Titration
Titration (3 steps) and details
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Limited human dataNot FDA approved
GHK-Cu
Also known as: Copper peptide · Copper tripeptide-1 · GHK copper · Glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine copper(II) · Prezatide copper acetate · Kollaren · Liver cell growth factor
Updated 42 sources
A three amino acid peptide (glycine, histidine, lysine) bound to copper. Your body makes it: plasma levels run about 200 ng/mL at 20 and 80 ng/mL by 60. People use it for skin, hair and healing, on the skin or by injection. The human evidence is all topical. Injection has none, and the injected dose varies 10 to 30 fold between guides.
Quick facts
- Half-life
- 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.
- Routes
- Subcutaneous injection
- Forms
- Vial (powder)
- Topical
- Reported dose ranges
- 0.5 to 3 mg (subcutaneous injection)
- 15 to 30 mcg/kg (subcutaneous injection)
- 200 to 500 mcg (subcutaneous injection)
- Vial sizes
- 50 mg, 100 mg
- FDA status
- Not FDA approved
- WADA
- Not confirmed
What people use GHK-Cu for
- Skin firmness, fine lines, texture, sun damage and scars
- Thinning hair and shedding, usually on the scalp, sometimes injected
- Healing after wounds or procedures like microneedling and laser
- Part of the GLOW and KLOW blends for repair plus skin
- Guides say users past about 40 notice more benefit
How it is thought to work. GHK binds copper and is linked in lab and topical studies to collagen production and skin remodeling. About 15.8% of GHK-Cu by weight is copper, so each mg carries about 158 mcg of elemental copper. First isolated by Loren Pickart in 1973. Many skincare copper peptide products are other molecules or blends.
GHK-Cu dosing
11 protocols from studies, guides and community reports, grouped by goal. Tap a source badge to see where a number came from.
Injected11
Three times a week
Starter
Timing and details
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Standard
Timing and details
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Skin
Wound or injury
General use
Start low, build to maintenance
Older guide
Weight-based
Timing and details
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Microgram school
Timing and details
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Doses shown are what sources report, labelled by origin. Not medical advice.
Full GHK-Cu dosage guideEvery titration step in syringe units, missed doses and how to mix.Vial strengths and syringe units
Every GHK-Cu vial size with the water volumes sources use. Units are what to draw on a U-100 insulin syringe, worked out exactly.
| Water | Strength | 1 mgdose, units | 2 mgdose, units | 3 mgdose, units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 mg vial | ||||
| 2 mLCompetitor guide | 25 mg/mL | 40.04 mL | 80.08 mL | 120.12 mL |
| 3 mLCompetitor guide | 16.667 mg/mL | 60.06 mL | 120.12 mL | 180.18 mL |
| 5 mLCompetitor guide | 10 mg/mL | 100.1 mL | 200.2 mL | 300.3 mL |
| 100 mg vial | ||||
| 3 mLCompetitor guide | 33.333 mg/mL | 30.03 mL | 60.06 mL | 90.09 mL |
| 5 mLCompetitor guide | 20 mg/mL | 50.05 mL | 100.1 mL | 150.15 mL |
Units are on a U-100 insulin syringe (100 units = 1 mL). U-50 and U-30 barrels read the same units.Water volumes from
Doses shown are what sources report, labelled by origin. Not medical advice.
Calculate with this peptideYour vial, your water, your dose: GHK-Cu in syringe units, with the math shown.What people report
What GHK-Cu users write on Reddit, counted post by post. These are reports, not measured rates or advice.
Community-reportedFrom 900 Reddit posts and comments, last mined Oct 23, 2026r/Peptides, r/Peptidesource, r/Biohackers, r/PeptideDiscussion
Doses people report for GHK-Cu
Goal not stated216 mentions
| Reported | Mentions |
|---|---|
| 2 mg | 94 |
| 1 mg | 61 |
| 1.5 mg | 19 |
| 2.5 mg | 15 |
| 3 mg | 9 |
Skin and hair104 mentions
| Reported | Mentions |
|---|---|
| 2 mg | 60 |
| 1 mg | 14 |
| 5 mg | 8 |
| 1.5 mg | 7 |
| 3 mg | 5 |
Injury recovery24 mentions
| Reported | Mentions |
|---|---|
| 1 mg | 7 |
| 2 mg | 7 |
| 2.5 mg | 3 |
| 1.7 mg | 2 |
| 5 mg | 2 |
Left out: 10 mentions given in syringe units, which mean different doses in different mixes; 21 mentions far outside every sourced protocol, most likely vial sizes or typos.
