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Anti-aging

GHK-Cu

A naturally occurring copper-binding tripeptide found in human plasma. The best-studied skin peptide, also investigated for wound healing, hair and connective tissue.

Cosmetic (topical) / off-label injectable Anti-aging Recovery & healing

Reviewed 2026-09-12
Full name
Glycyl-L-Histidyl-L-Lysine — Copper Complex
Also known as
Copper peptide, GHK-Copper, Copper tripeptide-1
Regulatory status
Widely used as a cosmetic ingredient (topical, well-studied and legal essentially everywhere) and separately used off-label as an injectable/subcutaneous compound in the self-experimentation community, which is far less studied.
Variant note
Sometimes sold as plain 'GHK' (without copper already bound) rather than the copper-complexed GHK-Cu described on this page. GHK requires copper binding in vivo to exert its characteristic effects, so uncomplexed GHK is a meaningfully different product with a thinner evidence base than the copper complex.

Origin

First isolated from human blood plasma. Naturally circulating GHK declines substantially with age, from around 200 ng/mL at age 20 to about 80 ng/mL by age 60, part of why it's of interest for anti-aging use. Also found in saliva and urine.

Mechanism

GHK-Cu regulates a large number of genes involved in tissue remodeling, collagen and elastin synthesis, antioxidant enzyme production, and anti-inflammatory signaling. It promotes fibroblast and keratinocyte activity, stimulates angiogenesis, and scavenges free radicals directly. In hair follicle studies it enlarges follicle size and increases blood vessel formation around follicles.

Research summary

Evidence

Topically, GHK-Cu has a genuinely deep evidence base: decades of dermatology and wound-healing literature support improved skin firmness, reduced fine lines, faster wound healing and reduced hyperpigmentation. Gene-expression studies from Pickart and colleagues show GHK-Cu resets expression of over 4,000 genes toward a more youthful pattern in some analyses, an early-stage systems-biology finding, not a validated anti-aging therapy. Systemic/injectable use is far less studied in humans; most injectable dosing information circulating online is extrapolated from topical/animal data, not dedicated injection trials.

Evidence tier: Cosmetic (topical) / off-label injectable — see the methodology note for how this is assessed.

Citations

Reported benefits

  • Topical: improved skin firmness, texture and fine lines; faster healing of cuts, post-procedure skin; reduced hyperpigmentation
  • Injectable (anecdotal): reported support for connective tissue repair alongside BPC-157/TB-500 stacks; reported hair density improvements when combined with topical minoxidil-style protocols
  • Interest in immune modulation and antioxidant support from systemic research

Dosing protocols reported in the literature & community

These are protocols reported by compounding pharmacies, published trials, or self-experimentation communities — not a prescription. Start low, especially for anything new.

Reported dosing protocols
RouteReported protocol
Topical (cosmetic)Commercial skincare products typically use 1-5% GHK-Cu-containing formulations or specific copper-peptide serums; this is the best-supported route.
Subcutaneous injection (self-experimentation, not clinically established)Community-reported doses vary widely, roughly 1-2 mg per day in longer runs, or shorter 'cycles' around 20 mg total spread over 1-2 weeks. Because true injection dose-response data doesn't exist in humans, treat any specific number as a community convention, not a validated dose.

Side effects

  • Topical: generally very well tolerated; can transiently increase skin sun-sensitivity due to increased cell turnover — sunscreen use recommended during treatment
  • Injectable: local injection-site reactions reported; systemic safety data at self-experimentation doses is essentially absent

Safety notes

Safety: Topical GHK-Cu is one of the safest and best-studied compounds in this wiki. Injectable/systemic use is different: popular in self-experimentation stacks, but without the same evidence backing as the topical form, and dosing is folk convention.
Community & reddit notes (anecdotal — not clinical evidence)

Frequently added in small doses to BPC-157/TB-500 healing stacks and to hair-loss protocols alongside minoxidil/finasteride. Also popular as a standalone topical anti-aging ingredient outside the injectable-peptide community, showing up in mainstream skincare marketing. Community sentiment on injectable use is generally positive but far less confident and detailed than for BPC-157 or TB-500: people describe it as a nice addition, not a primary driver of results. Reported personal dosing patterns vary widely, from roughly 1 mg/day as a baseline addition to a stack, up to occasional higher-dose cycles around 20 mg — none of it standardized, and mostly folded into other peptides' protocols rather than run alone.

Used in stacks

Community combinations that include GHK-Cu — see each stack page for the combination-specific rationale and evidence.

Mixing compatibility

Pulled from a community-charted mixing-compatibility reference (anecdotal, clinic-use, and community-reported signals) — not a safety guarantee. Verify independently before combining anything.

Used together in wellness-clinic protocols

Reported as a combination to avoid