GHK-Cu routine for cosmetic use?

lil ghost

lil ghost

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I've been really interested in ghk-cu for its potential effects on hair and skin, just like a lot of other people. But when it comes to how much to use, whether to cycle it, what side effects might show up, and pretty much every other detail, the information out there is all over the place. After weeks of looking into it, I honestly feel like I know less than I did at the start. 🥲

So here's what I want to ask:

  1. Has anyone used ghk-cu only for cosmetic reasons? If yes, were there any noticeable differences?
  2. What was your dosage, and for how long did you use it? (I've come across people who say to inject every other day, some who say 5 days on and 2 days off, and others who say to inject daily. In the same way, some claim you should cycle it for 6-8 weeks and then take a few weeks off, while others say you have to stay on it for months before seeing results.)
  3. Did you add a zinc supplement? (Some people insist a zinc supplement is a must, while others claim it "cancels out" what copper does.)
  4. Was there any intense burning or stinging at the injection site?
  5. If the main goal is appearance rather than healing, would a blend like GLOW or KLOW be a better choice?
I've seen some doctors on youtube (Dr. Alex Tatem and Dr. Ashley), and both of them say ghk-cu is "well-tolerated" by the body, but I've also come across awful accounts of people developing painful welts, swelling, and other reactions that last a long time after using it. I get that there's no set protocol for a research peptide, but I'm really hoping some kind folks here might share their own experiences?
 
I realize I went on too long. 😅 Let me ask something simpler: how do you feel about using a GHK-Cu / KPV combination for skin and hair benefits?
 
lil ghost said:

I've been really interested in ghk-cu for its potential effects on hair and skin, just like a lot of other people. But when it comes to how much to use, whether to cycle it, what side effects might show up, and pretty much every other detail, the information out there is all over the place. After weeks of looking into it, I honestly feel like I know less than I did at the start. 🥲

So here's what I want to ask:

  1. Has anyone used ghk-cu only for cosmetic reasons? If yes, were there any noticeable differences?
  2. What was your dosage, and for how long did you use it? (I've come across people who say to inject every other day, some who say 5 days on and 2 days off, and others who say to inject daily. In the same way, some claim you should cycle it for 6-8 weeks and then take a few weeks off, while others say you have to stay on it for months before seeing results.)
  3. Did you add a zinc supplement? (Some people insist a zinc supplement is a must, while others claim it "cancels out" what copper does.)
  4. Was there any intense burning or stinging at the injection site?
  5. If the main goal is appearance rather than healing, would a blend like GLOW or KLOW be a better choice?
I've seen some doctors on youtube (Dr. Alex Tatem and Dr. Ashley), and both of them say ghk-cu is "well-tolerated" by the body, but I've also come across awful accounts of people developing painful welts, swelling, and other reactions that last a long time after using it. I get that there's no set protocol for a research peptide, but I'm really hoping some kind folks here might share their own experiences?
Click to expand...

There are already plenty of excellent threads on this topic. Just use the search bar to find them.

Here's a link to get you going --




12 weeks of peptide therapy w/pictures



I'm 61, and to track any changes I made sure the lighting stayed the same, the room stayed the same, and I followed a no makeup rule. 1. The first photo was taken when I began my research. I was severely inflamed, taking multiple pharmaceuticals, my skin had a grey cast, and my hair was very frizzy. Around the eyes and cheeks, you can see how puffy...

Image unavailable


GLP1Chat.com
 
I ran KLOW for 1 cycle, dosing 2mg of ghkcu every day. By week 5, my skin felt softer and had a glow, though during week 3 I had a breakout that I simply pushed through. Have you come across the term copper uglies? I skip zinc because I recall reading that the amount of actual copper per dose isn't high enough to need extra supplementation.
 
Vriende said:

lil ghost said:

I've been really interested in ghk-cu for its potential effects on hair and skin, just like a lot of other people. But when it comes to how much to use, whether to cycle it, what side effects might show up, and pretty much every other detail, the information out there is all over the place. After weeks of looking into it, I honestly feel like I know less than I did at the start. 🥲

So here's what I want to ask:

  1. Has anyone used ghk-cu only for cosmetic reasons? If yes, were there any noticeable differences?
  2. What was your dosage, and for how long did you use it? (I've come across people who say to inject every other day, some who say 5 days on and 2 days off, and others who say to inject daily. In the same way, some claim you should cycle it for 6-8 weeks and then take a few weeks off, while others say you have to stay on it for months before seeing results.)
  3. Did you add a zinc supplement? (Some people insist a zinc supplement is a must, while others claim it "cancels out" what copper does.)
  4. Was there any intense burning or stinging at the injection site?
  5. If the main goal is appearance rather than healing, would a blend like GLOW or KLOW be a better choice?
I've seen some doctors on youtube (Dr. Alex Tatem and Dr. Ashley), and both of them say ghk-cu is "well-tolerated" by the body, but I've also come across awful accounts of people developing painful welts, swelling, and other reactions that last a long time after using it. I get that there's no set protocol for a research peptide, but I'm really hoping some kind folks here might share their own experiences?
Click to expand...

