GHK-Cu is a three-amino-acid peptide (glycine, histidine, lysine) bound to copper that occurs naturally in human plasma and is widely used as a cosmetic skincare ingredient. Its human evidence comes from small studies of products applied to the skin; injected GHK-Cu has no published human trials that we could find, and it is not FDA-approved as a drug.
Also known as Copper peptide, Copper tripeptide-1, Glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine copper, GHK copper complex, Iamin
GHK is a tiny peptide of three amino acids (glycine, histidine and lysine) that binds copper tightly; with copper attached it is called GHK-Cu. It was described in human plasma in the 1970s and 1980s by Loren Pickart, who reported that it formed complexes with copper and helped cultured cells take up the metal (Pickart 1980). The same sequence occurs inside type I collagen, which led researchers to suggest it may be released when tissue is damaged (Maquart 1988).
In the 1990s the company ProCyte developed a GHK-Cu wound gel called Iamin, tested in people with diabetic foot ulcers (Mulder 1994) and in animals (Canapp 2003). We could not find evidence that it was ever approved as a drug. Today GHK-Cu is mainly a cosmetic ingredient in creams and serums, and it is also sold online as an injectable by peptide vendors.
Those two uses need to be kept apart. The human studies we found all applied GHK-Cu to the skin or to wounds. We could not find any published human trial of injected GHK-Cu, so claims about injections rest on cell and animal work. Much of the review literature comes from Pickart and his collaborators, whose listed affiliation is a company called Skin Biology (Pickart 2018).
Schedules reported for this peptide, with the syringe measure for each step and the supplies each one takes. Reported use is not evidence that a schedule works or is safe, and none of this is medical advice.
| Period | Amount each time | U-100 units | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-4 | 1 mg | 6 | 0.06 mL |
| Weeks 5-8 | 1.5 mg | 9 | 0.09 mL |
| Week 9 on | 2 mg | 12 | 0.12 mL |
| Item | 8 weeks | 12 weeks | 16 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Injections | 40 | 60 | 80 |
| Total peptide | 50 mg | 90 mg | 130 mg |
| GHK-Cu vials (50 mg) | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Bacteriostatic water | 3 mL | 6 mL | 9 mL |
| Water bottles (10 mL) | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| U-100 insulin syringes | 40 | 60 | 80 |
| Alcohol swabs (boxes of 100) | 80 (1) | 120 (2) | 160 (2) |
| Period | Amount each time | U-100 units | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 on | 2 mg | 12 | 0.12 mL |
| Item | 8 weeks | 12 weeks | 16 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Injections | 24 | 36 | 48 |
| Total peptide | 48 mg | 72 mg | 96 mg |
| GHK-Cu vials (50 mg) | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Bacteriostatic water | 3 mL | 6 mL | 6 mL |
| Water bottles (10 mL) | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| U-100 insulin syringes | 24 | 36 | 48 |
| Alcohol swabs (boxes of 100) | 48 (1) | 72 (1) | 96 (1) |
The dose each published study gave its participants, copied from the paper. Not dosing instructions; animal doses do not convert directly to people.
At a glance: 10 studies report a dose (3 in people, 4 in animals, 3 in cells).
| Study | Design | Population | Route | Dose used | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pickart L 1980 | In vitro | cell culture | — | Nanomolar concentrations in culture medium (exact values not given in the abstract; see the paper) | — |
| Maquart FX 1988 | In vitro | cell culture | — | 10^-12 to 10^-9 M in culture; maximal effect at 10^-9 M | — |
| Maquart FX 1993 | Animal study | rat | Injection into implanted wound chambers | Various concentrations (not given in the abstract; see the paper) | — |
| Mulder GD 1994 | Randomised controlled trial | human | Topical gel (Iamin Gel) | Daily metered dose of gel; concentration not given in the abstract; see the paper | — |
| Bishop JB 1992 | Randomised controlled trial | human, n=86 | Topical cream | Tripeptide copper complex 0.4% cream; frequency not given in the abstract; see the paper | — |
| Miller TR 2006 | Randomised controlled trial | human, n=13 | Topical skincare products | Dose not given in the abstract; see the paper | 12 weeks |
| Canapp SO Jr 2003 | Animal study | rat, n=24 | Topical gel (Iamin 2% Gel), daily | 2% gel applied daily | 13 days |
| Fu SC 2015 | Animal study | rat, n=72 | Intra-articular injection, once weekly | 0.3 or 3 mg/ml GHK-Cu, weekly from week 2 for 4 weeks | Assessed at 6 and 12 weeks |
| Hostynek JJ 2010 | In vitro | other | Applied to isolated human skin in diffusion cells | 0.68% aqueous copper as GHK-Cu (glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine cuprate diacetate) | 48 hours |
| Campbell JD 2012 | In vitro | cell culture | — | Dose not given in the abstract; see the paper | — |
What has been studied, by type of evidence. A result in animals or cells is a reason to study something in people, not proof that it works in people.
