Any new or unusual symptom after dosing. Because this compound has little or no human safety data, there is no established list of 'expected' effects to reassure you against — treat anything abnormal as a signal.
Stop at the first clearly abnormal reaction and reassess. Keep the vial and lot number in case you need to describe what you actually took.
Any severe or fast-worsening symptom — difficulty breathing, chest pain, fainting, severe pain — is a 911 call regardless of the compound.
Allergic reaction: hives, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, wheezing or dizziness can escalate to anaphylaxis within minutes — call 911 immediately. Site infection: spreading redness, heat, swelling, pus or fever is not wait-and-see; an abscess or cellulitis can need drainage or IV antibiotics. Unverified product: grey-market vials are frequently mislabelled or contaminated, so a reaction may be to endotoxin or the wrong contents, not the named compound.
A tripeptide with exceptionally high affinity for copper(II). GHK occurs naturally in plasma and declines with age. The copper complex modulates expression of a broad set of genes involved in extracellular matrix remodelling, and stimulates collagen and glycosaminoglycan synthesis in dermal fibroblasts. Copper delivery appears central to the activity.
The best-supported member of the repair group, and specifically for topical cosmetic use. Controlled studies report improvements in skin appearance, dermal thickness, and photodamage measures. Widely used in commercial skincare. Evidence for systemic or injected use is not comparable.
Used as a cosmetic ingredient in the US, which requires no FDA pre-approval. Not an FDA-approved drug. Cosmetic status covers topical appearance claims only — not therapeutic or systemic use.
Topical use has a long commercial record and is generally well tolerated. Injected use raises copper-loading considerations and is not supported by the cosmetic evidence base.
Topical cosmetic formulations (low percentages) have controlled data for skin appearance. No injected human dose has been established.
Reported from clinical trials or FDA labelling as a matter of record. It is not a recommendation, and for unapproved compounds no dose has been shown safe or effective in humans.
Above is what was administered in trials or on FDA labels, reported as fact. We do not convert it into a personal protocol, calculate a dose for your body weight, or tell you what to inject or how to reconstitute it — that decision belongs with a licensed physician. See our editorial policy.
Regulatory status changes. This page reflects our reading of public sources as of July 2026 and should be independently verified before it is relied upon.