There are already plenty of excellent threads on this topic. Just use the search bar to find them.

Here's a link to get you going --




12 weeks of peptide therapy w/pictures



I'm 61, and to track any changes I made sure the lighting stayed the same, the room stayed the same, and I followed a no makeup rule. 1. The first photo was taken when I began my research. I was severely inflamed, taking multiple pharmaceuticals, my skin had a grey cast, and my hair was very frizzy. Around the eyes and cheeks, you can see how puffy...

Image unavailable


GLP1Chat.com
Click to expand...
I didn't mean to sound like I hadn't done my homework. 😞 The whole reason I made this thread is that because I've gone through this site looking for others' experiences, and I ended up with even more questions than I started with. I can assure you that the amount I read is far greater than the amount I post!
 
I'm jumping into this thread because I want to pick up more knowledge too. I've been thinking about giving GHK-Cu a shot.
 
I'm now in the middle of my third complete KLOW cycle; the first began in early September of last year. Each day I take 2 mg of the ghk-cu, running about seventy days, then I take a break lasting anywhere from a few weeks up to a month. Once, when I had nothing better to do, I ran a half cycle. At this point I'm a week or two into full cycle number three.

From what I can tell, it has no effect on wrinkles, hair, fine lines, loose skin, or sun spots. Across all five of those, I notice zero difference, even though my loose skin isn't terribly loose and I still score well on all five; but I also scored well on all five before starting KLOW.

What it DOES give me, and the reason I'll continue cycling it without question, is that my skin takes on a certain prettiness. Somewhat glowy, bright, radiant, smooth, even. Foundation isn't something I use and never have, but I put on a bit of moisturizer and my face looks remarkably healthy. The skin on my arms and legs likewise appears moisturized and pretty. Zits are absent, and pores are minimal. When I look in the mirror, I think "damn, 45 years old and I look pretty." Honestly, aside from my under eye bags and drooping brow (I'm having both fixed in the fall), I'd call myself beautiful; not too bad for a middle-aged smoker.

Don't misunderstand me, I definitely look 45, and I have the hallmarks of a 45 year old woman's face and body, but I look like a healthy, glowy radiant 45, and since I don't equate "beautiful" with "looks young" anyway, I'm strongly in favor of the KLOW.
 
lil ghost said:

I've been really interested in ghk-cu for its potential effects on hair and skin, just like a lot of other people. But when it comes to how much to use, whether to cycle it, what side effects might show up, and pretty much every other detail, the information out there is all over the place. After weeks of looking into it, I honestly feel like I know less than I did at the start. 🥲

So here's what I want to ask:

  1. Has anyone used ghk-cu only for cosmetic reasons? If yes, were there any noticeable differences?
  2. What was your dosage, and for how long did you use it? (I've come across people who say to inject every other day, some who say 5 days on and 2 days off, and others who say to inject daily. In the same way, some claim you should cycle it for 6-8 weeks and then take a few weeks off, while others say you have to stay on it for months before seeing results.)
  3. Did you add a zinc supplement? (Some people insist a zinc supplement is a must, while others claim it "cancels out" what copper does.)
  4. Was there any intense burning or stinging at the injection site?
  5. If the main goal is appearance rather than healing, would a blend like GLOW or KLOW be a better choice?
I've seen some doctors on youtube (Dr. Alex Tatem and Dr. Ashley), and both of them say ghk-cu is "well-tolerated" by the body, but I've also come across awful accounts of people developing painful welts, swelling, and other reactions that last a long time after using it. I get that there's no set protocol for a research peptide, but I'm really hoping some kind folks here might share their own experiences?
Click to expand...
I've been dosing it every day for close to 12 months now. My original reason was skin, but I've stuck with it because it helps with chronic pain as well as skin.

The 5 days on / 2 days off schedule came about simply because med spas close on weekends, so they couldn't administer injections then. That schedule isn't necessary.
 
