What is GHK-Cu and how do GHK-Cu injections work?

GHK-Cu is a very small peptide that carries a single atom of copper — the "Cu" in the name. Your body makes it naturally, and your levels fall sharply as you age.

Given back as an injection, it may calm inflammation, improve blood flow, and signal your cells to make more collagen, the protein that keeps skin firm and helps tissue heal. That is why it is used for the quality of your skin, hair and nails, and for inflammation in the body.

What patients use it for

• Skin quality, firmness and tone
• Hair growth and thickness
• Nail strength
• Inflammation throughout the body
• Scars, stretch marks and loose skin
• Wound healing and tissue repair

Patients commonly report firmer, healthier-looking skin. Results are not guaranteed and vary from person to person.

When will I notice something?

GHK-Cu is one of the slower ones. There is a reason for that, and it helps to know it: your body has to bring inflammation down first, before it can build the healthy new cells that show up as better skin, hair and nails. That order of operations is the whole explanation for the wait.

• Weeks 4 to 6 — the earliest point your skin or hair may start to change
• Weeks 8 to 12 — where people who respond tend to see the biggest change, around the end of your first cycle and into the next
• 2 to 3 cycles — what firmer skin and visible hair growth can take

Hair is the slowest of these to move, and it is the one people ask about most. Two to three cycles is the honest answer.

Is this the same as Belle's Copper Peptide Cream?

No. Belle offers GHK-Cu in two separate products, each with its own prescription and its own plan, and they do different jobs:

• GHK-Cu injection (this article): injected under the skin in 8-week cycles with a 2-week break. It reaches your whole body, which is what changes hair, nails and overall skin quality.
• Copper Peptide Cream: a topical cream with 0.5% GHK-Cu, applied once a day and stored at room temperature. It works on the spot you put it on: dark spots, post-blemish marks, acne scars, melasma. See "Copper Peptide Cream (GHK - CU)".

Skin Glow Complex also contains a smaller amount of GHK-Cu (0.2%), as one of its four ingredients.

If you have used a copper peptide cream and liked what it did for one patch of skin, the injection is the whole-body version of that. If you are not sure which one you have, the product name on your order or plan tells you. Whether to use the cream and the injection together is a question for your provider.

Does it sting?

For some people, yes — GHK-Cu is more acidic than the other peptides and a sting when you inject is expected rather than a sign that something is wrong. There are five things that help, and they are in "How do I store, handle, and inject GHK-Cu?".

Who should not take GHK-Cu

GHK-Cu is not right for you if you have:

• An active cancer diagnosis
• A history of melanoma, at any point, however long ago
• Wilson's disease, or any other disorder of copper metabolism or storage — GHK-Cu delivers copper, and it is not safe if your body cannot clear copper properly
• Current treatment for severe zinc deficiency — higher copper intake drives zinc levels lower still
• Pregnancy, trying to become pregnant, or breastfeeding
• A known allergy to copper peptides or the injection components

It is also not prescribed with active liver disease, with stage 4 to 5 kidney failure or dialysis, or under the age of 18.

If you have had one or two basal cell or squamous cell carcinomas, GHK-Cu is considered safe for you. We just ask that you keep seeing your dermatologist once a year. Melanoma is different and is a hard no.

If you have a lot of moles, or a cancer history now in remission, that is a conversation with your provider rather than an automatic no. GHK-Cu encourages the growth of new blood vessels. It does not cause cancer, and it may even be protective because it lowers inflammation — but anything that increases blood flow and cell turnover could, in theory, help cancer cells that are already present and undetected. Message us and we will get that question to your provider.

Can I take it with my other peptides?

Yes. GHK-Cu is safe alongside the other peptides Belle offers, with no direct interactions. The right combination for you still depends on your own health history, and your provider makes that call.

What about side effects?

See "GHK-Cu side effects and what's normal".