GHK-Cu
A copper-binding tripeptide found in blood that falls with age, best known in skin creams for collagen and repair.
Cosmetic ingredient in skin and hair products; injectable forms not approved.
Used for
- Skin quality, fine lines, scars (topical)
- Hair density (topical)
- Wound healing and general repair (injected)
How it works
Delivers copper to tissues and switches on repair genes: more collagen and elastin, less inflammation, antioxidant effects.
What the research shows
- Collagen stimulation in cell culture was shown in 1988; small cosmetic studies of creams report firmer, smoother skin.
- Gene-expression studies suggest it resets many genes toward a “younger” pattern; this is lab data.
- No controlled trials of injected GHK-Cu in people.
Dosing
Dosing isn’t listed on the public site. In the app, each published option is shown with its source (a drug label, a clinical guideline, a trial or community reports) and can be turned into a protocol you review.
Work out the units to draw for your vial →Side effects
- Injection-site stinging, redness or blue-green tint
- Temporary skin purging with strong topicals
Cautions
- Adds copper: take care with Wilson’s disease or high copper; zinc balance matters with long use.
- Research-chemical vials have no quality control: purity, dose and sterility vary. Third-party testing helps but is no guarantee.
Storage
Unmixed powder: freezer or fridge, away from light.
Once mixed with bacteriostatic water: fridge; the common rule is to use it within 28 days.
There is no label or published stability data for this one, so treat these as habits, not limits.
Stability once mixed
A pH-sensitive copper complex. It is blue, and a color turning green or brown shows it has degraded.
Heat, shaking, freezing a mixed vial, light and many needle punctures all speed breakdown. Toss it if it turns cloudy, grows specks or changes color.
More in Healing & recovery
Reference only, not medical advice. Written for this app from the cited research. Doses marked community-reported are not from trials.