Young Men Are Injecting Peptides to Transform Their Bodies, Despite Safety Risks 

The trend is fueled by TikTok influencers and the “looksmaxxing” culture.
Young Men Are Injecting Peptides to Transform Their Bodies, Despite Safety Risks 
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Jacob Gorial pinches the skin on his belly, slides the needles, and presses the plunger. The 28-year-old has just injected himself with a peptide that has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and that he ordered online without a prescription. He does this most mornings, believing that it’s the key to looking better and recovering faster after working out.

“It was a little scary the first few times until I got used to it,” Gorial told The Epoch Times.

Fjolla Arifi
Fjolla Arifi
Author
Fjolla Arifi is a New York-based reporter covering mental health, culture, and social issues. She has written as a life fellow for the HuffPost and health fellow for BuzzFeed News. Recently, her work has appeared in National Geographic, GoodRx, NOCD, and PopSugar. Arifi is passionate about translating complex medical topics into clear, useful information for readers.