I placed an order recently, mostly out of curiosity about what kind of effects it might provide. The package hasn't shown up yet, but once it does, I plan to monitor how my skin looks overall at roughly the 6-8 week mark.
 
I've now reached week 5 of injecting 1.5 GHK-cu every day. Honestly, I can't pinpoint any specific benefit yet, but since I've already bought the vials, injecting is simple (though whether a small red bump shows up seems completely random each time), and I haven't experienced any adverse effects (like copper uglies or anything), I'll continue until week 8 and then evaluate again.
 
When it comes to anti-aging skin benefits, just 2 compounds have strong clinical evidence: sunscreen and tretinoin.
 
I've been using it for 6 weeks now. My starting dose was 1mg daily, 5 days a week. These days I'm taking 2.5mg every day. The texture of my skin has changed dramatically, in my perception. It comes across as both softer and, in some way, thicker. A photo would be nice to share, except I applied self tanner to my face this morning, so as a comparison it wouldn't be accurate at all, lol. On top of that, I have the impression that my turkey neck stands out a little less. Even if the texture changes were the only thing I got, I'd keep using it. Since the guidance is to give it 3-6 months before real improvement shows up, I'm eager to find out what else might change.
 
KLOW around 1.5mg per day, meaning roughly 300 mcg from each of the remaining compounds

My skin has become denser and tougher. It gets noticeably difficult to push a needle through.

Body hair has grown thicker, and maybe a shade darker. (Could be MT2)

My face simply looks better. That's subjective, but that's my take.

For most people GHK-cu is likely no problem, though since I'm getting up there in years, I welcome any relief for the various pains I deal with.

Speaking of which.

All in all, inflammation is down, and some of my arthritis and overuse discomfort has eased.

I keep holding out hope that sticking with it will eventually fix my long-term tendon problems.

ISR pain

It's awful. For me it's really awful.

Upper glutes work best in my case. Yet despite adding extra BAC and using a massage gun too, the spot still hurts. Without a pause, that whole region progressively worsens. That forces me to quit for about 2 weeks before things settle back down.
 
For roughly 6 weeks now, I've been injecting GHK-Cu at 2mg every day. Shots placed to the left or right of my belly button hurt quite a bit — it felt comparable to a bee sting that's 2 days old, or like getting hit with an airsoft pellet.

What worked better for me was moving lower: about 3-4" beneath the navel, and roughly 1-2" off to either side of the midline. At that spot, there was no pain at all.

From 100mg of Nexaph, I prepared 2 cartridges of 3ml each, meant for a V2 pen. Once this 2nd cartridge runs out, my plan is to pause usage for somewhere around 45-60 days.

Both my wife and I have seen the wrinkles on my face become less pronounced, and the skin has a softer feel while also seeming firmer — not sure if that makes sense? It looks improved and feels improved. On top of that, I use a micro-roller (0.3mm) facial scrub, plus GHK-Cu topical on my forehead, temples, under the eyes, and neck.

Here's the topical product I'm currently using:


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DRZ3P2SR?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title
 
3mg daily is what I use. My gut has been fine. Legs do sting, though. Skin is tighter and the fine lines have improved. I'm a weathered 45 year old Floridian, so sun damage is plentiful
 
I’ve used it every day starting late December. My range is 3–5mg per day (I’ve also used peptides for KLOW, but I keep them separate because I’m cheap, so those are currently cycled out and I stayed on GHK-Cu). To be honest, I didn’t notice anything until this week, when 2 things stood out:

1) The Botox I got most recently didn’t hold up as long. I had read that certain peptides might cause it to break down faster, BUT even now that I can make expressions again and my forehead creases appear when I do, the lines don’t remain. So when I check the mirror, none of those forehead lines are there. This morning I spoke with a friend who has been using it for roughly the same amount of time, and she said the same thing: her skin must have changed even if she hadn’t realized it, because she isn’t bothered by the Botox wearing off since it isn’t visible.

2) I really wish I had a before photo for this! I’m in my mid-40s, and my eyelids have been an issue for around a year. I had been considering a blepharoplasty, know I can’t afford it right now, and wondered whether insurance would pay since the left one was touching my eyelashes (the right one wasn’t as bad). Today while driving to work, I noticed it no longer touches my eyelashes, even when I open my eyes fully (before, it would touch even when my eye was only partly open). Don’t misunderstand—I’d still get the surgery immediately because it still needs improvement—but I went from wondering if insurance would cover it to seeing that it has pulled back somewhat and isn’t as severe as before. I have no idea when this changed, but it must have been extremely gradual since I didn’t notice it overnight.

