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New York Times sorts peptide-therapy hype from evidence across skincare, muscle-building, and longevity

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July 29, 2026↗ source

A November 2025 New York Times explainer takes a skeptical consumer lens to the peptide-therapy craze, separating the few uses with reasonable evidence (topical GHK-Cu and Matrixyl-type peptides in skincare) from the largely unproven injectable and "biohacking" market (BPC-157, TB-500, epitalon, semax, selank). Dermatologists frame cosmetic peptides as "sidekicks, not hero ingredients," while endocrinologists warn that growth-hormone-releasing peptides like sermorelin and tesamorelin carry the same long-term risks as HGH — diabetes, certain cancers, and acromegaly. The piece notes that most longevity claims rest on cell-culture or animal data only, and that "research-grade" products have no quality controls.

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