GHK-Cu, day 1 through 7: my honest log

[jett_k08]

Back again with my weekly GHK-Cu review. I get that trusting strangers online is hard, so I'll lay out what happened as honestly as I can. Here's how week one went:

Day 1:

The first shot went in before bed, roughly two inches out from my belly button. It hurt quite a bit, felt very uncomfortable, and left a mark. I also had the sense that I could feel it travelling through my body, though I put that down to a placebo effect. Either way it was a strange, disorienting feeling.

Day 2:

The spot on my stomach itched slightly and stung all day. In the shower I noticed some shedding too, which isnt normal for me. It has happened before, though, and there is no way the peptide acted that fast, so for now I'm calling it a coincidence.

I also started pinning subcutaneously into my upper glute. Going into the left side caused no pain or stinging at all. I've been switching sides, but the right side hurts a lot more for some reason, so the left may be where I stay for now.

Day 3:

Breakouts started coming on fairly badly. My skin is normally very clear and I rarely get acne. As I said in my last post, I model, so this was especially frustrating.

Day 4:

The breakout got worse.

Day 5:

My girlfriend said my hair looked shinier than usual. She has said this before, so for now I'm calling it a coincidence.

Day 6:

The breakout started clearing up a little, though it was still obvious.

Day 7:

It kept improving gradually but was still there.

TL;DR:

Subcutaneous shots in my upper glute were far more comfortable than going into my stomach. I also had a noticeable breakout during the week, though it had begun improving by Day 7.

Thanks for reading! I'll see you all next week. Happy to answer any additional questions about my experience.

 

[happydappy]

I'm excited to keep up with this! I want to begin as well, though I'm feeling a bit anxious at the moment haha

 

[ladyj779]

At 21, your body is still making collagen at a high level, so this won't do for you what it does for someone in middle age.

 

[jett_k08]

ladyj779 said:

At 21, your body is still making collagen at a high level, so this won't do for you what it does for someone in middle age.

My main goal is boosting hair growth and thickness. Clearer skin matters less to me.

 

[ladyj779]

jett_k08 said:

ladyj779 said:

At 21, your body is still making collagen at a high level, so this won't do for you what it does for someone in middle age.

My main goal is boosting hair growth and thickness. Clearer skin matters less to me.

Unless your body isn't working like that of a 21 year old, I'm not sure ghkcu would give you the same results it gives someone whose system has stopped producing or using cellular building blocks the way a young person's does.

If you want the biggest effect on hair growth, apply ghkcu topically to your scalp instead of using subq.

 

[Riviera]

ladyj779 said:

At 21, your body is still making collagen at a high level, so this won't do for you what it does for someone in middle age.

She nailed it....at 21 versus 60 (my age), your body is on a completely different level...my skin doesn't bounce back the way it used to...and my natural gh levels are nowhere near yours. Still, I doubt you'd cause yourself any problems...as long as you don't have bad reactions...so let us know how it goes..useful for everyone else....best of luck!

 

[FartfulCodger]

jett_k08 said:

ladyj779 said:

At 21, your body is still making collagen at a high level, so this won't do for you what it does for someone in middle age.

My main goal is boosting hair growth and thickness. Clearer skin matters less to me.

AHK-Cu could be worth researching — word is it does more for regrowing hair. Structurally it's nearly identical to the other peptide, except alanine ("A") takes the place of glycine ("G"). Why that swap would matter, I can't say, though a handful of anecdotal reports claim AHK-Cu delivers better hair growth results. Whether it's appropriate to inject, I have no idea; testing on the injectable form seems pretty thin. Going topical with AHK-Cu might be the smarter route.

When it comes to androgenic alopecia (male pattern balding), oral Minoxidil plus oral Dutasteride has struck me as a strong pairing. Minoxidil boosts blood flow to the follicles and aids delivery of essential minerals. Dutasteride suppresses DHT (a variant of Testosterone) — the hormone behind androgenic alopecia. Together they perform well.

Do your homework on these first, though. Dutasteride in particular can trigger unpleasant side effects for certain people. Some opt for Finasteride over Dutasteride, believing its side effects are milder. Predictably, though, Finasteride isn't quite as potent as Dutasteride, since the latter shuts down the follicle-killing DHT more thoroughly. That said, a legitimate, cheap Finasteride prescription is easy to obtain (Costco Pharmacy) following a short Zoom with a doctor. Dutasteride, by contrast, means going through unofficial channels or "off label" — at least for hair loss treatment.

