yes, and we'll be direct about them.

GLP-1 medications can cause meaningful gastrointestinal side effects, like nausea, changes in digestion, reduced appetite that feels uncomfortable in the early weeks. These are most common during dose escalation and typically improve significantly over time. Rarely, more serious effects can occur. Our team has managed these side effects in thousands of patients and will walk you through what to watch for and how to manage it.

Sermorelin is generally very well tolerated. The most common side effect is mild injection site irritation. Because sermorelin works through the body's own feedback system rather than overriding it, the risk of growth hormone excess is extremely low.

Does insurance cover peptide therapy?

Peptide therapy as offered at RegenCen is generally not covered by insurance. It is considered a wellness or longevity intervention rather than a treatment for a diagnosed medical condition in most cases. [FLAG FOR DR. LO: Confirm if any exceptions apply — e.g., diagnosed growth hormone deficiency, type 2 diabetes, etc.]. Our GLP-1 medications are HSA-eligible.
We're transparent about pricing during your consultation so there are no surprises.

Can peptide therapy be combined with other RegenCen treatments?

Yes, and it often is. The most common combinations:

BHRT + Sermorelin — the standard progression for patients who have optimized hormones and want to go further with body composition, sleep, or energy
BHRT + GLP-1 — for patients on hormone therapy who have a significant metabolic or weight management goal
GLP-1 + Sermorelin — for patients addressing both metabolic health and body composition simultaneously; sermorelin can help preserve muscle mass during the fat loss phase of GLP-1 therapy
PRP + other therapies — PRP is often combined with aesthetic or regenerative treatments at our aesthetic division, Cosmetic Skin & Laser Center (CSLC)

Your care team will discuss what makes sense for your specific goals and circumstances.

Where is peptide therapy available? Which RegenCen locations offer GLP-1 and sermorelin?

Peptide therapy, including GLP-1 medications and sermorelin, is available across RegenCen locations in Michigan and Florida. Telehealth consultations are also available for patients who prefer to start remotely or who are located between locations.

Michigan

Ann Arbor
Birmingham (at BOYD)
Bloomfield Hills
Chelsea
Downtown Detroit (at BOYD)
East Lansing
Fenton
Grand Rapids (at Steven Ringler, MD)
Grand Rapids – East
Harbor Springs
Petoskey
Suttons Bay
Traverse City

Florida

Atlantic Beach (at Serene Advanced Skin Care)
Boca Grande
Hobe Sound
Lake Mary
Marco Island
Naples – Downtown
Naples – North
Palm Beach
Sarasota (at Rita Medical Elite)
Vero Beach
Wellington
Winter Park

Not sure which location is closest to you? Find a RegenCen near you or call us at 231.347.7395. Our team can help you find the right office and get you scheduled.

How is RegenCen different from a weight loss clinic or telehealth peptide service?

The primary difference is depth of clinical oversight and breadth of care.

Weight loss clinics and telehealth platforms that offer GLP-1 medications are often optimized for volume and accessibility, which has value. But they typically don't evaluate your hormone status, don't consider how a therapy fits into your broader health picture, and don't have the clinical depth to navigate complex presentations or complications.

At RegenCen, peptide therapy exists within a comprehensive approach to longevity medicine. We consider the whole patient — hormones, metabolism, symptoms, goals — and recommend therapies that fit the full picture. We have real experience with a large volume of patients over many years. And we're direct with patients when something isn't working or when a different approach would serve them better.