Peptides: Oral and Injectable

Peptides are everywhere, but how much do we actually know about the oral and injectable versions? Dr. Zain and Courtney continue their peptide conversation by exploring collagen supplements, GHK Copper, BPC 157, ipamorelin, and CJC 1295.

They discuss what the current evidence shows, where research is still limited, and why the way a peptide is sourced and delivered matters. The conversation also covers hormone related peptides, potential risks, FDA approval, compounded products, online pharmacies, and the importance of working with a physician instead of self medicating.

Dr. Zain and Courtney also break down the difference between established, emerging, and investigational treatments and explain how they evaluate peptides based on their intended goal, supporting evidence, method of administration, and known and unknown risks. They finish by discussing marketing claims surrounding aging and longevity and why improving healthspan may be more meaningful than simply extending lifespan.

00:00 Introduction to oral and injectable peptides
01:00 Collagen peptides and the evidence
03:00 GHK Copper
05:00 BPC 157 and tissue repair
06:00 Ipamorelin and CJC 1295
07:00 Hormones and potential health risks
09:00 FDA approval and experimental peptides
11:00 Understanding the evidence ladder
13:00 Evaluating peptide marketing claims
15:00 Healthspan versus lifespan
16:00 Questions clinicians should ask about peptides
18:00 Where peptides could fit into future healthcare
20:00 Balancing innovation with patient safety
22:00 Taking a closer look before using peptides

Creators and Guests

Host

Courtney Carroll, LE

Courtney Carroll, LE is a licensed aesthetician with extensive experience performing non-invasive cosmetic treatments and customized skincare.

Host

Dr. Zain Husain, MD

Dr. Zain Husain, MD FAAD FACMS is a dual board-certified dermatologist and Mohs micrographic surgeon with fellowship training in cosmetic dermatology.

What is Skinside Out?

Welcome to Skinside Out, where science meets beauty, the ultimate dermatology podcast! Dive deep into the fascinating world of skin health with expert insights, evidence-based discussions, and myth-busting truths. Each episode explores the medical, cosmetic, and surgical aspects of dermatology, while keeping you informed about trending skincare topics. Whether you’re a skincare enthusiast, medical professional, or just curious about how to achieve your best skin, Skinside Out is your go-to resource for staying informed and inspired.

72 Skinside Out - Peptides 2
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Dr. Zain Husain: [00:00:00] Welcome to Skin Side Out. I'm your host, Dr. Zain with Courtney. So we're continuing our discussion, um, regarding peptides. However, now we're gonna be talking about oral and injectable peptides because it is everywhere.

Courtney Carroll: Yeah.

Dr. Zain Husain: Everywhere you turn, "Hey, I'm taking this peptide. Oh, this is gonna be a miracle drug for this.

Um, you know, this helped me, you know, heal up so much faster or make such huge gains in the gym." So let's kinda tease out some of the information, um, you know, what's true, what's not. Um, so let's dive right in. So let's start off, um, especially in the dermatology setting, um, oral peptides. Um, one of the most common ones we get asked about is, um, you know, the collagen peptides.

Mm-hmm. So what are your thoughts on the collagen peptides?

Courtney Carroll: I think that, again, delivery is, is [00:01:00] important. I, I'm not a huge believer in, like, the oral collagen. Um, I think there's not sufficient data on there. Um, I do think there's been some data for, like, bone and joint health- Mm-hmm ... and so I will sometimes-

Dr. Zain Husain: There actually was a study with skin, um, that sh-

Courtney Carroll: That was...

Yeah ...

Dr. Zain Husain: that improved, like, hydration- Hydration ... glow, things like that.

Courtney Carroll: Yeah.

Dr. Zain Husain: Um, and I think that definitely can play a role, especially if it's- Mm-hmm ...

Courtney Carroll: you know, improving

Dr. Zain Husain: protein intake- Mm-hmm ... and some of those branched, um, amino acids that are harder to get in some other sources.

Courtney Carroll: Yeah.

Dr. Zain Husain: Um, I could see that being helpful.

