GHK-Cu topical vs injected — I've done both, here's the honest comparison
23 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
11 Replies
73 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
31 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
212 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
117 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.
36 posts
Newbie here. Is there a reason to choose GHK over AHK for scalp, or is it a both-together thing?
73 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
14 posts
Really practical detail — I've been layering C and GHK and wondered why nothing was changing.
20 posts
Yeah the topical vs injected split makes sense if you're actually measuring this stuff. I ran bloods before and after the SC protocol, collagen markers were up but nothing crazy, and it normalized within a few weeks of stopping. Topical doesn't show systemic changes which honestly makes it safer long term. The hair thing tho, everyone's anecdotal on that. Would be nice if someone actually did scalp microbiopsy or follicle count before/after instead of just "hair feels thicker bro.