Exclusive | Welcome to the peptide gray market: where people are buying GLP-1s, Botox and filler on social media from China
The pandemic changed how Americans think about health — and who they trust to manage it.In the wreckage of lockdowns, millions turned away from doctors and toward influencers.
Now, a growing number of wellness creators and everyday people are taking their health — and appearance — into their own hands.Literally.Across TikTok, Telegram and WhatsApp, a new underground industry has emerged where people are buying raw compounds for Ozempic, Botox, filler and skin-tightening treatments directly from Chinese suppliers — and injecting them at home.They’re part of what insiders call the gray market peptide world: a loosely organized, mostly female community of biohackers, gym rats and beauty obsessives who’ve grown tired of paying $1,000 a month for name-brand treatments.
In this world, a $100 bag of Chinese peptides can do what a Beverly Hills injector charges $3,000 for — or so they believe.They’re also largely unconcerned about the risks, which doctors warn can include dangerous side effects like muscle paralysis and sepsis.For many, the appeal is simple economics.Insurance rarely covers Ozempic or other GLP-1 medications, telehealth providers charge hundreds of dollars per month and local medical spas can charge even more.Chinese and South Korean suppliers on Telegram sell powdered versions of the same drugs for pennies on the dollar.Ashley, a 36-year-old peptide user in California, knows how to self-inject but has switched to research chemical sites, told The Post.
“I found out there’s something better than semaglutide, for one quarter of the price.I switched and haven’t looked back.”She isn’t alone.
On Telegram and Discord, there are now tens of thousands of members swapping sourcing links, dosage spreadsheets and before-and-after photos.Some groups have spreadsheets comparing 40 different Chinese suppliers by price, shipping time and claims of “purity.”Most of the compounds arrive as white powder in unmarked vials — with labels re...