It feels like peptides are suddenly everywhere, from TikTok and wellness clinics to med spas and “longevity” programs. Patients are asking about them more for recovery, anti‑aging, weight loss, and performance. At the same time, regulation has not fully kept pace, and many of the peptide products patients encounter are not U.S. Food and Drug Administration‑approved, even when they are marketed in ways that may suggest routine use. For nurses, that gap between hype and regulation creates a practical need to understand what peptides are, what claims are being made and what regulators actually say.