All the human studies we found used GHK-Cu applied to the skin or to wounds. None tested injections:
Verdict: one older trial suggests a benefit in diabetic foot ulcers, but another trial in leg ulcers and a small cosmetic study found no objective benefit. Many cosmetic claims cite studies that we could not find in the medical literature. For injected GHK-Cu there are no human data at all.
In rats, GHK-Cu injected into implanted wound chambers increased collagen and other connective tissue in a dose-dependent way, while a control tripeptide had no effect (Maquart 1993). In rats with poorly supplied (ischemic) skin wounds, a 2% GHK-Cu gel was followed by faster wound shrinkage and lower levels of inflammatory and tissue-degrading proteins than in untreated wounds (Canapp 2003).
After knee ligament (ACL) reconstruction in 72 rats, weekly injections of GHK-Cu into the joint gave a less loose knee and a stiffer graft at 6 weeks, but the differences were gone by 12 weeks, after the injections stopped (Fu 2015). This is one of the few studies of injected GHK-Cu, and it was given directly into the joint, not under the skin.
In fibroblast cultures, GHK-Cu increased collagen production at very low concentrations (Maquart 1988). A computer screen of gene activity found that GHK could reverse a gene pattern linked to emphysema, and it helped lung fibroblasts from people with COPD reorganise collagen in the lab (Campbell 2012). In human skin samples outside the body, copper from GHK-Cu passed through and was retained in the skin (Hostynek 2010). Effects in a dish show what a molecule can do to cells, not what it does in a body.
Proposed mechanisms from cell and animal studies. A plausible mechanism is not evidence of an effect in people.
Proposed mechanisms come from cells and animals:
How concentration changes with the amount of liquid added. A U-100 insulin syringe holds 1 mL in 100 units, so each unit is 0.01 mL. Step-by-step guide.
| Vial | Liquid added | Concentration | Per unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 mg | 1 mL | 50,000 mcg/mL | 500 mcg |
| 50 mg | 2 mL | 25,000 mcg/mL | 250 mcg |
| 50 mg | 3 mL | 16,667 mcg/mL | 167 mcg |
| 100 mg | 1 mL | 100,000 mcg/mL | 1 mg |
| 100 mg | 2 mL | 50,000 mcg/mL | 500 mcg |
| 100 mg | 3 mL | 33,333 mcg/mL | 333 mcg |
Units per dose for each vial: 50 mg vial · 100 mg vial
Arithmetic only. It assumes the vial holds exactly what the label says.
What each mark on an insulin syringe holds once the vial is mixed. This is arithmetic, not a dose.
| Syringe mark | Volume | Peptide in that volume |
|---|---|---|
| 5 units | 0.05 mL | 1.25 mg |
| 10 units | 0.1 mL | 2.5 mg |
| 20 units | 0.2 mL | 5 mg |
| 25 units | 0.25 mL | 6.25 mg |
| 50 units | 0.5 mL | 12.5 mg |
| 100 units | 1 mL | 25 mg |
What reconstituting and measuring a vial takes.
Topical GHK-Cu has been used in cosmetics for decades, and the abstracts of the published skin and wound trials do not report safety problems, although the trials were small and not designed to detect rare effects (Mulder 1994; Miller 2006). Injected GHK-Cu is a different situation: we could not find any human safety data for it.
Used in cosmetics. Not FDA-approved as a drug.
Our library has 11 studies on GHK-Cu. The doses each one used are in section 03, next to the study. They are not dosing instructions.
It depends on how much liquid is added to the vial. For a 50 mg vial with 2 mL, each U-100 unit holds 250 mcg. The reconstitution table and calculator work it out for other volumes.
The molecule is the same, but the use is very different. Skincare products apply small amounts to the skin, and that is where the human studies are. Injected GHK-Cu has no published human trials that we could find.
The evidence is weak. In a small study after laser resurfacing, GHK-Cu products did not improve wrinkles on objective measures, although users were more satisfied. Many cosmetic claims cite studies we could not find in the medical literature.
GHK occurs naturally in human plasma, where it binds copper. The same three-amino-acid sequence is found inside type I collagen. The GHK-Cu in products is made synthetically.
There is no single correct volume: it only changes the concentration. For a 50 mg vial, 1 mL gives 50,000 mcg/mL, 2 mL gives 25,000 mcg/mL, 3 mL gives 16,667 mcg/mL. More water makes small amounts easier to measure; less water keeps volumes small. Whatever volume is used, write it on the label.
On a U-100 syringe, 100 units = 1 mL, so one unit is 0.01 mL. How much peptide that holds depends on the concentration of the vial, which depends on how much water was added.
No. Animal doses are reported per kilogram for a different species, and scaling them to people is not reliable. That is why Upzo shows each study dose next to its study, unconverted.
Unopened freeze-dried vials are usually kept refrigerated and away from light. Once mixed, keep the vial refrigerated and follow the supplier's guidance on how long it lasts.
For laboratory research use only.
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Research and education only. Not medical advice. Many peptides on this site are not approved by the FDA for human use. Doses shown are the ones used in published studies and are not a recommendation. Talk to a licensed clinician before using any of them. Read the full disclaimer.
