GHK-Cu

What GHK-Cu does

GHK-Cu is a small peptide bound to copper. It is studied in skin creams, wound gels and eyebrow serum, with mixed results from small human studies. People also inject it for skin, hair and recovery, but no verified human trial establishes a systemic injection dose. Copper handling, local reactions and product contamination matter.

• In small studies, face serums and creams with it improved wrinkles and skin appearance, though results are mixed. (Studied in a trial)
• In a small study, a 2% serum on sparse eyebrows modestly raised hair count at 12 weeks. (Studied in a trial)
• In one trial, a gel helped diabetic foot ulcers close, but other wound studies disagree. (Studied in a trial)
• People report skin changes from injecting it and less hair loss from scalp use; others report no effect. (Reported by users)

Uses in the sources

• Studied topically for wrinkles and sparse eyebrows. Small trials show mixed results; they do not establish a benefit from systemic injections. (Studied in a trial) (source)
• Topical wound results disagree. Early diabetic-ulcer subgroups improved; venous ulcers did not. A later phase 3 failure was reported in trade press. (Studied in a trial) (source)
• People report injecting it for skin and hair changes. These uncontrolled reports cannot establish benefit or long-term safety. (Reported by users) (source)
• Users combine it with BPC-157, TB-500 or KPV for recovery. These injection combinations have no controlled human evidence. (Reported by users) (source)

GHK-Cu dosage

Typical reported dose: 2 mg once a day at bedtime

• Venous ulcers: 0.4% cream: 0.4% copper-tripeptide cream once daily, on the skin. Studied in a trial. Studied in: Adults with venous ulcers under standard wound care. (source)
• Diabetic ulcers: 2% gel: 2% GHK-Cu gel after initial sharp debridement once daily, on the skin. Studied in a trial. Studied in: Adults with diabetic neuropathic ulcers. (source)
• Facial cream: 12 weeks: GHK-Cu facial cream; strength and amount unavailable twice daily, on the skin. Studied in a trial. Studied in: 71 women with sun-related skin aging. (source)
• Eye cream: 12 weeks: GHK-Cu eye cream; strength and amount unavailable twice daily, on the skin. Studied in a trial. Studied in: 41 women with sun-related skin aging. (source)
• Facial cream: chapter report: GHK-Cu facial cream; strength and amount unavailable twice daily, on the skin. Studied in a trial. Studied in: 67 women aged 50–59. (source)
• Carrier-based facial serum: GHK-Cu lipid-nanocarrier serum; strength and amount not reported twice daily, morning and evening, on the skin. Studied in a trial. Studied in: Women aged 40–65. (source)

Highest studied: 2% gel once daily was used in a diabetic-ulcer trial; scalp exposure is not comparable..

These are doses reported in labels, trials or user reports, not a personal plan. Check the source behind each one.

Work out syringe units with the dosing calculator

How to mix GHK-Cu

Comes as: Topical cosmetic creams and serums, Investigational topical wound gel, Community-reported powder vials for mixing.

Mixed with: Community reports use bacteriostatic water. No approved GHK-Cu diluent or mixing instruction exists..

Common vial sizes: 50 mg. Common water amounts: 3 mL.

• A 50 mg vial with 3 mL water is a reported practice, not a validated formulation.
• A blue solution does not prove identity, copper content, purity or sterility.
• Bacteriostatic water does not sterilize contaminated powder.
• Laboratory chemical stability does not establish sterility or a safe storage period.
• Do not inject cosmetic serum or use it as a sterile product in open skin.

Before mixing: No approved GHK-Cu vial storage schedule. Dry-powder stability and container quality are product-specific.

After mixing: Community reports refrigerate mixed vials. No validated GHK-Cu sterile beyond-use period was found.

GHK-Cu side effects and risks

Reported side effects

• Topical skin reaction: 1/40, 2.5%, stopped in the 8 week serum trial; reacted on both active and comparator sides., mild. Stop the product if irritation persists; the responsible ingredient was uncertain. (source)
• Darkening after needling plus serum: 8/20, 40%, versus 0/20 with needling alone in a nonrandomized acne scar study., moderate. Stop further application and have new or worsening pigmentation assessed. (source)
• Injection burning, bumps or bruising: Community reports only; no denominator or reliable incidence., moderate. Persistent, hot or spreading reactions need assessment; do not assume they are normal. (source)
• Nausea, dizziness or flushing: Reported after injections or blends; no controlled rates and no proven ingredient attribution., moderate. Stop exposure and seek assessment if symptoms persist or worsen. (source)
• Excess-copper organ injury: A copper toxicity risk; no GHK Cu specific incidence or safe injection threshold is established., serious. Stop and seek urgent care for jaundice, severe vomiting, confusion or reduced urine. (source)
• Immune reactions to impurities or aggregates: FDA identifies this potential risk for injectable GHK Cu; frequency is unknown., serious. Emergency care for breathing trouble, throat swelling or collapse. (source)

Stop and get help if

• Trouble breathing, throat swelling or collapse after use: Stop use and call emergency services now.
• Fever with spreading hot redness, pus or rapidly worsening injection pain: Stop injections and get urgent medical assessment for infection.
• Severe vomiting, abdominal pain, jaundice, confusion or much less urine: Stop exposure and get urgent care. Bring the product and dose history for possible copper toxicity.