Do

Courtney Carroll: you know how in the study... I didn't... I remember seeing that, but I didn't look t- I didn't look too much into it. Yeah. I, you know, I just wonder sometimes, like, I'm always-

Dr. Zain Husain: Skeptical ...

Courtney Carroll: the chicken, not the egg. But- Yeah ... you know, w- was it that these people were mixing it with water and they're drinking more water?

You know, like, the collagen supplements, you put them in usually water, so- Yeah ... you know, just th- you know, just things to keep in the back [00:02:00] of our mind. And

Dr. Zain Husain: also, like, it just may increase your protein intake. Mm-hmm. Maybe you weren't taking enough protein in your diet- Mm-hmm ... before, and I know a lot of people who just don't take- Yeah

enough protein in their diet.

Courtney Carroll: Yeah.

Dr. Zain Husain: So I think it's something that if a patient wants to do it, I have no problem with it. Yeah. Um, is it going to have more of an effect than, you know, good skincare or photo protection? No. Mm-hmm. Is it gonna have more of an effect than, you know, standardized treatments? No.

Courtney Carroll: Mm-hmm.

Dr. Zain Husain: But it can be supportive.

Courtney Carroll: Mm-hmm.

Dr. Zain Husain: So I'm not gonna be a hater.

Courtney Carroll: Yeah.

Dr. Zain Husain: But am I gonna say that's the best thing that you can do for your skin? 'Cause people swear by it.

Courtney Carroll: Yeah.

Dr. Zain Husain: Um, I just think it's more of that placebo effect. Yeah.

Courtney Carroll: Yeah.

Dr. Zain Husain: Yeah.

Courtney Carroll: Happy that you're doing it. I personally am not doing it, but that's what I tell my patients.

I'm like- Yeah ... "You go, girl."

Dr. Zain Husain: Yeah. You do you.

Courtney Carroll: Yeah.

Dr. Zain Husain: Yeah. It's not harming anyone, just costing you more.

Courtney Carroll: The other th- the other reason I really don't do it is 'cause a lot of it's, like, bovine sourced. Mm-hmm. And I don't eat meat. [00:03:00] Yeah. So yeah. You know, I know there's some marine, um- Yeah ... marine versions, but yeah, it just- I just try to get my protein.

Dr. Zain Husain: Okay. So that's the most common one I hear about from patients, but some of the other peptides that are becoming popular in the dermatology or wellness space, um, one of the most popular ones, GHK-

Courtney Carroll: Mm-hmm ...

Dr. Zain Husain: copper.

Courtney Carroll: Mm-hmm.

Dr. Zain Husain: Um, so tell me a little bit about that molecule and how it's being used.

Courtney Carroll: so topical, um, GHK copper, it's funny, I actually just... My, my uncle has been using it. He-

Dr. Zain Husain: Oh, the one who's, like, all into, like, the supplements.

Courtney Carroll: Yeah, and he, like, uses, like, red light on, like, his neck, chest, his thighs.

Yeah, like, he needs a whole red light thing. But anyways, um, so it's been, it's been thought to basically show improvement in, like, wound healing, um, calming, like, inflammatory pathways, um, you know, increasing, like, that, like, extracellular matrix, so, like, our... I think about, like, our fiber [00:04:00] matrix. Um, so there are, you know, people feeling that they have seen improvements.

The studies are not quite there. I'm sure right now there are studies being done on it. Um, so it's all very new, but I think everyone that I've talked to who is using it topically feels like it's making a huge difference.

Dr. Zain Husain: Yeah, and it is in some of the skincare that we recommend. Mm-hmm. Um, especially for hair restoration- Mm-hmm

um, we often recommend the FR serum by Xtrasize. It contains this molecule- Mm-hmm ... and has been shown to be very helpful reducing inflammation, helping to improve, you know, the hair follicle to be more robust in function and growth. So I do think that there is more data in the skincare space. Mm-hmm. Um, in terms of oral and injectable, I mean, I think there still needs to be more data.

Yeah. But I do know patients who, who do very well with it. Mm-hmm. They swear by it, so something to look out for in the future.