One more thing: if children are in your future, stay away from Dutasteride or Finasteride. Two reasons: 1) Either drug can affect male fertility, 2) You don't want a pregnant woman to be anywhere near these drugs, as they can damage a developing embryo.

Topical versions of all three — Dutasteride, Finasteride, and Minoxidil — also exist, though they appear somewhat less effective. Should you go the topical Minoxidil route, pair it with a topical Retinoid (e.g. Retin-A), since that improves Minoxidil penetration and helps convert into Minoxidil Sulfate — the form of Minoxidil that is useful for preserving hair follicles. With oral Minoxidil this is not so much of an issue. The liver stores an adequate supply of sulfotransferase enzymes and will convert the Minoxidil into the right form.

If you end up using topical Minoxidil and have pets, take extra precautions. It is highly toxic to cats and dogs, and probably other animals as well. You'd want to make sure you keep their paws off of your stash and that you always wash your hands before touching the animal. And don't let them lick your Minoxidil-coated hair.

 

[jett_k08]

FartfulCodger said:

jett_k08 said:

ladyj779 said:

At 21, your body is still making collagen at a high level, so this won't do for you what it does for someone in middle age.

My main goal is boosting hair growth and thickness. Clearer skin matters less to me.

AHK-Cu could be worth researching — word is it does more for regrowing hair. Structurally it's nearly identical to the other peptide, except alanine ("A") takes the place of glycine ("G"). Why that swap would matter, I can't say, though a handful of anecdotal reports claim AHK-Cu delivers better hair growth results. Whether it's appropriate to inject, I have no idea; testing on the injectable form seems pretty thin. Going topical with AHK-Cu might be the smarter route.

When it comes to androgenic alopecia (male pattern balding), oral Minoxidil plus oral Dutasteride has struck me as a strong pairing. Minoxidil boosts blood flow to the follicles and aids delivery of essential minerals. Dutasteride suppresses DHT (a variant of Testosterone) — the hormone behind androgenic alopecia. Together they perform well.

Do your homework on these first, though. Dutasteride in particular can trigger unpleasant side effects for certain people. Some opt for Finasteride over Dutasteride, believing its side effects are milder. Predictably, though, Finasteride isn't quite as potent as Dutasteride, since the latter shuts down the follicle-killing DHT more thoroughly. That said, a legitimate, cheap Finasteride prescription is easy to obtain (Costco Pharmacy) following a short Zoom with a doctor. Dutasteride, by contrast, means going through unofficial channels or "off label" — at least for hair loss treatment.

One more thing: if children are in your future, stay away from Dutasteride or Finasteride. Two reasons: 1) Either drug can affect male fertility, 2) You don't want a pregnant woman to be anywhere near these drugs, as they can damage a developing embryo.

Topical versions of all three — Dutasteride, Finasteride, and Minoxidil — also exist, though they appear somewhat less effective. Should you go the topical Minoxidil route, pair it with a topical Retinoid (e.g. Retin-A), since that improves Minoxidil penetration and helps convert into Minoxidil Sulfate — the form of Minoxidil that is useful for preserving hair follicles. With oral Minoxidil this is not so much of an issue. The liver stores an adequate supply of sulfotransferase enzymes and will convert the Minoxidil into the right form.

If you end up using topical Minoxidil and have pets, take extra precautions. It is highly toxic to cats and dogs, and probably other animals as well. You'd want to make sure you keep their paws off of your stash and that you always wash your hands before touching the animal. And don't let them lick your Minoxidil-coated hair.

I really appreciate you laying all of that out. Since having children is something I definitely want down the road, those drugs are off the table for me. AHK is something I'll check into. I've come across mentions of it before, but I'm not convinced it would make much of a difference. On top of that, my hair has been thinning, and there's a good chance I'll be bald within the next 8 years. My hope is that ghkcu can stop that, since I've read about a lot of benefits for young men dealing with balding.

Once again, thanks so much for taking the time to write such a thorough reply.

 

[literallylit]

If you're noticing anything beyond a reaction at the injection site, it probably has nothing to do with the GHK. And honestly, aside from a small handful of peptides (glp-1, or possibly hgh when the dose is high), being 21 means peptides aren't going to deliver much you'd actually notice or should count on. The majority of them target deficiencies and the decline that comes with age. Majority, not every single one. Still, at 21 I'd bet good money that dialing in your diet, keeping sleep consistent, and training will beat any peptide. That's my grumpy old man opinion

 

[FartfulCodger]

jett_k08 said:

FartfulCodger said:

jett_k08 said:

ladyj779 said:

At 21, your body is still making collagen at a high level, so this won't do for you what it does for someone in middle age.

