Peptides: Glow & Grow For Your Best Self

Dr. Rebecca Novo, co-founder of Dermatology + Plastic Surgery with Dr. Anita Saluja, interviews Kristen Roff, NP on Peptides, what you should know and how they can help support your goals. Three of our patient's most requested compounds - GLOW, NAD+, and Tesamorelin - are reviewed.  Peptides are not FDA approved and being compounded by regulated pharmacies. Patients should have a medical evaluation and discuss the potential benefits, risks, side effects, alternatives, and uncertainties associated with any treatment with Kristen or their healthcare practitioner before starting therapy.

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Transcript

Why Peptides Are Everywhere

SPEAKER_00 0:09

Welcome back to the For Your Best Self podcast. It's Dr. Rebecca Novo, and I'm honored to be joined by Kristen Roth, our MP, who's been doing GLP for us for years now, over 11 years of deram aesthetic experience, and we are going to dive into the hot topic of peptides. I'm sure you have heard about peptides, people that are on peptides taking peptides. My patients today ask me, what is up with peptides? Everybody's taking peptides. And it really aligns with our practice of synergistic treatment options. So we're going to go over all the who, what, why, how, when of peptides. So let's dive right in. And Kristen, can you explain in the simplest terms what the heck are peptides?

SPEAKER_01 1:00

Yes, absolutely. Peptides are building blocks of proteins, chains of amino acids that signal cells in our body to do certain tasks.

SPEAKER_00 1:10

Okay. I think the best analogy I heard was they're like little text messages to your body to tell them what to do. So they're essentially proteins, and some of the formulas we'll go over aren't truly peptides, but they're in the family of basically health amplifiers, treatment amplifiers, whether it's healing, recovery, clarity, or supporting weight loss. So those are kind of the general benefits. Um we are currently offering three different formulas. Kristen has access to unlimited, customizable, personalizable uh regimens or formulas or stacks, as

Three Peptide Options Explained

SPEAKER_00 1:53

people are calling them. Stacks. So when you're kind of selecting multiple um peptides into a formula. Yeah. Uh we current Kristen is live with the glow, which what does the glow entail?

SPEAKER_01 2:09

The glow peptide is the copper peptide, which is the GHK, the BPC157, and TB500. A lot of different different n numbers and letters that that really just combine and stack to help us with our skin, our tissue repair, and then muscle recovery are the main three components of that one. So anti-aging, if I had to put glow, kind of like skin health, anti-aging. Mm-hmm. Um, as well as like muscle and tissue repair. So you have an injury in the body or to the skin, it's gonna help you repair the skin. Athletes. Uh-huh. And athletes for muscle recovery or anyone who's heavy in the gym.

SPEAKER_00 2:48

Another formula is the NAD plus. So is there anything our audience should know about that specifically or who that is kind of ideal for?

SPEAKER_01 3:00

Ideal for anyone who feels like they need a little um boost with their cognitive focus. It also can help you just um cell regeneration all over the body. It's kind of our number one like cellular regenerator. Right. So the busy person who needs, you know, more focus than sometimes their sleep will allow, or the busy professional is usually the ideal candidate for that one.

SPEAKER_00 3:21

Yeah, I think a lot of people are looking for that mental sharpness, clarity. Um that's when I think of NAD plus and just like a boost or support with that. And another one that Kristen is offering is tessamorlin. Um, so let's describe that one a little bit.

SPEAKER_01 3:40

Tesamorlin is helping you target your visceral fat, which is different from our subcutaneous fat, which is what we think of as our pinchable thigh belly fat. The visceral fat is the hard fat that's around our organs. A lot more dangerous to our health, comes with a lot more risks than subcutaneous fat. So it helps target that around our organs for our health and the abdominal cavity.

SPEAKER_00 4:02

Absolutely. Like if someone is kind of more around pot belly or um just has issues with their abdominal area in general, this comes up a lot in surgical consults a lot because people might think that they're a candidate for liposuction or a tummy tuck. Um, but then just by kind of feeling what's external pinchable on top of the muscle might not be as thick, but they still have that kind of rounder contour. And that's when I have to explain, well, only weight loss or metabolism correction can really correct visceral fat, which you nailed it is higher risk for cardiac issues and um health issues in general, like diet, puts you at higher risk for diabetes and cardiac issues. So only weight loss and metabolic repair really can target the visceral fat. Yeah.