Courtney Carroll: [00:05:00] Yeah.

Dr. Zain Husain: Yep. All right, moving on. So we have other examples. Um, so another one that's very popular is BPC 157.

Courtney Carroll: Mm-hmm.

Dr. Zain Husain: So tell me a little bit about that molecule.

Courtney Carroll: So it's had interest, um, specifically from its, like, tissue repair and, like, regenerative, um, biology.

So I think, um, you know, a lot of the enthusiasm has been from more of kind of the preclinical research. Again, I think all of these are emerging, um, and they're all newer. So I think, again- Mm-hmm ... we'll, we'll have to wait and see what the, the data says. But, um, you know, it, it is showing interest. People, you know, scientists are definitely intrigued about more of the regenerative properties of this peptide, so...

Dr. Zain Husain: Yeah, I'm actually really interested in this one. Um, I know that I have quite a few friends and colleagues who take it, and it's helped with, you know, any injuries- Mm-hmm ... helping to [00:06:00] bounce back, helping with gains in the gym. Um, just helps you recover faster. Hmm. So something I might want to try.

Courtney Carroll: Yeah.

Dr. Zain Husain: Um, all right, moving on.

Um, ipamorelin or CJC 1295. So this has ties to growth hormone- Mm-hmm ... um, regulation. So tell me a little bit about that. this.

Courtney Carroll: So more, um, in kind of that muscle body composition realm, um, longevity, which, you know, I know we talked about on a previous episode, um, recovery. So in that more, again, like kinda musculoskeletal realm of, yeah, recup- recovery and recoup.

Um, it will be interesting when we think about that in terms of, you know, bringing it to skin, maybe like, you know, recoup on, on downtime, things like that. So yeah, same thing. Um, it'll be interesting kind of seeing how that translates further on.

Dr. Zain Husain: Yeah. And I've been hearing, you know, people using it in conjunction with hormone [00:07:00] replacement therapy, and I find that a little scary.

Yeah. Um, because not only are you taking exogenous hormones, but you're also taking something that can influence hormones-

Courtney Carroll: Mm-hmm ...

Dr. Zain Husain: in addition. So I think that that's kind of a, a more, uh, dangerous and unregulated, um, type of use.

Courtney Carroll: Yeah. I think when you think about the metabolic system in general- Uh-huh ... um, I don't know.

Hormones, I think, in general I feel, and specifically I do feel this way ar- around women's hormones, I feel like there's honestly a lot of data to be done, and a lot of, a lot of further research to be done around the impact of hormones. I think, you know-

Dr. Zain Husain: I feel like people take it so lightly.

Courtney Carroll: They take it-

Dr. Zain Husain: I just feel tired- Yeah

or this or that, and then they're taking these medications- Yeah ... and they can have drastic effects on your health.

Courtney Carroll: Drastic effects.

Dr. Zain Husain: So let's talk about, one, I mean, cardiovascular health. Mm-hmm. I mean, a lot of these growth, um, hormone related medication affect cardiovascular- Mm-hmm ... and metabolic health. Um, some of these growth factors can influence [00:08:00] development of cancer.

Courtney Carroll: Yeah.

Dr. Zain Husain: I mean, that's the one that I'm emotional about. It's true.

Courtney Carroll: Yeah. Yeah. I, yeah, I just think there's so much more data to be done. I, I think it's, yeah, like especially about, like you said, women's hormones, like, "Oh, it's just perimenopause." Like- Mm-hmm ... but these women are, like, uh, dying of, like, heat flashes.

I mean, it affects your fatigue, your mood, your- Mm-hmm ... your levels of energy. I mean, yeah, I, I, I'm sure everyone has someone in their life, you know, mom, sister, wife, friend, who has gone through, you know, that perimenopausal time, and like, has, like, truly suffered. So I think, yeah, it's, it's just interesting. Um, I think there definitely needs to be more, more studies done.

Dr. Zain Husain: And it's not to say that HRT is c- completely- Mm-hmm ... bad- Yeah ... evil, the devil. It's not that. I think that it should legitimately used-

Courtney Carroll: Mm-hmm ...

