GHK-Cu vs AHK-Cu
GHK-Cu is approved in another form or use and rated 3/5 for evidence; AHK-Cu is not FDA-approved and rated 1/5. GHK-Cu has more human evidence behind it. Both are used for longevity & skin goals.
Often used together: The two copper peptides are often combined in hair and scalp serums; GHK-Cu has the stronger human data.
| Compare |  GHK-CuA natural copper-binding tripeptide with decades of skin research. |  AHK-CuGHK-Cu's lesser-known cousin, researched mainly for hair follicles. |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Longevity & Skin | Longevity & Skin |
| Evidence | 3/5Several small human topical/cosmetic studies; injection data is mainly preclinical. | 1/5Mainly in-vitro and ex-vivo hair follicle studies. Little to no controlled human data. |
| FDA status | Cosmetic ingredient; injectable not approved | Not a drug; used as a cosmetic ingredient |
| WADA (sport) | Not prohibited | Not prohibited |
| Also known as | Copper tripeptide-1, Glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine copper | Copper tripeptide-3, Alanyl-histidyl-lysine copper |
| How it works | Delivers copper to tissue, stimulates collagen and glycosaminoglycan synthesis, supports wound remodeling, and appears to reset expression of many genes toward a younger profile (gene-expression studies). | In lab studies it stimulated growth of isolated human hair follicles and dermal papilla cells (the cells that control hair growth) and reduced cell death in those cells. Like GHK-Cu, it delivers copper and may encourage collagen production in skin cells. |
| Half-life | Short (minutes–hours); effects driven by gene/repair signaling | Not characterized in humans |
| Commonly reported doses |
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| Route | Subcutaneous | Topical |
| Good once mixed | ~30 days in the fridge | ~30 days in the fridge |
| Top side effects |
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| Lowest price per mg | $0.35 (100 mg vial, 40% off) | $0.36 (100 mg vial, 40% off) |
| Latest lab purity | 99.94% (lot GHK0003) | 99.78% (lot AHK0001) |
Want a third? Add another peptide. Doses are commonly reported ranges, not recommendations.