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AHK-Cu vs GHK-Cu

Updated 11 sources

Key differences

  1. 1One amino acid apart: alanine in AHK-Cu, glycine in GHK-Cu.
  2. 2AHK-Cu is marketed for hair follicles. GHK-Cu is marketed for skin, collagen and wound repair.
  3. 3GHK-Cu has decades of research and some human topical trials. AHK-Cu has one 2007 lab study on hair follicles.
  4. 4AHK-Cu is studied for hair follicles. GHK-Cu is studied for skin and wounds.

Side by side

Facts from each record, in the same words as their own pages.
AHK-Cu and GHK-Cu side by side
AHK-CuGHK-Cu
Category
  • Skin & hair
  • Skin & hair, Healing & recovery
Evidence
  • Animal data only
  • Limited human data
FDA status
  • Not FDA approvedRegulatory
  • Not FDA approvedRegulatory
WADA
  • Not confirmed
  • Not confirmed
Half-life
  • Not established. Free AHK is reportedly cut by blood enzymes within minutes; on the skin it is thought to act locally.Competitor guide
  • About 1 to 2 hours by one guide's estimate, extrapolated from GHK-Cu; no AHK-Cu study exists.Competitor guide
  • Not measured in humans. Rat IV work shows fast breakdown to His-Lys, within minutes to a couple of hours. The 30-minute to 4-hour figures online have no source.Competitor guide
Routes
  • Topical, Subcutaneous injection, Other route
  • Subcutaneous injection
Forms
  • Topical, Vial (powder)
  • Vial (powder), Topical
Reported doses
  • 0.4 to 5% (topical)
  • 50 to 500 mcg (subcutaneous injection)
  • 1 to 5 mg (subcutaneous injection)
  • 0.5 to 3 mg (subcutaneous injection)
  • 15 to 30 mcg/kg (subcutaneous injection)
  • 200 to 500 mcg (subcutaneous injection)
Most cited frequency
  • Daily
  • Once daily
Vial sizes
  • 5 mg, 10 mg, 50 mg, 100 mgCompetitor guide
  • 50 mg, 100 mgCompetitor guide
Mixed vial keeps
  • Fridge at 2 to 8 C, dark.Competitor guide
  • Fridge at 2 to 8 C, dark, not frozen.Competitor guide
Protocols on file
  • 11
  • 11

Doses shown are what sources report, labelled by origin. Not medical advice.

Read each in full

Sources

11 sources, each checked by date. Record updated Oct 24, 2026. Numbers are restated in our own words and labelled by where they came from.

Vendor guide1

  1. GHK-Cu beyond cosmetic hype (pharmacist review, 2026-02-11)Fagron Academy · checked Oct 23, 2026

Competitor guide6

  1. AHK-Cu (copper tripeptide) reportoutliyr.com · checked Oct 24, 2026
  2. GHK-Cu vs AHK-Cubodyhackguide.co · checked Oct 24, 2026
  3. GHK-Cu dosage chartpeptidedeck.com · checked Oct 23, 2026
  4. AHK-Cu dosage chart, schedule and reconstitution protocolpeptidedosage.org · checked Oct 24, 2026