Dr. Zain Husain: for patients who need it-

Courtney Carroll: Yeah ...

Dr. Zain Husain: who are deficient- Mm-hmm ... or, you know, some other medical condition is causing them to be deficient. And they, we need hormones, right? Yeah.

It's part of our regulatory mechanisms in our body. We need it to function properly. So- [00:09:00] I think really having your, you know, primary care physician, endocrinologist involved is really important for these discussions about which hormones to use, um, and supplements that affect hormones.

Courtney Carroll: Yeah.

Dr. Zain Husain: Yeah. All right.

So those are some of the more common, you know, products, um, and peptides that we see in, you know, the injectable and oral space. Now, let's talk about, a little bit about the evidence ladder. So I think that's really important because these peptides are not regulated by the FDA. Mm-hmm. They're not FDA approved, so essentially they're experimental.

So right now it's like the Wild Wild West.

Courtney Carroll: It is, because what is... Like, when you actually think about that, what does that mean? That means that any kind of pharmacy, okay, can- Mm-hmm ... put this out They could be compounded. They, you don't know what the vehicle is. You don't know what [00:10:00] other additives they might have added to that.

Mm-hmm. Um, that peptide, i- yeah, it truly is the Wild Wild West. Yeah. There's no know- no knowing.

Dr. Zain Husain: I mean, I thought it was very interesting, like with the GLP-1s, I mean, those are FDA-approved medications. Mm-hmm. But then when there was a shortage, everyone was producing these compounds- Mm-hmm ... and they were adding molecules- Mm-hmm

to make it slightly different than the original formulation, so- Mm-hmm ... they wouldn't get sued by- Yeah. ... these pharmaceutical companies. Yeah. But, you know, it, it's, it speaks to the fact that, you know, it may not be produced in those standard, um, capacities like they are in like the manufacturing, you know, hubs and c- companies.

Mm-hmm. Um, they're happening in little compounded pharmacies.

Courtney Carroll: Yeah.

Dr. Zain Husain: So.

Courtney Carroll: And no hate to the compounding pharmacies. Mm-hmm. You know, I think espec- Oh, we love our compounding pharmacies. I lo- yeah. Yeah. I love. I think in regards to, especially like COVID with the GLPs and the shortage, I mean, yeah, you think, "Okay, this is a medicine that has [00:11:00] been around for a long time," um, contrary to popular belief.

I think people truly believe that GLPs, like, just came out, and I'm always like, "No, th- this is-" No, it's been out for like

Dr. Zain Husain: over a decade.

Courtney Carroll: Yeah. There's a lot of data behind it. Yeah. But, um, yeah, I think it's just interesting, um, also in lieu of all these online pharmacies because- Mm-hmm ... nowadays you can just- That

Dr. Zain Husain: is crazy

Courtney Carroll: type in peptide delivered to me, and who knows what sponsored- Oh ... pharmacies pop up.

Dr. Zain Husain: Kids are ordering this online-

Courtney Carroll: Yeah ...

Dr. Zain Husain: and getting access to this stuff.

Courtney Carroll: Yeah.

Dr. Zain Husain: It's wild.

Courtney Carroll: I know, yeah. That's what I think worries me more even than just the, the pharmacy, you know, making it.

Dr. Zain Husain: So bringing it back, so we have different tiers, um, of evidence, right?

There's established, they have robust data behind them. There's emerging. We think that there's, you know, definitely some data to support it, but hasn't been studied as much as, you know, we would like before, you know, the FDA approves something. And then there's investigational, right? Thoughts that it helps, we really don't know.

Mm-hmm. Um, large studies have not been [00:12:00] done, and people are just kinda just trying it out.

Courtney Carroll: Yeah.

Dr. Zain Husain: So in respect to these different compounds, um, you know, I think you need to do your homework, and then maybe having your physician help you- Mm-hmm ... with that. Um, I do think that there are a lot of people who are self-medicating.