Consult Process And Injections

SPEAKER_00 4:52

Um, well, good. Just briefly, our prices on that, these are uh shipped directly, correct? Once you've done a consultation, so our process kind of looks like a consultation to discuss goals, and then you would kind of present options for formulas.

SPEAKER_01 5:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:11

And then what happens from there for our patients?

SPEAKER_01 5:13

We order it and we ship it either to the clinic or to the patient. Um, either one, if they're comfortable injecting and they've kind of done that thing before, we can ship it to their house. I like to have it shipped to the clinic. That way, the first time we do it is together. I can show you how to draw it up, make sure you're comfortable doing it in the office before you take it home with you.

SPEAKER_00 5:30

So there are all injections and they're dosed how frequently? It depends.

SPEAKER_01 5:36

It depends on the person, yeah. So some people need it five times a week, and some people are more like two to three times a week. So it depends on the peptide, depends on the person. Um, it's personalized during that consultation.

SPEAKER_00 5:48

Okay. And then anywhere in particular you advise patients to inject?

SPEAKER_01 5:52

Anywhere that they can pinch an inch, it's subcutaneous. So belly, back of the arm, thigh, those are the most common places. And it's a really tiny needle, right? Really tiny, like an insulin needle. So tiny.

SPEAKER_00 6:05

Like less than a mosquito bite. Yes. Barely feel it. Um, so what does a consultation look like? Anything I'm missing?

SPEAKER_01 6:13

No, you come in, we go over all of your health risks, all of your goals, make sure you don't have any contraindications, which really is just history of cancer, pregnancy, breastfeeding. There are a few nuances, but um, those are the three main ones. We go through your goals together, whether and that might mean that we do a different stack, right? Or we do one singular peptide depending on on where you're wanting to go with things. And then if you want to move forward, we just go ahead and we get it ordered and we touch base with each other frequently. They have my cell phone number so they have full access to me in case they have questions or side effects.

SPEAKER_00 6:46

And then what does follow-up look like? Um, as far as do they come back in or your your team is checking in?

SPEAKER_01 6:54

My team is checking in on them as well as myself um routinely, at least monthly. Nice. Um, but it can be as often or as as as less, you know, if they're really busy, they don't have time to come in, we can do those check-ins by phone. Okay. And if they want to come in for a more personalized chat, that's great with me too.

SPEAKER_00 7:09

That's awesome.

Cycling Protocol And When Results Start

SPEAKER_00 7:10

And then you had mentioned um kind of cycling the injections. Can you kind of explain that and why that matters?

SPEAKER_01 7:19

Yeah, we recommend cycling each peptide and being on it for no longer than three months consecutively at a time. Um, that is so that your body doesn't get too used to having that external um amino acid chain or whatnot, and that you continue to have the robust response to it so that you have the best uh results from it. And when we do cycle you off, I usually recommend we try something different to target maybe a different goal you have, or maybe the same from a different angle and cycling on different types of peptides, or you can just stop and cycle off whenever you feel you need it.

SPEAKER_00 7:53

I think it's interesting because you know, we kind of position this as a treatment amp amplifier or synergistic with it it pairs well with some of the our other offerings, but it also can be for someone who isn't interested per se in injectables or laser or surgery. Um, so it is available. I think the best example you mentioned is like busy professionals that want some help with clarity or sleep. Um, as far as the NAD. So it really, other than the contraindications for those those few reasons, it is really kind of an inclusive offering. I think the majority of people could benefit from. Absolutely. And how long does it take, do you know, to kind of see benefits, or what are patients saying about what are they noticing or what are they feeling?

SPEAKER_01 8:44

We say give it six weeks for optimal efficacy and even up to three months for really reaching kind of what it can do, but it starts to take effect two to four weeks in and you start to feel a little better. You're going to the gym, you're recovering a little bit faster. If you get hurt or you have some sort of laceration or something, you're healing a little bit better. So they're just feeling better and even more optimized, feeling like their work is going a little bit smoother, they're not needing so much coffee, maybe, to feel like they are recharged in the middle of the day, and then feel like they're getting more restful sleep as well, depending on the peptide.