How often
| Reported | Mentions |
|---|---|
| Once a day | 212 |
| 5 days on, 2 off | 31 |
| Every other day | 12 |
| Three times a week | 10 |
| Once a week | 4 |
Most mentioned alongside
Side effects people mention
Stinging13 mentions
Burning sensation12 mentions
Most common fix: dilute with more bacteriostatic water (2)
Fatigue12 mentions
Most common fixes: stop taking the peptide (2), lower the dose (2)
Itching12 mentions
Most common fix: dilute with more bacteriostatic water (2)
Welts11 mentions
Most common fix: apply arnica gel and massage (2)
Injection site pain8 mentions
Doses shown are what sources report, labelled by origin. Not medical advice.
If you miss a dose
Skip it. Doubling only doubles the copper.
GHK-Cu side effects
What trials and labels report, kept apart from what users and guides report. Frequencies are worded as each source states them.
Reported by users and guides6
From community reports and dosing guides. Not measured rates.
Sting or burn on injection
Lasts 5 to 15 minutes; guides say it stings more than most peptides
How people manage it
- Dilute to about 10 mg/mL
Injection-site irritation
The most-logged side effect in one app's user data (222 logs)
Small pink wheal
Fades within hours
How people manage it
- If lumps last over 48 hours, use a lower concentration
Faint blue or blue-green mark at the site
Called common; more likely with high concentrations or injection into the skin layer
How people manage it
- Inject under the skin, not into it
Metallic taste after injecting
Rare and passing
Mild fatigue in the first days, mild headache in week 1
Mild
How people manage it
- Fatigue, pallor or brain fog: drop to the starter dose and ask a clinician to check serum copper, ceruloplasmin and zinc
Who should avoid it
Wilson's diseaseCondition
A copper disorder; guides say avoid extra copper.
Copper-chelating drugsSubstance
Listed as a reason to avoid by guides.
Active or recent cancerCondition
Listed as a reason to avoid by guides.
Liver diseaseCondition
Listed as a reason to avoid by guides; liver warning signs are stop signals.
PregnancyCondition
Listed as a reason to avoid by guides.
Strong acids, retinoids or high-dose vitamin C on the skinSubstance
More irritation when layered in the same session; use them at different times.
Storage
Powder (before mixing)
- Temperature
- -20 °C
Freezer at -20 C keeps it 1 to 2 years. Other guides give 24+ months in the fridge, 6 to 12 months at room temperature, or 12 to 24 months overall.
Mixed vial
- Temperature
- 2 to 8 °C
- Use within
- 28 days
Fridge at 2 to 8 C, dark, not frozen. Most guides say 28 days; the spread is 14 to 30. The 28 days comes from the benzyl alcohol in bacteriostatic water. GHK itself stayed stable at least 2 weeks at 60 C in pH 4.5 to 7.4 buffers.
Mixed with: Bacteriostatic water
Mixing. More water stings less. Many vials are 3 mL glass and cannot hold 5 mL; one seller ships 100 mg in a 10 mL vial. Do not use saline, which may pull copper off the peptide. Faint blue to blue-green is normal. Colourless suggests little copper. Dark blue, cloudy, fading or browning means discard.
Stacks people report
Combinations from guides and community posts, with the reason given.
Repair plus skin. Run as separate shots: BPC-157 250 to 500 mcg a day near the injury and GHK-Cu 1 to 2 mg a day for 4 to 6 weeks, or together in GLOW.
Part of the GLOW blend with BPC-157.
GLOW plus KPV makes KLOW. App users log GHK-Cu with KPV often.
Grouped with epitalon, MOTS-c and NAD+ in longevity stacks.
App users log GHK-Cu most often with retatrutide, MOTS-c, NAD+ and BPC-157.
Part of the same longevity grouping in guides and app logs.
Compare GHK-Cu
Evidence and legal status
Evidence: limited human data
Topical only. Placebo-controlled 12-week face cream (71 women) and eye cream (41 women) trials and a study of 67 women aged 50 to 59 reported improvements. A 2% gel helped diabetic ulcers while a 0.4% cream failed on venous ulcers. A 2025 review notes few clinical studies for anti-wrinkle use. Injected use is animal only. A Phase 2 topical gel trial for acute wounds is recruiting.
FDA and WADA
Not FDA approved
An approval withdrawn, or removed from FDA's compounding lists.
Not an approved drug. In September 2023 injectable GHK-Cu went on the 503A Category 2 list and topical GHK-Cu on Category 1. The 2026-04-15 FDA notice removed both after nominations were withdrawn. Both are due for advisory committee review before end of February 2027. Cosmetic use as copper tripeptide-1 is unaffected.