Courtney Carroll: Yeah. Oh, yeah.

Dr. Zain Husain: And it is scary because it can impact your health.

Courtney Carroll: Yeah. And I think people are quick, you know, sometimes I think about, like, these people in their 20s, n- like, babe, you're in the prime of your life. Yeah. Like, you, you don't need the peptides. Like- Mm-mm ... you naturally have the pept- like, you're doing good.

So yeah, I think sometimes people jumping the gun because- Yeah ... there's just this, like, whole mindset right now of, like, who can be the healthiest? Mm-hmm. Who can biohack the furthest? Yeah. Who can get, like, the, the best outcome for, you know, exercise and, and diet. Like the

Dr. Zain Husain: gym- the gym bros.

Courtney Carroll: Yeah.

Dr. Zain Husain: I mean, they're like classic.

Courtney Carroll: Yeah. [00:13:00] So I think, yeah, you know, looks maxing is big right now. Mm-hmm. And then, uh, just all these buzzwords. So I think, yeah, really working with your, um, physician to see which one specifically would be right for you and not just saying, "Oh," like, "this works for my friend, so like, yeah, I'll try it." And-

Dr. Zain Husain: Yeah

Courtney Carroll: you never know.

Dr. Zain Husain: Let's talk about marketing claims. Um, so obviously these are products that are available on the market. How should we be looking at these claims that they say, "Hey, this does X, Y, Z"? How should we be approaching that when we see that?

Courtney Carroll: I think, you know, anything that claims it's gonna reverse aging- Mm-hmm

that's like a automatic red flag. Nothing in this life, besides a time machine, would reverse. Yeah. Can we slow down aging? Yeah. Yeah, absolutely.

Dr. Zain Husain: Can we reverse some of the damage?

Courtney Carroll: Yes, but are we gonna, like, shave off years? No. No. You know, realistically. I think being realistic about these things is important.

Um, you know, yeah, claims of, like, life, lifespan exp- you know, expansion, living [00:14:00] longer, um, again- Yeah ... is that just because w- We're having better healthcare. We are taking care of ourselves. We're, like, not smoking three packs a day like they used to. Mm-hmm. You know, um, drinking at work, which I wish I was a part of that time, but, um, um, I watch Mad Men a lot.

I better not- Yeah ...

Dr. Zain Husain: catch you on the job.

Courtney Carroll: No, only if I was, like, a Mad, like, Mad Men. Yeah. Ugh, love. Um, but I think, yeah, making these claims without any, any evidence. I think any kind of claim that's... I, I always think back to someone once told me, "If it sounds good to, too good to be true-" It's too true "... it probably is."

Yeah. And I, like, live by that because, yeah, I'd rather have skepticis- skepticism and s- find out that I'm wrong than- Mm-hmm ... just to expect everything to solve my problems. So- Yeah ... yeah.

Dr. Zain Husain: And then you mentioned lifespan. I don't really look at that term as something that we should be really trying to achieve.

We're trying to, like, extend lifespan. I think it's healthspan- Yeah ... that we really want to kinda aim for. Having the best [00:15:00] quality of life from a functional health standpoint is really the goal.

Courtney Carroll: Mm-hmm.

Dr. Zain Husain: So, like, if you live longer but you're unhealthy- Yeah ... and you have disease- Mm-hmm ... I mean, those extra years that you have- Are miserable

aren't great.

Courtney Carroll: Yeah.

Dr. Zain Husain: Yeah. I mean, you're, like, sitting in bed and, you know, you're dealing with pain, things like that. But if you can maximize Feeling good during the prime of your life and into your-

Courtney Carroll: Mm-hmm ...

Dr. Zain Husain: older years-

Courtney Carroll: Yeah ...

Dr. Zain Husain: I think that is the best. If we can extend that amount of time- Mm-hmm ... that is where quality-

Courtney Carroll: Mm-hmm

Dr. Zain Husain: of life really, you know, makes a difference.

Courtney Carroll: Yeah, I agree. Like, extending, yeah, y- it's not about extending life, but extending how good you feel- Yeah ... for longer.

