Peptide Therapy 101: The Future of Regenerative Wellness, Recovery, and Hormone Support

Lauren Hodge, MSN, FNP-C

66e82a492a928c384e21881e - MSN, FNP-C

June 11, 2025
A person is holding a syringe in their hand.

If you're working on improving your metabolism, energy, recovery, or skin—and feel like the usual approaches just aren’t cutting it—you’re not alone. More and more people are turning to peptide therapy as a way to support their body’s natural healing, hormone production, and repair processes from the inside out.


Peptides are one of the most exciting tools in functional and regenerative medicine. They’re subtle, science-backed, and designed to help your body do what it’s naturally wired to do—just more efficiently.


What Are Peptides?

Peptides are short chains of amino acids that act as messengers in the body. They send signals to your cells to perform specific tasks—like producing growth hormone, reducing inflammation, healing tissue, stimulating libido, or building collagen. Many of these peptides occur naturally in your body, but levels often decline with age, stress, or illness.

Supplementing with peptides gives your body a gentle, targeted push to support function, repair, and optimization—without overcorrecting or shutting down natural processes.


Why We Use Peptide Therapy in Functional & Aesthetic Care

Peptides are precise, customizable, and versatile. We use them to support a wide range of goals, including:

  • Fat loss and body composition
  • Lean muscle support
  • Sleep and recovery
  • Hormone balance and graceful aging
  • Injury repair and inflammation reduction
  • Cognitive clarity and stress resilience
  • Sexual wellness
  • Skin and hair rejuvenation
  • Immune and gut support

They pair beautifully with hormone therapy, nutrition, GLP-1 support, and aesthetic treatments—making them a cornerstone of integrative, whole-body care.


Categories of Peptides and What They Do


Growth Hormone–Stimulating Peptides

These peptides stimulate your body’s natural production of growth hormone, which supports fat metabolism, lean muscle maintenance, cellular repair, and deep sleep.

  • Ipamorelin + CJC-1295 – A widely used combination for metabolism, recovery, and anti-aging
  • Tesamorelin – Targets visceral fat and supports insulin sensitivity
  • Sermorelin – Great foundational support for energy, metabolism, and hormone signaling
  • AOD-9604 – A GH fragment that supports fat metabolism without increasing GH levels

These are commonly used in weight loss, body composition, and longevity plans.


Repair & Recovery Peptides

These peptides are favored for tissue regeneration, injury healing, gut support, and inflammation reduction. Often used in performance optimization, post-surgical recovery, or for clients with chronic pain or GI dysfunction.

  • BPC-157 – Supports soft tissue healing, gut repair, and inflammation regulation
  • TB-500 (Thymosin Beta-4) – Enhances recovery, especially for muscle, tendons, and ligaments

Used alone or together, these peptides help support your body’s natural healing mechanisms.

Immune-Modulating & Anti-Inflammatory Peptides

These peptides help regulate immune function, inflammation, and resilience. Often used in chronic illness, autoimmunity, long-haul viral recovery, or when the body needs immune balance.

  • Thymosin Alpha-1 – Modulates immune response and promotes immune surveillance
  • LL-37 – A broad-spectrum antimicrobial that supports chronic infection protocols and biofilm disruption

These are often used in conjunction with gut, adrenal, and detox support.


Cognitive & Mood-Supportive Peptides

These nootropic peptides are used for stress reduction, focus, mental clarity, and neurological resilience.

  • Selank – Supports anxiety reduction and stress resilience
  • Semax – Improves focus, memory, and cognitive function under stress
  • Epitalon – A longevity peptide that supports melatonin, sleep, and cellular aging

These are helpful in protocols focused on burnout, brain fog, performance, and aging.

Sexual Wellness Peptide

  • PT-141 (Bremelanotide) – Works at the brain level to support desire and arousal (for men and women). A great addition to libido and sexual wellness protocols, especially when paired with hormone optimization.

Skin, Hair & Aesthetic Support Peptides

  • GHK-Cu – A copper peptide used for skin rejuvenation, collagen support, and wound healing. Applied topically or injected in aesthetic protocols for natural, regenerative results.

These peptides often complement microneedling, exosome therapy, and other regenerative aesthetics.


What to Expect with Peptide Therapy

  • Most peptides are administered via tiny subcutaneous injections (some are available as nasal sprays or topical solutions)
  • Protocols typically run 6–12 weeks.
  • Some effects are felt quickly (like better sleep or libido), while others build gradually (like fat loss or skin texture)
  • Peptides are well tolerated and are often used long-term in cycling or maintenance phases.


Our Philosophy on Peptides

We view peptides as part of a growing, versatile toolkit that can be adapted to your goals, phase of life, and health status. Whether you’re recovering from stress, supporting aging, improving performance, or enhancing your glow—they offer precision support without the intensity of traditional medications.

We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all protocols. The best peptide plan starts with a conversation, a clear understanding of your goals, and a personalized approach to dosing and follow-up.


Lauren Hodge Bio

Lauren Hodge, MSN, FNP-C, is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner and aesthetic injector in Columbus, GA, with advanced training in regenerative medicine and aesthetics. She combines her background in pediatrics, pain management, and orthopedics with a passion for natural results, helping patients look and feel their best.

Meet Lauren Hodge

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