SPEAKER_00 9:19

And I'm sure you hear this every day. How long does it last?

Lifestyle Basics That Make It Work

SPEAKER_00 9:25

If I stop my peptides, is there any longevity in the benefits, or do we know?

SPEAKER_01 9:32

Yeah, it's it kind of depends on the person and their lifestyle. So say they have their lifestyle really dialed in, then the benefits are gonna continue. This isn't gonna solve all my problems. Unfortunately, no. Um, I do, I do highly recommend all of that should be dialed in for these to work. And if they're not working, sleep, you need to be accounting for uh plenty of sleep and stuff, you know, four to five hours a night isn't gonna cut it. Oh, I thought you were gonna say at least four to five hours a night.

SPEAKER_00 10:00

Like six to eight.

SPEAKER_01 10:02

Yeah, at least six to you know. Um, and then I'm an eight girl, but I need eight. If I get it, I'm lucky. Adequate hydration, diet, you know, not eating a fully fat diet, you know, enough protein, enough carbs, enough of the things that we need, the building blocks, right, for these amino acids. Right. And then exercise as well, because that just dials everything in and gets your metabolism going, which helps these peptides work.

SPEAKER_00 10:26

And minimizing alcohol,

Pricing And Value Compared

SPEAKER_00 10:28

would you say, kind of supporting that?

SPEAKER_01 10:30

Definitely, yeah. That's part of that healthy lifestyle.

SPEAKER_00 10:32

Perfect. We talked about the packages. Um, just for brief reference, I'll just cover the pricing. Of course, this is completely relative to the stack, right? Uh, but the general ones that I mentioned, the glow is uh $320 a month investment. NAD Plus is $240 a month, and Tesla Morelin is $180 per month. Um, which isn't insignificant, but it is also, you know, kind of in that wheelhouse of we don't want they're not synonymous with supplements, but I think it's easy to spend that much on supplements that might be kind of projecting to do similar things. Um but that definitely, you know, when you start talking about bigger investments in procedures and things, it is you know, you could almost say, well, this is the medical skincare part or the part that's really gonna help you heal faster. Um so I think it's a definitely value added, or we wouldn't necessarily be off bringing it to the table for our patients. Um do we want to go into the paired wells with uh part of our brand is synergy and you know there's definitely some clear synergistic opportunities for to pair the peptides with. Um

Pairing Peptides With Skincare And Procedures

SPEAKER_00 11:59

do you want to go into the peptides in skincare?

SPEAKER_01 12:03

Absolutely, yeah. So the peptides are acting as messengers to signal the skin to produce more collagen, more elastin, more keratin, hair nails, aka, improving the firmness of the skin, the elasticity of the skin, and then our skin barrier as well. They work synergistically with the skincare ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, which is found in a lot of our skincare, um, as well as antioxidants, including vitamin C, which is a part of the regimen we typically recommend, and then anti-aging um agents, including retinol, to help with fine lines, um, and then enhance just our overall skin texture. So it's a great amplifier for all of those ingredients.

SPEAKER_00 12:41

And I'll probably be referring many patients to near and dear to my heart peptides and surgical recovery. Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_01 12:49

This is the this is one of my favorites because I think it's so synergistic with our practice and kind of even the injectable side of things, right? Um, but especially surgeries, because it accelerates the healing, it reduces inflammation and enhances the tissue repair by stimulating the body's natural cellular regeneration. So BPC, which is in glow, it um means body protecting compound. And then the TB500, they target muscle, tendon, and skin recovery to shorten healing times.

SPEAKER_00 13:19

So if you did glow for that, you know, three months, even six weeks post-op when we know that we have full healing, that would be an incredible accelerator. MASH BAIN THEVEN And our last energetic topic is injectables and laser.

SPEAKER_01 13:38

So the peptides are often combined with the injectables such as Botox or fillers or biostimulators, as well as lasers to enhance those results, accelerate the healing, as I discussed, and then extend the longevity of those treatments because those lasers, part of the purpose of those is to stimulate our collagen, and the peptides are also stimulating that collagen production, reducing inflammation, strengthening that skin barrier, which is broken with the lasers, right? And sometimes with injectables. So we see rashes and things come after lasers often, right? Because that skin barrier is broken and then something else will enter. But these peptides can really help strengthen that skin barrier and reduce some of those adverse reactions that we see after that. The copper peptide is especially excellent for calming the inflammation, soothing irritation after lasers and injectables, and speeding up healing.

