Research Dosing

GHK-Cu

🔴 IMPORTANT: Read This Before Proceeding With Dosing
Go to the Prep & Injection Guide for proper reconstitution, syringe sizing, and injection protocols. Mistakes here can compromise your research.

👉 Click here to read the Prep & Injection Guide

GHK-Cu

GHK-Cu (glycyl-l-histidyl-l-lysine-copper) or “copper tri-peptide” is a copper-binding human peptide found in plasma, saliva, and urine. It has qualities which allow for the regeneration of aged and injured liver cells, although its regenerative properties are not confined to the liver alone — it promotes tissue healing, injury recovery, and cell regeneration in everything from skin grafts to ligaments, lung connective tissue to boney tissue, the lining of the stomach, and much more. Can replace corticosteroids for the treatment of inflammatory skin conditions.

In addition to this, GHK-Cu is generally regarded as the best overall anti-aging peptide.

Benefits

  • Stimulates elastin and collagen production; improves overall hydration of the skin
  • Restores skin elasticity and helps reverse the thinning of aged skin; is more effective than most prescription retinols
  • Reduces fine lines and wrinkles, photodamage, and hyperpigmentation
  • Reduces free radical damage
  • Protects skin from UV radiation
  • Is a potent anti-inflammatory
  • Accelerates hair growth — equal to or better than Minoxidil 5%
  • Enlarges hair follicle size, resulting in thicker hair; strengthens follicles
  • Is a powerful antioxidant
  • Has DNA repairing properties
  • Prevents metastasis in colon cancer
  • Improves digestive health
  • Has been shown to promote nerve fiber regeneration
  • Can reverse fibroblasts associated with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and help relieve other symptoms of the disease
  • Stimulates angiogenesis (the formation of new blood vessels)
  • Stimulates wound healing; can reverse cortisone-induced inhibition of wound-healing
  • Possesses multiple anti-cancer mechanisms
  • Increases the production of neurotrophic factors
  • Reduces anxiety and aggression
  • Possesses pain-relieving qualities
  • Decreases the expression of pain genes
  • When certain systems aren’t functioning properly, damaged proteins start accumulating; GHK-Cu clears these damaged proteins

Possible Side Effects

Topical: No side effects noted.
Subcutaneous Administration: Injection site reaction (redness, swelling, itching, bruising, histamine flare-up (resembles hives, with a knot or bump under the skin for up to several days following each injection0); no others reported

Signs of Copper Toxicity

Headache, fever, passing out, nausea, vomiting, bloody vomit, diarrhea, black stool, abdominal cramps, brown ring-shaped markings in the eyes, and jaundice. May be accompanied by anxiety, irritability, inability to focus, depression, and moodiness. In the most serious cases, copper toxicity can result in kidney conditions, liver damage or failure, heart failure, and brain damage.

GHK-Cu: 100MG — Reconstitution and Dosing (Injectable)

4-6-week cycle followed by a 4-6-week washout period

Subcutaneous Administration

Start at the lowest dose and increase gradually as needed to continue sustaining benefits

It might not seem like a lot but a little goes a long way

Mix with 3mL (300 units) of BAC water

4 – 8 units (1-2mg), 1x/day, 7 days/week. Start at lowest dose and gradually increase as needed to sustain benefits.

Note: For some users, GHK-Cu (a copper peptide) is painful to inject and/or may cause a reaction at the injection site. This is not universal for all people- where many have a painful injection experience and a high incidence of injection site reactions (ISR’s), others have neither and get to reap the benefits without so much as minor discomfort. If you experience pain or an aggressive ISR, you can safely assume that you will not react well to copper peptides in any form. The injection pain might range from a small pinch to the sting of a bullet ant. Injection site reactions (ISRs) may include redness, swelling, bruising, pain, development of a knot beneath the skin which may last for several days.

Wondering why some people are unaffected by the pain and reactivity that other users have to deal with? Here’s why some people are more sensitive to copper ions:

  • They have low baseline ceruloplasmin (the copper-binding protein that regulates free copper)
  • Their skin barrier or microcirculation is already inflamed
  • They have trace metal imbalances (e.g., low zinc or high iron)

When injected, free copper can temporarily separate from GHK, generating mild oxidative activity and histamine release in that area — leading to redness, itching, or mild swelling.

There are a couple things you can do to prevent these reactions altogether, or at least minimize their severity. First, always rotate your injection site: you should never use the same spot twice in a row. Reference the “Subcutaneous Injection Site Locations” illustration in the Prep and Dosing Guide to learn about additional injection zones. Second, once your daily dose has been drawn into your syringe, add 30-90 units of water to the shot. Diluting the GHK-Cu will reduce the localized inflammation response. Third, consider using the GLOW or KLOW blend rather than GHK-Cu alone. When GHK-Cu and BPC-157 are combined, the pain associated with the injections is

For those who find that they cannot tolerate GHK-Cu injections, all is not lost! You don’t have to throw away the remainder of the vial and waste your money… just add it to a half-ounce to an ounce of a thick, moisturizing cream or ointment. Due to the 3mL of water you reconstituted the vial with, the final product will be very watery. It is best to apply this thin, watery solution underneath a secondary moisturizer that will aid absorption. See Topical Dosing for a list of compatible/synergistic ingredients in skincare products.

TOPICAL ADMINISTRATION

Note: The easiest way to prepare lyophilized GHK-Cu for use as a topical formulation is to first cut the aluminum that secures the rubber stopper to the neck of the vial, then carefully removing it and the rubber stopper from the vial. You will want something on hand that you can use to stir the powder at the bottom of the vial as you add water- you can remove the plunger from a dosing syringe to do this. Gradually add water until you have a thick sludge. Don’t overthink this! This is not an exact science. Is it sludge-ish? Then call it good, and transfer the GHK-Cu from the vial into a container with your skincare base product. (You can add the lyophilized powder directly into the ounce of base product, but it seems to work better when you add water to the sludge first). While you may mix the lyophilized GHK-Cu powder directly into one ounce of base/emollient product, we do not recommend doing so. Instead, add .5mL (or 50 units) of BAC water to the GHK-Cu vial. If the GHK-Cu remains mostly powder after the first .5mL/50 units, add another .5mL/50 units gradually. Mix continuously until a smooth, chunk-free sludge exists.

Compatible/Synergistic Ingredients Include:
Hyaluronic acid, Vitamin E, Niacinamide, Argireline, Vitamin B, Ceramides, Collagen, Elastin, Matrixyl 3000, Leuphasyl, Aloe Vera, Ferulic Acid, Squalane, Glycerin, Coenzyme Q10, Bakuchiol

Avoid:
Retinoids, alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), beta hydroxy acids (BHAs), Glycolic acid, Salicylic acid, Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid)

Stacking Suggestions

To increase results and cover wider regenerative or anti-aging goals:

  • Thymosin Beta-4 / TB-500 – For powerful wound repair and tissue regeneration
  • Epithalon – Anti-aging, telomere repair, and DNA protection
  • Snap-8 or Argireline – For enhanced wrinkle reduction and topical synergy
  • Glutathione – For antioxidant replenishment and skin brightening
  • CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin – For collagen boost, GH elevation, and systemic anti-aging synergy
  • BPC-157 – For gut healing and inflammatory suppression