Social media has seen the rise of a new genre of content creators that use their platform to advocate for a new, more analytical way of looking at attractiveness. This new online sub-culture, known online as “looksmaxxing” or “black-pill,” targets insecure young men, encouraging them to take advantage of new methods to change their appearance. One of the most commonly praised of these new ‘bio-hacking’ tactics is the use of experimental peptides.

Peptides are short chains of amino acids that are meant to mimic common proteins in the body and perform certain functions. Peptides can do a number of things for the body, like regulating collagen levels or repairing damaged tissue. Some peptides have been FDA-approved, like GLP-1, more commonly known as Ozempic. Having been studied extensively and proven to work as intended, these approved drugs are safe for consumption and can be bought from reputable, federally regulated sources.

Though peptides like Ozempic are safe for consumer use, the peptides typically associated with looksmaxxing culture are not. Most peptides peddled by influencers are experimental and completely unregulated. These influencers claim these peptides are able to increase muscle growth, stimulate hair growth, or improve their skin.

Because these experimental proteins are not federally approved, they can only be acquired through “grey-market” dealers who sell peptides outside of the heavily-regulated pharmaceutical channels. Due to their unregulated status, it is illegal to sell peptides for consumer use; dealers circumvent these laws by stating that their products are only to be used for research purposes. These drugs are also illegal to produce in the United States, which means that these dealers mainly have to source their product from cheap manufacturers overseas.

It might seem like these drugs may only be available to buyers willing to jump through the hoops of finding a way onto the dark web, but that’s not true. One simple Google search is all it takes to purchase these grey-market peptides. It’s remarkably easy for Americans to acquire these drugs, more easily in fact than any other illegal substance you could think of. All these companies ask is your name and address, and, optionally, your company name (because, remember, these products are supposedly for research purposes only).

The nature of the underground and unregulated peptide industry is incredibly predatory and takes advantage of young men by promising a “cure.” Influencers on social media have made a career out of putting other men down and boiling down physical attractiveness to a “science” in which the only solution is through dubious medications and dangerous practices, both of which can be damaging to the consumer’s wallet and, more importantly, their health. It’s deplorable what these companies and these influencers are doing, and there needs to be more federal regulation on the sale of peptides.