Women's Protocol

Best Peptides for Women

Not every peptide protocol is written with women in mind. Most content defaults to male-oriented dosing and goals. This page is different — specific protocols calibrated for female physiology, from someone who actually reads r/PeptidesForWomen.

Tier 1: Widely Used, Strongest Safety Profile

Peptide	Primary Goal	Why It Works for Women
BPC-157	Joint/gut healing, tissue repair	Non-hormonal, no virilization risk. Most common first peptide for women.
GHK-Cu	Skin rejuvenation, anti-aging, hair	Naturally occurring (declines with age). No hormonal effects. Injectable + topical options.
Semaglutide	Weight loss	FDA-approved (Wegovy). Women tend to lose more weight than men on GLP-1s.
Tirzepatide	Weight loss	FDA-approved (Zepbound). 15.3% weight loss at 12 months vs. 8.3% for semaglutide.

Tier 2: Common, Moderate Evidence

Peptide	Primary Goal	Notes
CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin	Body composition, sleep, anti-aging	Stimulates natural GH. Popular in women 35+. Non-androgenic. Requires IGF-1 monitoring.
TB-500	Deep tissue healing	Often stacked with BPC-157. Use caution if cancer risk factors exist (angiogenesis).
AOD 9604	Targeted fat loss	GH fragment targeting fat metabolism. No muscle-building or hormonal effects.
PT-141 (Bremelanotide)	Libido / sexual dysfunction	FDA-approved (Vyleesi) for premenopausal HSDD. 40% nausea rate. On-demand dosing.

Weight-Based Dosing for Women

BPC-157 research uses 2.5–3.75 mcg/kg twice daily. Here’s what that means at female body weights:

Body Weight	Low End (250 mcg)	Standard (350 mcg)	High End (500 mcg)
120 lbs (55 kg)	Good starting dose	Standard	High — assess tolerance
140 lbs (64 kg)	Good starting dose	Standard	Standard advanced
160 lbs (73 kg)	Conservative	Standard	Standard advanced
180 lbs (82 kg)	Conservative	Good starting dose	Standard

General rule: Start at the low end of any protocol range and titrate up. Women often need lower absolute doses than what’s published in male-dominated communities.

Protocols by Goal

Skin Rejuvenation & Anti-Aging

This is where women dominate the peptide space, and for good reason — collagen loss accelerates dramatically during perimenopause and menopause (up to 30% in the first 5 years post-menopause).

Primary: GHK-Cu — 1,000–2,000 mcg/day subcutaneous, 5 days/week for 8–12 weeks Add topical: 1–3% GHK-Cu cream applied nightly. Pairs well with microneedling. Supporting: Oral collagen peptides daily (90% bioavailable, safe during breastfeeding after 6 months) Full stack: The Glow Stack (BPC-157 + TB-500 + GHK-Cu)

Clinical evidence: 71 women with photoaging applied GHK-Cu cream daily for 3 months. Treatment increased skin density and thickness while reducing sagging and fine lines.

Weight Loss

Semaglutide: Start 0.25 mg/week, titrate to 2.4 mg/week over 16–20 weeks Tirzepatide: Start 2.5 mg/week, titrate to 5–15 mg/week

Women tend to lose more weight than men on GLP-1s (body composition and hormonal interactions). Standard titration protocols apply regardless of sex.

Non-injectable option: AOD 9604 at 300 mcg/day subcutaneous, 30 min before first meal, 12–16 week cycles.

Joint Healing & Recovery

Primary: BPC-157 — 200–500 mcg/day subcutaneous near the injury, 4–8 weeks For deep tissue: TB-500 — 500–750 mcg/day or 2 mg twice weekly Full stack: Wolverine Stack

BPC-157 is non-hormonal and has no confirmed menstrual cycle disruption. Its anti-inflammatory properties may indirectly help with menstrual pain and conditions like endometriosis (not a studied application, but plausible mechanism).

Hair Health

Primary: GHK-Cu (injectable) — stimulates hair follicles, reduces shedding, enhances density Supporting topical: Peptide-based hair serums (biotinoyl tripeptide-1, acetyl tetrapeptide-3) Supporting oral: Collagen peptides (supports keratin production)

Hair loss affects approximately one-third of women. GHK-Cu addresses it via increased blood flow to follicles, reduced inflammation, and direct follicle stimulation.

Menstrual Cycle Timing

There is no clinical data directly studying peptide efficacy by cycle phase. Here’s what practitioners and the community have observed:

Follicular Phase (Days 1–14)

• Estrogen is rising. Collagen synthesis is naturally enhanced.
• GHK-Cu and collagen peptides may be more effective.
• GH secretion tends to be higher.
• Generally the best time to start a new protocol.

Luteal Phase (Days 15–28)

• Progesterone dominates. GI motility slows.
• Semaglutide/tirzepatide side effects (nausea, constipation) may be more pronounced.
• Some women report more injection-site sensitivity.
• BPC-157 for gut issues may be especially valuable here.

Perimenopause & Menopause

• Collagen loss accelerates dramatically. GHK-Cu becomes more relevant.
• CJC-1295/Ipamorelin can address declining GH levels.
• Foundational HRT should be optimized before adding peptides.

Birth Control Interactions

Tirzepatide (Zepbound/Mounjaro): Reduces oral contraceptive absorption by 20%. The FDA recommends switching to non-oral contraception or adding barrier methods for 4 weeks after the initial dose and after each dose increase. This is the one interaction that actually matters.

Semaglutide: No documented effect on oral contraceptive bioavailability.

All other research peptides: No documented contraceptive interactions.

Fertility Warning

GLP-1 medications can improve ovulatory function, especially in women with PCOS. Unplanned pregnancies have occurred in women who thought they couldn’t conceive — the “Ozempic baby” phenomenon. If you are not actively trying to conceive, use reliable contraception while on GLP-1 agonists.

Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

During Pregnancy — Stop Everything

• No BPC-157, TB-500, GHK-Cu, CJC-1295/Ipamorelin
• No semaglutide or tirzepatide (stop at least 2 months before planned pregnancy due to long half-life)
• No PT-141 or Melanotan II
• Topical peptides in cosmetic formulations (face creams, serums) are generally considered safe — they don’t reach systemic circulation in meaningful amounts

During Breastfeeding

• No injectable research peptides
• No GLP-1 agonists
• Oral collagen peptides are generally considered safe after 6 months postpartum
• Topical peptides in skincare are fine

Pre-Conception Planning

• Stop all research peptides 4–8 weeks before attempting conception
• Stop semaglutide at least 2 months before (5-week half-life)
• Stop tirzepatide at least 1 month before

Peptides to Avoid

• Melanotan II — Unregulated, unpredictable hormonal effects. Causes uneven pigmentation, darkened moles, mood changes. Effects vary by cycle phase. Not FDA-approved.
• Any peptide without a third-party CoA — 12–58% of unregulated products are contaminated. This applies to everyone, but it bears repeating.

Recommended Bloodwork

Before starting any peptide protocol:

• Hormonal panel: LH, FSH, estradiol, progesterone, total/free testosterone, DHEA-S
• Thyroid: TSH, free T3, free T4
• Metabolic: CMP, lipid panel, fasting insulin, HbA1c
• For GHK-Cu: Copper, ceruloplasmin
• For GH peptides: Baseline IGF-1
• For GLP-1s: HbA1c, lipase, thyroid panel (MTC family history is a contraindication for semaglutide)

Note on biotin: High-dose biotin (common in women’s hair/skin supplements) can interfere with lab assays, falsely altering thyroid and hormone results. Stop biotin 48–72 hours before bloodwork.