GHK-Cu topical vs injected — I've done both, here's the honest comparison
17 posts
6 months topical (2% formulation, face, AM/PM), then 8 weeks SC (1mg/day), then back to topical. Same person, same photos, same eye.
Topical: real. Skin texture improves over months. Fine lines soften. Erythema reduces. Tolerable. Slow. Doesn't do anything systemic.
Injected: faster visible skin effect, hair thickening (small but real), vague feeling of improved recovery, bruising at sites, mild discoloration risk. More benefit but more downside.
My take: topical for most people. Injected if you have specific systemic wound healing goals and are ok with the logistics. Don't inject "for skin" — the topical does the skin job at a fraction of the hassle.
Hair people using AHK-Cu for scalp: speak up, is it doing anything you can photograph?
- GHK-Cu · 2 mg · topical AM · topical
10 Replies
71 posts
Copper peptide scalp user (AHK-Cu + GHK-Cu topical compounded). 6 months. Photos show modest density increase at the crown. Not minoxidil-level, not finasteride-level, but real. Slow, additive to other interventions.
- BPC-157 · 500 mcg · 2x/day · sub-Q
- GHK-Cu · 2 mg · nightly topical · topical
26 posts
Second the "topical for skin, injected for wounds" split. Injected GHK for cosmetic reasons is overkill and you're paying a systemic cost for a surface benefit.
- DSIP · 100 mcg · pre-bed · sub-Q
- Epithalon · 10 mg · 10d cycles · sub-Q
205 posts
Compounding quality matters enormously with copper peptides. Bad formulation = oxidation = no effect. Most OTC "copper peptide serums" are underdosed or unstable.
- CJC-1295 no DAC · 100 mcg · pre-bed · sub-Q
- Ipamorelin · 200 mcg · pre-bed · sub-Q
- BPC-157 · 500 mcg · 2x/day · sub-Q
115 posts
Human data on GHK-Cu topical for skin is actually decent by peptide standards. Small trials, consistent effect sizes. It's one of the few cosmetic peptides I don't dismiss.
32 posts
Newbie here. Is there a reason to choose GHK over AHK for scalp, or is it a both-together thing?
71 posts
Most scalp protocols combine. GHK-Cu for general skin/follicle health, AHK-Cu for the specific hair-growth-pathway effect. They're complementary.
- BPC-157 · 500 mcg · 2x/day · sub-Q
- GHK-Cu · 2 mg · nightly topical · topical
12 posts
Really practical detail — I've been layering C and GHK and wondered why nothing was changing.