Overview
GHK-Cu is a naturally occurring human tripeptide (glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine) with a high affinity for copper ions, widely regarded as a master regenerative peptide.
What problem it targets: It targets skin aging, fine lines and wrinkles, scar tissue formation, loss of skin elasticity, thinning hair, slow wound healing, and chronic systemic inflammation.
What It Does
• Resets gene expression to a youthful state: Modulates over 4,000 human genes, upregulating collagen, elastin, and proteoglycan production while downregulating pro-inflammatory markers.
• Rebuilds extracellular skin matrix: Stimulates fibroblasts to produce new collagen and elastin, restoring skin firmness, smoothing deep wrinkles, and improving barrier health.
• Accelerates wound healing and breaks down scars: Activates matrix metalloproteinases to systematically dismantle irregular scar tissue while building uniform, healthy tissue.
• Realistic expectations: Injected subcutaneously or applied topically as a serum. Enhances skin luminosity and skin hydration within 2 to 4 weeks; structural remodeling of scars and skin elasticity matures over 8 to 12 weeks.
Reconstitution
| Vial Size | BAC Water / Solvent | Concentration |
|---|---|---|
| 50 mg | + 5 mL | 10 mg/mL |
| 100 mg | + 10 mL | 10 mg/mL |
Reconstitution Calculator
Enter the vial amount and diluent volume to calculate concentration. If you already have a target amount, you can also convert it to liquid volume and syringe markings. This tool does not recommend a target amount.
Enter a target amount you already have and select the syringe capacity.
Mathematical reference only. The calculator does not determine an appropriate target amount. Syringe capacity only changes the maximum volume that fits.
Protocol
| Phase | Frequency | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Daily | 1 mg | Loading. Establish tolerance; watch for injection-site sting or redness. |
| Week 2 | Daily | 1.5 mg | Ramp. Smooth step-up from loading dose. |
| Weeks 3–8 | Daily | 2 mg | Working dose. Full effect builds over the next 4–6 weeks. |
| Aggressive | 1–2× daily AM | 3–4 mg | Bump here ONLY if: (1) you’ve completed at least 2 weeks at 2 mg with zero injection-site sting, headache, or histamine flare, 6+ weeks at 2 mg. Start at 3 mg (e.g., 2 mg AM + 1 mg PM to leverage GHK-Cu’s short half-life). Push to 4 mg only if 3 mg is producing visible results and you want to test further, PeptideDeck and SeekPeptides note no published benefit above 3 mg/day; cost roughly doubles. |
| Off | 4 weeks | – | Mandatory copper-accumulation washout. Do not skip, especially after an Aggressive phase. |
8 weeks on / 4 weeks off. Stays within copper-accumulation limits while giving 6 weeks at working dose.
Daily SubQ anytime, or topical twice daily.
human data is topical/skin; no systemic-injection dosing trial.
Unisex, same protocol for men and women. Copper peptides add copper, so with long or high use watch the copper:zinc balance (extra copper can push zinc down).
Handling & Stacking
- Freeze-dried: -4°F.
- Reconstituted: 36–46°F, protect from light.
- Best used within about 2–4 weeks, kept cold and dark (structure-based estimate, no published data); copper oxidizes with no visible colour change, so use it sooner rather than later.
- Use an amber vial or foil wrap.
- Skin quality improvement at 6–8 weeks.
- Hair growth improvement at 8–12 weeks.
- Localised tissue improvement adjacent to injection sites.
- Supply math 50mg → 3 vials | 100mg → 2 vials (8-wk @ 2 mg × 7/wk).
- Use 50 mg vials at the 2 mg working dose, reconstituted shelf life is ~28 days; the 100 mg vial only depletes inside that window at the Aggressive 3–4 mg/day phase.
Safety & Patient Education
- Compound-specific: hsCRP (baseline + end) Serum copper and ceruloplasmin if cycles are extended Out of range?
- Rising serum copper / ceruloplasmin = copper is accumulating → pause and re-dose lower.
