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Healing repairSkin beautyIn StockSubQ injection

GHK-Cu

Tripeptide-copper complex · 3 amino acids · Plasma-derived sequence

Half-life

~30-60min

After administration

Delivery Method

SubQ injection

Route of administration

Storage (Lyophilised)

12-24 months

2–8°C

Storage (Reconstituted)

4–6 weeks

Refrigerate at 2-8C

Known For

Copper tripeptide. Powerful skin regeneration, collagen/elastin synthesis, wound healing, anti-aging, and hair follicle stimulation. Naturally occurs in human plasma but declines with age. Reduces wrinkles, improves skin density and elasticity.

Mechanism of Action

Naturally occurring copper peptide (declines with age: 200ng/mL age 20 → 80ng/mL age 60). Promotes collagen, elastin, wound healing, hair growth, anti-inflammatory.

Body vs. External Supply

🟡 Natural/Topping Up

Brand / Trade Names

No pharmaceutical brand (injectable) Topical brands: NIOD (CAIS), The Ordinary, Skin Biology Widely used in cosmetic skincare

Typical Research Dosage

200-600mcg/day SubQ for systemic. Also available topically. Can go up to 1-2mg/day in some protocols.

Vial Duration Guide

50mg vial at 500mcg/day = 100 days. ⚠️ Exceeds shelf life. 100mg vial same issue. Consider higher dosing or splitting.

Recommended Vial Size

⚠️ 50mg vials (lesser problem) At 500mcg/day, 50mg = 100 days — FAR exceeds shelf life. At 2mg/day = 25 days ✓. Increase dose or accept potency loss. 100mg is even worse.

Time to Effects

EARLY: 4-6 weeks FULL: 12-24 weeks GHK-Cu works through collagen remodelling, which is inherently SLOW. Week 2-4: No visible changes yet. Cellular-level collagen synthesis increasing. Week 4-8: Skin may start feeling firmer. Wound healing improved. Hair may feel thicker. Week 8-12: Visible skin improvements — reduced fine lines, improved elasticity, better tone. Week 12-24: Significant skin rejuvenation. Hair regrowth/thickening where applicable. Scar tissue softening. Patience required. This is a long-game peptide. Minimum commitment: 12 weeks for skin. 6+ months for hair.

Contraindications & Do Not Combine

• Do NOT use if Wilson's disease or copper metabolism disorder • Avoid if active cancer/tumour history (promotes angiogenesis and cell proliferation)

Common Side Effects

Topical: skin irritation/redness (rare, usually at high concentrations). Injectable: injection site reaction, metallic taste.

Drug Interactions

Other copper supplements (avoid excess copper intake), iron (copper-iron interaction)

Reversibility

🟡 Fully reversible — supplementing naturally declining compound. Benefits may persist weeks-months after stopping.

Key Peer-Reviewed References

All studies are published in indexed journals unless otherwise noted.

• Pickart et al. (2012) Oxid Med Cell Longev 2012:324832 — Anti-aging and cognitive implications • Pickart et al. (2015) Int J Mol Sci 16(9):20448-74 — Skin remodeling • Kang et al. (2009) J Invest Dermatol 129:1295-1300 — Wound healing • NOT FDA APPROVED (injectable) • Widely used in topical skincare (cosmetic formulations) • Naturally occurring — declines from ~200ng/ml (age 20) to ~80ng/ml (age 60)

Research Disclaimer

Almost all data is preclinical (animal or in-vitro). No large-scale randomised controlled human trials are available for most compounds on this catalogue. This information is provided for research reference only.

Storage Requirements

Topical: per product label, 6-12 months. Injectable reconstituted: 2-8°C, 7-14 days (copper can degrade).

State	Condition	Duration
Lyophilised (sealed)	2–8°C	12-24 months
Reconstituted	2-8C	4–6 weeks

Reconstitution Note

Reconstitute with bacteriostatic water (BAC water). Do not shake vigorously -- swirl gently to dissolve. Inject BAC water slowly down the side of the vial to avoid denaturing the peptide.

Video Resources

GHK-Cu discussed by researchers & practitioners

Independent educational content from researchers, clinicians, and science communicators. Not affiliated with Pepnerd — provided as supplementary reading.

Educational resources only. The videos above are independent third-party content from researchers, clinicians, and science communicators. Pepnerd is not affiliated with any of these creators and does not endorse or make any claims based on their content. All products are sold strictly for in-vitro scientific research.

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$35.00 per vial

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Quick Reference

Half-life	Plasma half-life ~30-60 min; biological effects on gene expression persist 24-48h
Delivery	SubQ injection
Typical dose	200-600mcg/day
Storage (lyoph.)	2–8°C
Storage (recon.)	4–6 weeks
Endogenous?	Natural/Topping Up
Suppression	None
WADA	Not listed
FDA status	Not reviewed (cosmetic use)