SPEAKER_00 14:27

Just hearing Kristen talk about the benefits is like totally explains why everyone's talking

Safety Sourcing And Side Effects

SPEAKER_00 14:33

about peptides, why everyone's taking peptides. Um I did wanna we wanted to go over another pillar of our brand is safety. And we take that super seriously, and you know, there is unfortunately a huge issue with black markets or you know, unlabeled peptides. You know, if it sounds too good to be true, most likely it is. So we really do have uh full transparency as far as our source. So I think that is important. Um we don't need every patient if you're happy. You know, we just want to ask you to have uh make sure that you have full sourcing transparency, and that means where are your peptides being prepared? Um so Kristen's gonna elaborate for full transparency about our source.

SPEAKER_01 15:30

Our source is Greenwich RX, which is a 503A compounding pharmacy. So they create customized medications prescribed specifically for each patient, and they don't mass produce. Um, every prescription is made to order, ensuring the dosage, ingredients, delivery method, everything is unique and tailored. Um, they follow strict guidelines set by the FDA and the United States Pharmacopia, which is the USP. They're licensed at the state level, highest standards of quality. So I really I put my trust in them to partner with them. Um, they also partner with the professional compounding centers of America to only have the most premium grade ingredients. Um, you hear a lot about the research grade peptides. So this is this is the best of the best out there. Um, and I know we're getting the best. And each one comes for the patient with the patient's name on it. We're not giving out vials of unknown kind of substance from unknown pharmacies.

SPEAKER_00 16:26

So yeah. I think that's important with anything, you know, anytime you're putting something inside your body, especially a medicinal, that there's clear labels in English, something that you understand with an unexpired date. I mean, we kind of talk about that in our injectables as well, or any product, you really uh should explore kind of that full product transparency, source transparency of what you're using. Um anything else that you want to talk about peptides?

SPEAKER_01 16:55

Just why I think it's really important to not order them yourself, right? And only not only source transparency, but these amino acids, I mean, they sound really exciting and easy and like um kind of harmless. What could go wrong? But they're not. These amino acids are signaling hundreds of things in your body, right? Not just the collagen elastin. There's other things they're signaling. So you really need someone who is watching what you're doing and making sure you're not signaling too much of the wrong thing, like the growth hormone ones and things like that, to make sure that you're not doing any harm. So I just I highly recommend everybody at least talk to someone about their stack or whatever they're doing.

SPEAKER_00 17:31

Right. Check in with a medical professional that has experience. Have you seen any side effects?

SPEAKER_01 17:36

Um, not with these peptides other than injection site reaction. That is the most common one. And really, there's a couple tips I have for them that will negate those, but that's the most common, unless you're talking about the GLP peptide, and then there's of course side effects that come with that.

SPEAKER_00 17:53

Different podcasts, yeah, different podcasts, but also big. Yeah. Well, good. And this is a good niche for people in addition to their GLP peptide, correct? To kind of support elasticity, I think it's important. Right.

SPEAKER_01 18:09

And then the glow will pop on for the hair and nails because a lot of people are seeing hair loss with the weight loss, so that's a great one to compound on. And then the tesomorin for the visceral fat's a great add-on to your GLP, whether you're microdosing, maintenance dosing, or losing weight.

SPEAKER_00 18:24

Perfect. Well,

GLP Support And How To Start

SPEAKER_00 18:25

we hope that helped explain why everyone is talking about peptides. I'm definitely excited to um consult with Kristen and start. I think I'll start with glow.

SPEAKER_01 18:36

I mean, that's the yeah, that's the gateway.

SPEAKER_00 18:38

You don't want a glow. It's the gateway. All right, sign me up. Thank you, Kristen. Thanks for listening. If you want to learn more, visit our website, w dot for your best help.com. You can call three two one two four one one one six zero to schedule a consult with the incredible Kristen. And uh look forward to the first time.