Not named on the WADA 2026 Prohibited List and not part of the July 2026 committee vote. No source found addresses whether the S0 catch-all for non-approved substances covers injected use.
WADA: Not confirmed
GHK-Cu questions
How much bacteriostatic water for a 50 mg vial?
2, 3 and 5 mL are all used. More water stings less, but check that your vial can hold it; many are 3 mL glass.
How many units is 1 mg?
In a 50 mg vial: 4 units with 2 mL, 6 units with 3 mL, 10 units with 5 mL, on a U-100 syringe.
What is the typical injected dose?
Mainstream guides say 1 to 2 mg a day. A smaller school uses 200 to 500 mcg. App users most often log 2 to 3 mg per shot (87 logs), then 1 to 2 mg (71), 3 to 5 mg (43) and over 5 mg (5).
Topical or injectable?
Topical has the human evidence. No human trial has tested injected GHK-Cu for skin, hair or general use.
How do people use it on the skin?
Cosmetic products run 0.2 to 2%, compounded hair products 0.2 to 3%. Guides start at 1% two or three times a week after a patch test, then 1 to 2% once or twice daily for 8 to 12+ weeks. Scalp use runs 1.5 to 2.5% twice daily for 16 to 24 weeks. 100 mg in 10 g of cream makes 1%. Copper at night, vitamin C in the morning.
How is it used with microneedling?
One guide uses 0.05%, 3 to 5 drops within 10 to 15 minutes of needling. A topical seller starts with 2 drops for the whole face, diluted with water, building slowly.
Why does it sting?
The copper. Dilute more, let it warm to room temperature and inject slowly.
Should the solution be blue?
A faint blue is right. Colourless is a red flag for little or no copper. Dark blue, cloudy or brown means throw it out.
How much copper am I injecting?
About 158 mcg per mg of GHK-Cu, from the molecular weight. One site claims 0.3 mg per mg, which the math does not support.
Do I need to cycle it?
Guides cycle it to cap total copper intake. A receptor-reset reason also circulates and has no support. Pickart's own figure is 100 to 200 mg injected over a course, about 1.1 mg/kg in total. If you miss a dose, skip it; doubling only doubles the copper.
Can copper peptides ruin my skin?
Overuse or a high percentage can cause redness, breakouts and sensitivity. Guides say skin recovers in 2 to 4 weeks with a bland routine and sunscreen.
Does it help hair?
No randomized trial has tested injected GHK-Cu for hair. Hair users usually apply it to the scalp and pair it with minoxidil, finasteride or microneedling.
How does it compare with retinol or vitamin C?
Different mechanisms, so guides use them at different times: copper at night, vitamin C in the morning. In one small 1-month thigh study, collagen rose in 70% of women on GHK-Cu, 50% on vitamin C and 40% on retinoic acid.
How long until results?
The topical studies ran 12 weeks.
Who should skip it?
Guides list Wilson's disease, copper-chelating drugs, active or recent cancer, liver disease and pregnancy.
Is it banned or FDA approved?
Not FDA approved, and not named on the WADA list.
Ask about GHK-Cu
Answers come from this site's pages only, with a link to each source.
Sources
42 sources, each checked by date. Record updated Oct 23, 2026. Numbers are restated in our own words and labelled by where they came from.
Clinical study4
- Pickart L et al. 2015, GHK peptide as a natural modulator of skin regeneration, Biomed Res IntPMC · checked Oct 23, 2026
- Lee WJ et al. 2016, 5-ALA + GHK complex on hair growth, Ann DermatolPubMed · checked Oct 23, 2026
- Mortazavi SM et al. 2025, topically applied GHK as an anti-wrinkle peptide, BioImpactsPubMed · checked Oct 23, 2026
Regulatory4
- FDA to remove 12 peptides from Category 2Frier Levitt · checked Oct 23, 2026
- 503A peptide status trackerelevate-chicago.com · checked Oct 23, 2026
- WADA 2026 Prohibited ListWADA · checked Oct 23, 2026
Vendor guide7
- GHK-Cu beyond cosmetic hype (pharmacist review, 2026-02-11)Fagron Academy · checked Oct 23, 2026
- GHK-Cu 50 mg product pageVendor product page · checked Oct 23, 2026
- GHK-Cu 100 mg product pageVendor product page · checked Oct 23, 2026
Competitor guide26
- GHK-Cu peptidepeptidedosages.com · checked Oct 23, 2026
- GHK-Cu dosage guidebodyhackguide.co · checked Oct 23, 2026
- GHK-Cu protocolpeptidedosingprotocols.com · checked Oct 23, 2026
Community-reported1
- GHK-Cu wiki, app user log datapeptiq.io, via a competitor guide · checked Oct 23, 2026