Cosmetic
GHK-Cu
Human evidence is mostly small cosmetic studies of topical formulations at roughly 0.05-2% concentration for skin appearance and hair.
Also known as Copper Peptide · Glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine copper(II) · GHK-Copper
At a glance
Dose summary
No reliable human half-life has been published for GHK-Cu, so none is listed rather than guessed at.
No regulator and no trial set these numbers. They describe what people actually do, recorded so you can see the range rather than guess at it — which is not the same thing as a recommendation.
Reconstitution
What to draw, at the usual vial
A 50 mg vial reconstituted with 5 mL of bacteriostatic water gives 10.00 mg/mL. A typical 1.5 mg dose is 0.150 mL — pull the plunger to 15 units on a U-100 syringe.
Same dose, other vial sizes
| Vial | Water | Concentration | Draw | Units | Doses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 mg | 5 mL | 10.00 mg/mL | 0.150 mL | 15 units | 33 |
| 100 mg | 5 mL | 20.00 mg/mL | 0.075 mL | 7.5 units | 66 |
The highlighted row is the one quoted above: the smallest listed vial that holds at least four typical doses. Change any of it — a different vial, more or less water, a different dose — on the reconstitution calculator, which draws the syringe to true U-100 graduations.
Mechanism & evidence
What it is, and what is known
Human evidence is mostly small cosmetic studies of topical formulations at roughly 0.05-2% concentration for skin appearance and hair. Systemic injectable use is supported by animal wound-healing data only, and the 1-2 mg daily figures come from community protocols rather than controlled trials. Cycle it rather than running it continuously because of copper load.
The caveat
The human studies are of topical formulations. Injected use rests on animal wound-healing data.Tolerability
Reported side effects
- Injection site stinging, redness or a lasting blue-green tint
- Skin irritation or dryness with topical use
- Headache or nausea at higher doses
- Risk of copper accumulation with prolonged uninterrupted use
Hard stops
Do not use this if
- Pregnancy, possible pregnancy, or breastfeeding
- Active, suspected or recently treated malignancy
These are flags, not a screening. They do not replace a conversation with a clinician who knows your history.
Handling
Storage
Keep it cold, keep it dark, and label the vial with the date you mixed it. Discard anything cloudy or past the window above.
Combinations
Commonly stacked with
Stacking multiplies the side-effect surface and makes it impossible to tell which compound did what. Add one thing at a time.
Where it shows up
Protocols using this compound
References
Sources
Educational information only, not medical advice. Talk to a licensed clinician before starting, changing, or stopping anything.