My main goal is boosting hair growth and thickness. Clearer skin matters less to me.

AHK-Cu could be worth researching — word is it does more for regrowing hair. Structurally it's nearly identical to the other peptide, except alanine ("A") takes the place of glycine ("G"). Why that swap would matter, I can't say, though a handful of anecdotal reports claim AHK-Cu delivers better hair growth results. Whether it's appropriate to inject, I have no idea; testing on the injectable form seems pretty thin. Going topical with AHK-Cu might be the smarter route.

When it comes to androgenic alopecia (male pattern balding), oral Minoxidil plus oral Dutasteride has struck me as a strong pairing. Minoxidil boosts blood flow to the follicles and aids delivery of essential minerals. Dutasteride suppresses DHT (a variant of Testosterone) — the hormone behind androgenic alopecia. Together they perform well.

Do your homework on these first, though. Dutasteride in particular can trigger unpleasant side effects for certain people. Some opt for Finasteride over Dutasteride, believing its side effects are milder. Predictably, though, Finasteride isn't quite as potent as Dutasteride, since the latter shuts down the follicle-killing DHT more thoroughly. That said, a legitimate, cheap Finasteride prescription is easy to obtain (Costco Pharmacy) following a short Zoom with a doctor. Dutasteride, by contrast, means going through unofficial channels or "off label" — at least for hair loss treatment.

One more thing: if children are in your future, stay away from Dutasteride or Finasteride. Two reasons: 1) Either drug can affect male fertility, 2) You don't want a pregnant woman to be anywhere near these drugs, as they can damage a developing embryo.

Topical versions of all three — Dutasteride, Finasteride, and Minoxidil — also exist, though they appear somewhat less effective. Should you go the topical Minoxidil route, pair it with a topical Retinoid (e.g. Retin-A), since that improves Minoxidil penetration and helps convert into Minoxidil Sulfate — the form of Minoxidil that is useful for preserving hair follicles. With oral Minoxidil this is not so much of an issue. The liver stores an adequate supply of sulfotransferase enzymes and will convert the Minoxidil into the right form.

If you end up using topical Minoxidil and have pets, take extra precautions. It is highly toxic to cats and dogs, and probably other animals as well. You'd want to make sure you keep their paws off of your stash and that you always wash your hands before touching the animal. And don't let them lick your Minoxidil-coated hair.

I really appreciate you laying all of that out. Since having children is something I definitely want down the road, those drugs are off the table for me. AHK is something I'll check into. I've come across mentions of it before, but I'm not convinced it would make much of a difference. On top of that, my hair has been thinning, and there's a good chance I'll be bald within the next 8 years. My hope is that ghkcu can stop that, since I've read about a lot of benefits for young men dealing with balding.

Once again, thanks so much for taking the time to write such a thorough reply.

Hey, that's totally fine. Plus, I just came across another thread where folks are talking about DIY hair serums using the copper peptides.

 

[Stace_wow]

ladyj779 said:

jett_k08 said:

ladyj779 said:

At 21, your body is still making collagen at a high level, so this won't do for you what it does for someone in middle age.

My main goal is boosting hair growth and thickness. Clearer skin matters less to me.

Unless your body isn't working like that of a 21 year old, I'm not sure ghkcu would give you the same results it gives someone whose system has stopped producing or using cellular building blocks the way a young person's does.

If you want the biggest effect on hair growth, apply ghkcu topically to your scalp instead of using subq.

I agree — for you, a hair serum could be the better option! Ladyj knows her stuff!

 

[ladyj779]

Stace_wow said:

ladyj779 said:

jett_k08 said:

ladyj779 said:

At 21, your body is still making collagen at a high level, so this won't do for you what it does for someone in middle age.

My main goal is boosting hair growth and thickness. Clearer skin matters less to me.

Unless your body isn't working like that of a 21 year old, I'm not sure ghkcu would give you the same results it gives someone whose system has stopped producing or using cellular building blocks the way a young person's does.

If you want the biggest effect on hair growth, apply ghkcu topically to your scalp instead of using subq.

I agree — for you, a hair serum could be the better option! Ladyj knows her stuff!

Thanks for saying that honestly, it's just that I dig into and read anything that catches even a bit of my interest

Take that sterility thread for example — I hardly went through it, but I'm glad others were so invested, since claiming I care about sterility when I'm over here reconstituting vials in my kitchen, petting my dog, and sharing a home with a ten year old boy would be total BS I come from a horse background. We muck out stalls while eating a sandwich