Who should avoid it

• pregnant: No pregnancy safety data; pregnant people are excluded from the wound trial.
• breastfeeding: No infant-exposure or breastfeeding safety data; the wound trial excludes breastfeeding.
• tryingToConceive: Reproductive safety is unknown. The wound trial requires contraception through day 21.
• under18: No pediatric dosing or safety evidence. The registered wound trial starts at age 18.
• other: Copper overload can damage the liver and brain. Added copper is unsuitable without specialist direction.
• other: Avoid after a confirmed allergy to copper-peptide preparations or their ingredients; trial participants with these allergies are excluded.
• activeCancer: Precaution: it raises growth and blood-vessel signals in cells. Human cancer safety is unknown.
• cancerHistory: Cancer recurrence risk has not been studied; growth-signal findings warrant review.
• liverDisease: Copper leaves mainly through bile. Cholestasis or cirrhosis can reduce clearance; GHK-Cu dosing is unstudied.
• kidneyDisease: Systemic GHK-Cu safety is unstudied. Severe copper toxicity can involve the kidneys.
• diabetes: Diabetic wounds need infection checks and pressure relief; a cosmetic serum cannot replace wound care.
• immunosuppressed: Infection and wound-healing risks need review, especially with injections or needling.
• surgeryPlanned: Discuss use with the procedural team; post-laser benefit was not objectively demonstrated.
• testedAthlete: Systemic use falls under the inferred S0 unapproved-substance rule; confirm cosmetic use with the anti-doping authority.

Interactions

• Copper chelators: Added copper conflicts with copper-removal treatment. No direct GHK-Cu interaction study exists.
• Copper supplements or other copper preparations: These add copper exposure. Safe combined exposure with injected GHK-Cu has not been established.
• High-dose zinc: Zinc blocks gut copper absorption and excess can cause copper deficiency. It is not a proven safeguard against injected copper.
• Other peptide blends: Users stack these for repair. Combined safety, compatibility and sterility are not established.
• Anticoagulants during needling or injections: Needling and injections can bruise or bleed; this is a procedure risk. The acne-scar study excluded anticoagulant users.

Product quality risks

• FDA identifies peptide impurities and aggregation as potential immune risks for injectable GHK-Cu.
• Unapproved peptide products may have inaccurate contents or lack sterility; Health Canada and TGA warn about these risks.
• A purity percentage cannot show the dose per vial, sterility, endotoxin burden or exact copper-binding state.
• No independent human-use market survey of GHK-Cu vial identity, content and sterility was confirmed.

What to expect

A diabetic-foot-ulcer trial used GHK-Cu gel daily for up to eight weeks alongside wound care; this does not define an injection course.

17 human records include secondary reports, mixed products, historical phase 3 news and 1 recruiting trial. No verified systemic injection trial was found.

Key studies

• Venous ulcers: no benefit: Copper-peptide cream did no better than vehicle. (source)
• Diabetic ulcers: immediate and delayed gel: Immediate-start gel improved median plantar-ulcer area closure. (source)
• Thigh skin: collagen biopsy pilot: Collagen-marker improvement was seen in 7/10 copper-peptide sites. (source)
• Makeup formulations: conference report: The review reports improved skin ratings with both formulations. (source)
• Facial cream: 71 women: Reviews report better skin appearance than control. (source)
• Eye cream: 41 women: Reviews report improvement versus vehicle and vitamin K cream. (source)

GHK-Cu FAQ

• Is GHK-Cu FDA-approved? No. PCAC consultation intended by February 2027; no completed decision found. No final 503A or 503B bulks-list inclusion confirmed. Cosmetics and medicine approval are separate.
• How do people take it? Under the skin, once daily. User planned to stop after 8–12 weeks. Source: reported by users, not an established dose.
• What's the difference between GHK-Cu and BPC-157? GHK-Cu: a copper-binding skin peptide with small topical studies and untested systemic injections. BPC-157: an experimental repair peptide with mostly animal evidence and a few small human reports. Why people pair them: reported with GHK-Cu for injury recovery and skin changes in recovery blends.
• Can I take it with BPC-157? Reported with GHK-Cu for injury recovery and skin changes in recovery blends. No controlled human combination trial; mixed-vial stability and ingredient identity are unverified. Source: reported by users. Ask a doctor before combining anything.
• Is it banned in sport? Yes. It is banned in and out of competition (WADA 2026). GHK-Cu is not named. S0 covers pharmacological substances without therapeutic approval; confirm cosmetic use with the anti-doping authority.
• How long does a mixed vial last? Community reports refrigerate mixed vials. No validated GHK-Cu sterile beyond-use period was found.