Dr. Zain Husain: Living your best life, right?

Courtney Carroll: Yeah, like exactly. For the

Dr. Zain Husain: longest. Yeah. Yeah. All right, so when we're looking at peptides, how should we as clinicians approach them?

So there are some questions that I think about when I'm, you know, viewing peptides with my patients, right? So what [00:16:00] is the end goal? What is the clinical goal we're trying to achieve? Mm-hmm. Um, what evidence supports the intervention? Mm-hmm. So, I mean, a lot of these don't really have a lot of data.

Courtney Carroll: Mm-hmm.

Dr. Zain Husain: So it's kinda hard to kind of really support and advocate for these treatments without that.

Um, what's the route of administration, right? Mm-hmm. So, you know, you can take peptides orally- Mm-hmm ... like as a supplement. Um, you can, you know, mix it as a powder.

Courtney Carroll: IV.

Dr. Zain Husain: IV.

Courtney Carroll: Injection.

Dr. Zain Husain: Buccal. Now you can actually put these little strips in your mouth and it absorbs- Mm ... um, which apparently they claim some 92% bioavailability compared to, like, injectable.

Hmm. Which injectable is considered the gold standard- Yeah ... because it's just kind of going through your system without having to go through your GI sym- Mm-hmm ... uh, system. So route of administration does matter because it can affect efficacy, but also some people don't wanna inject themselves.

Courtney Carroll: Yeah,

Dr. Zain Husain: sure.

People are, like, needle phobic, so. And what are the known and unknown risks? I think [00:17:00] this is the most important question. Yeah. Like, yeah, we know that these risk exist, but there's probably stuff that we don't even know yet hasn't been studied enough. So you do take that risk when you take experimental medications- Mm-hmm

that are not FDA approved.

Courtney Carroll: Mm-hmm.

Dr. Zain Husain: And are there other interventions you can take without having to go this route? Mm-hmm. Or are there even better options? Less

Courtney Carroll: risk,

Dr. Zain Husain: yeah. Less risk, um, more benefit or the same benefit. Mm-hmm. So these are things that kind of cross my mind when I'm thinking about peptides.

Courtney Carroll: Mm-hmm.

Dr. Zain Husain: Um, and then where do you think peptides will fit into, you know, future healthcare?

Courtney Carroll: Yeah, I think it'll be interesting again to see some of the, the data. I think, you know- It's funny, I, I think I said this during last episode. Sometimes I feel like skin is, is secondary. You know, a lot of these peptides, we're talking about things like muscle recovery, and, um, you know, again, like the muscular [00:18:00] system, I- a lot of ortho, I think, right now is kind of gonna be- Mm-hmm

the key to the future. Mm-hmm. I mean, they were even ahead of the curve with, like, PRP, which, you know, now has been so, um, such a- Mm-hmm ... a stable, you know, modality that we use. But I think a lot of, yeah, there, there's a lot of data to be done. It'll be interesting kind of what comes out of that, and kind of taking away from that.

Because I think the other thing worth mentioning is just because something is working for, let's say, yeah, muscle recovery or body composition, how will that play a role in, in your skin? That's not always a given. Just because it helps with this might not always help with that. Yeah. So I think- And

Dr. Zain Husain: the ones that we mentioned today have, you know, probably the closest-

Courtney Carroll: Mm-hmm

Dr. Zain Husain: you know, data to show that it can help with skin. Yeah. There are so many peptides what, that we haven't mentioned that have other, you know, functions- Yeah ... that it supposedly helps. So, like with-

Courtney Carroll: Brain, brain fog ... brain- And, like, cognitive- Weight loss Yeah. Which I will say I need something for my brain.

'Cause I feel like, I think we were saying [00:19:00] the other day, I'm like, "I cannot get a full sentence out." Yeah. So what is the peptide for that? I

Dr. Zain Husain: need- I, yeah, I need, I need that too.

Courtney Carroll: Yeah. Yeah.

Dr. Zain Husain: Um, you know, there are so many different aspects, like performance, um, emotional, um, regulation- Mm-hmm ... um, attention, libido.

