Hers, a telehealth platform under the Hims & Hers Health umbrella, has expanded its services beyond hair loss, sexual health, and mental health to include weight loss programs. This review delves into Hers' weight loss offerings, including medications, program structure, costs, and customer feedback, to provide a comprehensive overview.
Hers' Approach to Weight Loss
Hers aims to provide convenient access to weight loss solutions through its online platform. The program centers around prescription medications, including compounded semaglutide GLP-1 medications, alongside lifestyle guidance and support.
How Hers Weight Loss Works
- Profile Creation: Users begin by creating a profile on the Hers platform, providing basic information, lifestyle details, health history, and current symptoms. A government-issued ID and credit card are also required. Hers uses an encrypted data platform to ensure your information is kept private.
- Medical Questionnaire: After setting up a profile, users complete a detailed medical questionnaire specific to their weight management goals, diet, and exercise habits.
- Provider Evaluation: A licensed healthcare professional reviews the user's profile and questionnaire within 24 hours to determine eligibility for the program. This evaluation is conducted asynchronously through the online platform.
- Treatment Plan: If approved, the healthcare professional develops a personalized treatment plan, which may include prescription medications and lifestyle recommendations.
- Medication Delivery: Prescribed medications are shipped directly to the user's door.
- Ongoing Support: Hers provides ongoing support and monitoring through its platform and app, allowing users to message a healthcare professional, discuss progress, and adjust their plan as needed. The program also offers educational resources on nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle changes.
Treatment Options
Hers offers a variety of weight loss treatments, including:
- GLP-1 Injections: Hers provides ongoing support and monitoring through its platform and app. You can message a healthcare professional to discuss your progress and adjust your plan as needed. The program also offers educational resources on nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle changes.
- Compounded Semaglutide: Hers offers compounded semaglutide as a lower-cost alternative to FDA-approved GLP-1 drugs. However, it's crucial to note that compounded drugs are not FDA-approved and may come with health risks. Hers doesn’t offer brand-name Ozempic. Instead, Hers offers compounded semaglutide. While compounded GLP-1s include the same active ingredient as brand-name GLP-1s, they are not approved by the FDA. In fact, the FDA has warned against the use of compounded semaglutide due to safety concerns.
- Generic Liraglutide: A daily injectable GLP-1 medication.
- FDA-Approved GLP-1s: Hers lists prices for Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound, but availability may vary.
- Oral Medications: Hers offers personalized oral medication kits containing a combination of medications like bupropion, metformin, topiramate, and naltrexone.
- Other Support Tools:
- Hers app for messaging provider
- Educational resources
- Meal-replacement shakes and bars
Medications Available Through Hers
Hers requires an online consultation with a healthcare professional on the platform before prescribing appropriate medications. Based on your healthcare needs, your prescription may include:
- Weight loss: GLP-1s or metformin
- Anxiety and depression: escitalopram (Lexapro), sertraline (Zoloft), or fluoxetine (Prozac)
- Sexual health: birth control pills or valacyclovir for genital or oral herpes
- Hair loss: Minoxidil
- Skin care: acne or anti-aging creams formulated with tretinoin
Hers Pricing and Costs
Hers keeps its pricing simple but also rigid at the same time, since all plans are prepaid. There’s no monthly membership fee, and costs range from $69 to $1,899 per month, depending on the medication you choose. All plans are FSA/HSA eligible, but Hers does not accept insurance.
Read also: Does Hers Weight Loss Work?
Hers lists the following prices for FDA-approved GLP-1 injections:
- Ozempic: $1,799 per month
- Wegovy: $1,350 per month
- Mounjaro: $1,899 per month
- Zepbound: $1,899 per month
- Generic liraglutide: from $299 per month
Hers also offers compounded GLP-1 drugs at a lower cost. However, these drugs are not FDA-approved and come with significant health risks concerning safety, effectiveness, and quality.
Hers notes that actual medication prices may vary based on the subscription you choose. You may have to pay a 6- or 12-month subscription fee upfront to get similar prices. Monthly billing may incur higher costs.