I’m among those who get no reaction from it, unless I take 6mg at once; other than that, it’s no different from taking anything else. I take zinc when I remember or when I’m not being lazy.
 
This weekend marks the end of my 4th week. For week 1 I used 1mg per day, then bumped to 2mg per day, and that's where I'll stay until the 12 week cycle is done. My plan is a 4 week break, then repeat the whole thing, except next time I'll begin at 2mg right away.

The lines beneath my eyes look softer than they used to, and even my wife picked up on it. So I'm eager to see what else shows up by the time I get near 12 weeks. Hair-wise, nothing much to report so far.

Burning hasn't been an issue for me. My guess is that it's an individual body reaction, which would explain why some people get it and others don't.

Every night before bed I take ZMA (EVL Evolution Nutrition Z-Matrix, bought on Amazon). From what I've read, you want a supplement without zinc oxide, since the oxide form works against GHK-CU absorption.

On the next cycle I'll inject GHK-CU in the morning rather than at night. A lot of people say zinc supplements and GHK-CU need to be spaced hours apart, so I'll do it that way just to be safe.
 
Occindemure said:

KLOW around 1.5mg per day, meaning roughly 300 mcg from each of the remaining compounds

My skin has become denser and tougher. It gets noticeably difficult to push a needle through.

Body hair has grown thicker, and maybe a shade darker. (Could be MT2)

My face simply looks better. That's subjective, but that's my take.

For most people GHK-cu is likely no problem, though since I'm getting up there in years, I welcome any relief for the various pains I deal with.

Speaking of which.

All in all, inflammation is down, and some of my arthritis and overuse discomfort has eased.

I keep holding out hope that sticking with it will eventually fix my long-term tendon problems.

ISR pain

It's awful. For me it's really awful.

Upper glutes work best in my case. Yet despite adding extra BAC and using a massage gun too, the spot still hurts. Without a pause, that whole region progressively worsens. That forces me to quit for about 2 weeks before things settle back down.
Click to expand...
My reason for wanting to begin GHK-cu was also inflammation. Since starting only a few days back, I've seen more pain, particularly around my feet and ankles. Could there be a period of adjustment, given that GHK has an effect on collagen? I'm attempting to work out whether this is merely a short-term response or another condition acting up.
 
Every day I use 2mg of GHK-CU. My skin has become healthier looking. It has a thicker feel to it...since I'm past 50, my skin used to feel thin. Now it simply feels and appears healthier. Regarding hair, I can't give an opinion because I also take oral minoxidil each day. What I can report is that my fine lines have softened considerably and the loose skin on my neck is no longer visible. This product will always remain part of my rotation.
 
CariocaLeftSeoul said:

I’ve used it every day starting late December. My range is 3–5mg per day (I’ve also used peptides for KLOW, but I keep them separate because I’m cheap, so those are currently cycled out and I stayed on GHK-Cu). To be honest, I didn’t notice anything until this week, when 2 things stood out:

1) The Botox I got most recently didn’t hold up as long. I had read that certain peptides might cause it to break down faster, BUT even now that I can make expressions again and my forehead creases appear when I do, the lines don’t remain. So when I check the mirror, none of those forehead lines are there. This morning I spoke with a friend who has been using it for roughly the same amount of time, and she said the same thing: her skin must have changed even if she hadn’t realized it, because she isn’t bothered by the Botox wearing off since it isn’t visible.

2) I really wish I had a before photo for this! I’m in my mid-40s, and my eyelids have been an issue for around a year. I had been considering a blepharoplasty, know I can’t afford it right now, and wondered whether insurance would pay since the left one was touching my eyelashes (the right one wasn’t as bad). Today while driving to work, I noticed it no longer touches my eyelashes, even when I open my eyes fully (before, it would touch even when my eye was only partly open). Don’t misunderstand—I’d still get the surgery immediately because it still needs improvement—but I went from wondering if insurance would cover it to seeing that it has pulled back somewhat and isn’t as severe as before. I have no idea when this changed, but it must have been extremely gradual since I didn’t notice it overnight.

I’m among those who get no reaction from it, unless I take 6mg at once; other than that, it’s no different from taking anything else. I take zinc when I remember or when I’m not being lazy.
Click to expand...
I'm getting ready to reconstitute and begin the GHK injections, though I'm not looking forward to this aspect. It already seems to break down too quickly in my system, so accelerating that process isn't exactly what I want. My previous injections were 6 months ago (I had shoulder surgery right when the appointment was coming up, so it got pushed back), meaning everything has likely worn off completely by now. I seriously can't wait until they treat my masseters.
 
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