Mm-hmm. All these things could be affected. Yeah, mental health. I mean- Everything. Yeah. I mean, so I mean, we'll see what the future holds in terms of the data, and what happens when it does get regulated, because I think it's going to. Um, I think there's gonna be, unfortunately, a lot of people taking these as supplements- Mm-hmm

that are going to get hurt-

Courtney Carroll: Yeah ...

Dr. Zain Husain: get sick-

Courtney Carroll: Yeah ...

Dr. Zain Husain: potentially die.

Courtney Carroll: Yeah.

Dr. Zain Husain: And it's really gonna have to be regulated.

Courtney Carroll: It's so hard, you know, I- being, like, a provider in a time when there's, like- Be- being someone that is really, like, evidence-driven, you know, you wanna, like, stay ahead of the curve because you're like, "Wow, this is emerging data," and this is like, "I wanna make sure [00:20:00] I'm with the- Mm-hmm

with the, the trends." But then you also wanna be a safe provider- Yes ... because the worst thing you could do is harm someone. Yeah. So it's very interesting trying to ride that wave almost of wanting to keep up but also wanting to- Yeah ... make sure, like, all right, we're doing this safely.

Dr. Zain Husain: And I find that myself in that place a lot- Yeah

like, as a practice owner. Um, obviously I wanna be on the cutting edge. Mm-hmm. I wanna be able to offer my patients with the latest- Yeah ... and greatest-

Courtney Carroll: Mm-hmm ...

Dr. Zain Husain: that's safe.

Courtney Carroll: Mm-hmm.

Dr. Zain Husain: Um, so sometimes we do have to take a little bit of a leap- Mm-hmm ... um, you know, based on the data that we know.

Courtney Carroll: Yeah.

Dr. Zain Husain: But, like you said, we should never do harm.

You know, we took an oath. And I would say that I'm more comfortable with a lot of the topical peptides- Mm-hmm ... like in skincare. Some of the other peptides, I think can play a role, the ones that have a little bit more evidence behind them. But the ones that really have no [00:21:00] function in improving skin health, you know, I'm a little bit more skeptical about using those in my- Yeah

practice and, you know, recommending them. But we will see how things turn out, and hopefully the data will show that these molecules are helpful- Yeah ... and can be used in some capacity. That'd be really exciting, having more tools in your toolkit. Mm-hmm. But until then, I mean, we have to really weigh the data out and see whether the risks and benefits, um, you know, if the benefits, you know, outweigh the risks.

Courtney Carroll: Yeah.

Dr. Zain Husain: Yeah. So we'll see. Time will

Courtney Carroll: tell. Time will tell.

Dr. Zain Husain: Yeah. So I think that this was a very fascinating discussion because peptides are all the rage right now, and people just really don't know what they are and what they do. They just all wanna be on them.

Courtney Carroll: Yeah.

Dr. Zain Husain: So I think we should pause. Review the data if possible, and then make calculated decisions, um, with risks versus benefits.

And, you know, [00:22:00] involve your primary care physician or other clinicians in your medical team, and see if this is something that is right for you.

Courtney Carroll: Mm-hmm. Yeah, and again, ruling out any other, any other causes. I think, you know, um, we've touched on this a lot, but I think Americans are, um, really big on doing the easiest- Yep

solution and, you know- Quick fixes. Quick fixes, and sometimes the answer might lie in figuring out where you might be even just deficient. I always say when I'm deficient in my vitamin D, I can feel it. I'm fatigued, I'm worn down. I just don't feel my best self. And so just looking at other alternatives as to why you might be feeling different things before we just say, "Let's just-"

Dr. Zain Husain: Peptide this.

Peptide, yeah. Peptide for that. You know, like taking like candy.

Courtney Carroll: Yeah.

Dr. Zain Husain: It's just, it doesn't work that way.

Courtney Carroll: Yeah.

Dr. Zain Husain: Yeah. All right. So great discussion. If you guys have any questions, please comment, like and follow. But until next time, Skin Side out.

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