- Initial lab test: $75-$100 if required, not included in membership
- Injectable GLP-1s:
- Compounded semaglutide: $199/month with 12-month commitment; $249/month with 6-month commitment; $299/month with 3-month commitment
- Liraglutide: $299/month with 12-month commitment
- Wegovy: $599/month with 6-month commitment; $649/month with 3-month commitment
- Ozempic: $1799/month
- Mounjaro: $1899/month
- Zepbound: $1899/month
- Oral non-GLP-1 weight-loss medication: naltrexone + bupropion, with added options like metformin or topiramate: $69/month, available only as part of a 10-month prepaid plan
Insurance Coverage
Hers does not accept medical insurance or HSA/FSA payments directly. However, if a Hers doctor sends a prescription to a local pharmacy, insurance may cover the cost of the medication.
Program Features
- Personalized Approach: Hers aims to offer a personalized experience, with healthcare providers offering treatment options designed to meet individual needs and goals.
- Comprehensive Program: Weight Loss by Hers includes healthy eating, physical activity, education, and weight loss medications, targeting all four aspects of obesity medicine.
- Hers App: The Hers app provides smart eating tips, high-protein recipes, daily activity goals, sleep content, and unlimited access to a Care Team.
- Meal Replacement Options: Doctor-recommended meal-replacement shakes and bars are available through Hers, containing up to 27 grams of protein per serving.
- Convenience: Hers provides a convenient telehealth platform for managing some health needs through medication, with medications delivered directly to the user's door.
Potential Benefits
Hers may suit people with vaginas seeking convenient online support and medication for some health needs, including:
Read also: Weight Loss with Hers
- anxiety
- hair loss
- sexual health concerns
- weight management
Is Hers Weight Loss Effective?
Yes, the Hers weight loss program works for many women. Hers offers access to glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1) injections. This includes options like:
- Compounded GLP-1s
- Generic liraglutide
- Ozempic®
- Wegovy®
- Mounjaro®
- Zepbound®
Average Weight Loss With Weight Loss Medication What percent of your total body weight can you expect to lose when taking oral or injectable weight loss medication? “The oral medications are about 5 to 8 percent, while the weekly, highly potent injectables are around 15 to 22 percent,“ Dr. Primack estimates. “Without drastic diet changes, people can safely lose two pounds per week.“
Drawbacks and Considerations
- Limited Interaction: The absence of face-to-face interactions with clinicians limits the scope of services. Users can only communicate with a Hers service professional exclusively through messaging, without real-time conversations.
- Not for Everyone: Hers isn’t suitable for all medical conditions or complex health needs. It may not be able to meet all needs or provide a suitable product for specific concerns.
- Customer Service Issues: Some negative reviews claim customer service can be lacking, and some customers did not experience significant weight loss results on the program.
- No Insurance Coverage: Hers does not accept medical insurance or HSA/FSA payments, meaning all products and services are paid out-of-pocket.
- Compounded Medications: Hers emphasizes compounded medications over FDA-approved options, which may raise safety concerns. The FDA has warned against the use of compounded semaglutide due to safety concerns.
- Limited Oversight: Medical excellence standards may be lower due to minimal oversight, infrequent lab requirements, and limited provider interaction.
- Rigid Plans: Prepaid bundles can feel rigid, and there are no refunds if the program doesn't work out.
- Lack of Support: Hers provides light educational resources and app messaging, but no structured coaching, regular follow-ups, or community support.
Hers Weight Loss Reviews
Online reviews of Hers’ weight loss service are mixed. While some users say that the service is convenient and offers a good level of personalization and support, more negative reviews claim customer service can be lacking, and some customers did not experience significant weight loss results on the program.
Based on reviews, created with AIMost reviewers were somewhat happy with their experience overall. Customers appreciate the responsiveness and helpfulness of the medical team, with some specifically mentioning the ease of communication and quick answers to their questions. A few reviewers also value the convenience of the app and the informative content available, while others highlight the speed of the approval process and medication delivery.
However, there are mixed opinions regarding the effectiveness of the products and treatments. Some people report positive changes in their weight, energy levels, and overall well-being, while others express disappointment with the lack of noticeable results or the presence of side effects such as nausea and fatigue. A few reviewers also mention concerns about the dosage and the need for more personalized guidance and follow-up from healthcare providers.
Read also: Comprehensive Review of Hers for Weight Loss
Alternatives to Hers
Several other telehealth platforms offer weight loss programs, including:
- Found: Starts at $99/month and offers compounded medications as well as lifestyle coaching.
- WeightWatchers: Charges $199+/month for a membership fee that comes with comprehensive community-based lifestyle management.
- Ro Body Program: Features a similar structure to Hers with compounded semaglutide, but pricing is higher and choices are narrower. Coaching and insurance support are included, however.