What does sermorelin do for women?

Sermorelin is a short version of the hormone that tells your pituitary gland to release growth hormone. In women it raises growth hormone output. In the one trial that included women, skin got thicker, but unlike the men, the women did not gain lean mass over 16 weeks.

Can women take sermorelin?

Yes, if a provider decides it fits. It is not for pregnancy or breastfeeding, active cancer or a pituitary tumor, and it needs caution with diabetic eye disease. The provider reviews your history and medications first.

What is the sermorelin dosage for women?

Our standard starting dose is 20 units (0.6mg), given as a small injection under the skin in the evening, Monday to Friday. The provider may adjust it. There is no separate women's dose in the published research.

What are sermorelin before and after results for women?

Expect changes to be gradual and modest. Growth hormone and IGF-1 rise within weeks, and some women notice sleep and skin changes first. Muscle changes depend mostly on strength training and protein; the one study that included women did not show lean mass gains in them.

What are the side effects of sermorelin?

The most common is redness or mild soreness where you inject. Some people notice brief flushing or warmth, or a headache in the first couple of weeks. Tell the provider about anything that doesn't settle.

A woman in her sixties with silver hair in a low bun stretching her arms overhead at home

Sermorelin for women

Sermorelin for women: benefits, dosage and what to expect

Quick answer: Sermorelin signals your pituitary to release more of your own growth hormone. In women it raises growth hormone and, in one study, thickened skin, but that study found no lean-mass gain in the women, only in the men. It is a gentle option for women who want growth hormone support, alongside strength training, not instead of it.

Medically reviewed by Dr. Jonathan Snipes, MD and Kim Callender, NP, FNP-BC. Last reviewed September 29, 2026.

What it is

How sermorelin works

Your hypothalamus sends a signal, called growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), that tells the pituitary to release growth hormone in pulses, mostly at night. Sermorelin is the first 29 building blocks of that signal. It doesn't add growth hormone; it asks your body to make more of its own, so your body's normal brakes still apply.

It has a real regulatory history. The brand Geref was FDA-approved in 1997 for children with growth hormone deficiency, and its maker stopped selling it in 2008. The FDA later confirmed it was not withdrawn for reasons of safety or effectiveness (FDA notice, Federal Register, Mar 4 2013). The sermorelin we prescribe is compounded, and compounded sermorelin is not an FDA-approved product.

The research in women

What the one study with women found

Most sermorelin research was done in children or in men. The key adult study that included women gave 10 women and 9 men, aged 55 to 71, a nightly dose for 16 weeks after a month on placebo (Khorram et al., J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1997). Here is what changed, by sex.

Measure	Women	Men
Growth hormone output	Rose	Rose
IGF-1 (growth hormone marker)	Rose early, drifted back by week 16	Rose early, drifted back by week 16
Skin thickness	Increased	Increased
Lean body mass	No change	Increased
Insulin sensitivity, well-being, libido	No change	Improved

The study was small and single-blind, and the dose was set by body weight, not the fixed dose we use. No trial has shown sermorelin changes body composition in women. (Khorram et al., J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1997)

Is it for you?

Who sermorelin suits, and who should skip it

A reasonable fit if you

Want gentle growth hormone support rather than growth hormone itself
Already strength train, or are about to start
Are comfortable with a small evening injection five days a week
Accept that the evidence in women is thin

Not for you if you

Are pregnant, trying to conceive or breastfeeding
Have active cancer or a pituitary tumor
Have diabetic eye disease (needs caution and provider review)
Want a muscle result without training; the research doesn't support that in women

Mostly after belly fat? Tesamorelin is the growth-hormone peptide with the strongest visceral-fat trials. Read tesamorelin vs sermorelin.

Dosage

Sermorelin dosage for women

There is no separate women's dose in the research. Our standard starting dose is 20 units (0.6mg), injected just under the skin in the evening, Monday to Friday, to line up with your natural overnight release. The provider sets and adjusts your dose.

The vial arrives ready to use from the pharmacy, with nothing to mix. For injection technique, storage and the full protocol, see the sermorelin guide.

First weeksGrowth hormone and IGF-1 rise. Some women notice deeper sleep first.
Two to three monthsSkin may feel firmer. Body changes, if any, follow your training and protein.
OngoingThe provider reviews how you're doing at reorder and adjusts or stops it.

This timeline is a general guide, not a study result. The only timed finding in women is that growth hormone markers rose within weeks. (Khorram et al., J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1997)

Side effects

Sermorelin side effects

The most common is redness or mild soreness where you inject; rotating sites helps. Some people notice brief flushing or warmth, or a headache that usually fades within the first couple of weeks. Because sermorelin raises growth hormone, it isn't for anyone with active cancer or a pituitary tumor. Tell the provider about any side effect that doesn't settle.

Your options

Sermorelin products

How to get it

A provider decides whether it fits you

We serve 28 states plus Washington, DC. One $39 review covers up to three peptides, and there is no subscription.

Start with sermorelin

1Complete a short intakeYour history, current medications and a pregnancy screen.
2A provider reviews itA licensed provider reviews it for a one-time $39 and prescribes only if it fits.
3The pharmacy ships itOptimal Balance Pharmacy, a licensed 503A pharmacy, compounds and ships it to you.

Frequently asked questions

What does sermorelin do for women?: Sermorelin is a short version of the hormone that tells your pituitary gland to release growth hormone. In women it raises growth hormone output. In the one trial that included women, skin got thicker, but unlike the men, the women did not gain lean mass over 16 weeks.
Can women take sermorelin?: Yes, if a provider decides it fits. It is not for pregnancy or breastfeeding, active cancer or a pituitary tumor, and it needs caution with diabetic eye disease. The provider reviews your history and medications first.
What is the sermorelin dosage for women?: Our standard starting dose is 20 units (0.6mg), given as a small injection under the skin in the evening, Monday to Friday. The provider may adjust it. There is no separate women's dose in the published research.
What are sermorelin before and after results for women?: Expect changes to be gradual and modest. Growth hormone and IGF-1 rise within weeks, and some women notice sleep and skin changes first. Muscle changes depend mostly on strength training and protein; the one study that included women did not show lean mass gains in them.
What are the side effects of sermorelin?: The most common is redness or mild soreness where you inject. Some people notice brief flushing or warmth, or a headache in the first couple of weeks. Tell the provider about anything that doesn't settle.
Is sermorelin FDA-approved?: It was. The brand Geref was approved in 1997 to treat growth hormone deficiency in children, and its maker stopped selling it in 2008. The FDA later confirmed it was not withdrawn for safety or effectiveness reasons. Compounded sermorelin today is not an FDA-approved product.