Peplo · Reconstitution calculator
GHK-Cu
Copper-binding tripeptide (Gly-His-Lys) studied for skin regeneration, wound healing, and gene-expression modulation.
anti-agingReconstitution calculator
The total peptide in the vial — the mg number on the label (e.g. 5 mg). This is your whole supply, not one dose.
The sterile water you add to dissolve the powder (this is called reconstituting). More water makes small doses easier to measure.
How much you take in one injection. 1 mg = 1000 mcg.
Draw to 40 units
0.40 mL on a U-100 insulin syringe
A starting reference, not medical advice — see how we source this.
- Half-life
- ~1 h
- Route
- SubQ
- Storage
- Refrigerated 2-8°C; use within ~30 days (~30 days)
- Citations
- 4 referenced
US regulatory status
GHK-Cu appears in some topical cosmetic products; injectable use is a research context and is not approved.
What is GHK-Cu?
GHK-Cu is a copper-binding tripeptide (glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine) that occurs naturally in human plasma. It has been studied for roles in skin regeneration, wound healing, and gene-expression modulation.
How GHK-Cu works
Binds copper and regulates expression of genes involved in collagen synthesis, antioxidant defence, and tissue remodelling.
What the research says
Research on GHK and GHK-Cu has examined wound healing, collagen synthesis, antioxidant activity, and broad gene-expression effects across in-vitro, animal, and some topical human cosmetic studies.
- 2006Effects of Topical Copper Tripeptide Complex on CO2 Laser-Resurfaced Skin
- 2008The human tri-peptide GHK and tissue remodeling
- 2015GHK peptide as a natural modulator of multiple cellular pathways in skin regeneration
- 2018Regenerative and Protective Actions of the GHK-Cu Peptide in the Light of the New Gene Data
Evidence limitations
Evidence spans in-vitro, animal, and some topical human cosmetic studies.
Safety & use boundary
GHK-Cu appears in some topical cosmetic products; injectable use is a research context and is not approved. The reconstituted solution is characteristically blue from its copper content. Educational information only, not medical advice.
Published protocols
Dosing figures reported in the cited research. Educational reference, not a recommendation.
- 2018 study
longevity
1000–3000 mcg, three times weekly
- 2015 study
injury-repair
2000–3000 mcg, three times weekly
- 2018 study
recovery
1000–2000 mcg, twice weekly
- 2018 study
injury-repair
1500–2000 mcg, three times weekly
How to reconstitute GHK-Cu
New to this? Here's the whole process, start to finish. Educational only — not medical advice.
What you'll need
- The GHK-Cu vial — a small glass vial of white, freeze-dried powder
- Bacteriostatic water — the liquid you mix in (not plain sterile or tap water)
- U-100 insulin syringes — the small syringes marked in units
- Alcohol swabs to wipe the vial tops before you touch them with a needle
- A spot in the fridge to keep it once it's mixed
Step by step
Wipe everything down
Swab the rubber top of both the peptide vial and the bacteriostatic water with an alcohol wipe. Clean tops are what keep the mixed solution good for weeks instead of days.
Draw the water
Use the calculator above to see how much bacteriostatic water to add for your vial size. Pull exactly that amount out of the water vial with a syringe.
Add it slowly
Push the needle into the peptide vial and let the water run gently down the inside glass wall — don't blast it straight onto the powder.
Let it dissolve
Swirl the vial gently or just let it sit. The powder goes into solution on its own in a minute or two. Never shake it hard.
Read your draw
Enter your vial size, the water you added, and your dose in the calculator. It shows the exact units to pull into your syringe — you never do the math yourself.
Store it cold
Cap it and keep it in the fridge. GHK-Cu stays good for about 30 days once it's mixed.
Reading your dose
The calculator gives you a number like “Draw to 20 units.” Units are just the numbered marks on a U-100 insulin syringe (100 units fill 1 mL). “20 units” means pull the plunger back to the 20 mark. You don't convert milligrams to micrograms in your head — that's the whole point of the calculator. If you're brand new to injecting, learn proper technique and site rotation from a qualified clinician or nurse before your first dose; this page covers the mixing and measuring, not the injection itself.
Storing it
Before mixing: Refrigerated; protect from light Once reconstituted: Refrigerated 2-8°C; use within ~30 days (about 30 days). Don't freeze a reconstituted vial.
What “cycling” means
Many peptides are used in “cycles” — a stretch of daily or weekly use (“on”), then a break (“off”), rather than continuously. Cycling gives the body a rest and is a common pattern in the research. Any specific on/off lengths for a compound live in its published protocols above, drawn from the cited studies — this site shows you what the research used, it doesn't recommend a schedule for you.
Common first-timer mistakes
Shaking the vial to mix it
Swirl it gently or just let it sit. Shaking can damage delicate peptides — you want the powder to dissolve, not foam.
Using tap water or plain sterile water
Use bacteriostatic water. Plain sterile water has no preservative, so a mixed vial spoils in a day or two instead of lasting weeks.
Leaving a mixed vial on the counter
Keep reconstituted vials in the fridge. Heat and light break the peptide down faster.
Eyeballing the dose instead of measuring
Use the calculator and draw to the exact unit mark on the syringe. Guessing a tiny volume is where most measuring errors happen.
Reusing needles
Use a fresh syringe each time. A used needle is duller, hurts more, and is no longer sterile.
Mixing up mg and mcg
1 mg = 1000 mcg. The calculator keeps them straight so you don't have to — just enter your dose in the unit it asks for.
Words you'll see
- Reconstitution
- Mixing a freeze-dried peptide powder with liquid (bacteriostatic water) so it can be drawn into a syringe.
- Bacteriostatic water
- Sterile water with a tiny amount of benzyl alcohol that stops bacteria growing, so a mixed vial keeps for weeks. Not the same as plain sterile water.
- U-100 insulin syringe
- A small syringe marked in “units,” where 100 units = 1 mL. Peptide draws are measured in these units.
- Subcutaneous (SubQ)
- An injection into the fatty layer just under the skin, rather than into muscle or a vein.
- mcg vs mg
- 1 mg = 1000 mcg. Doses are often written in micrograms (mcg); the calculator handles the conversion for you.
- Lyophilized
- Freeze-dried. The powder in the vial is the peptide with its water removed so it stays stable on the shelf.
- Half-life
- Roughly how long it takes your body to clear half of a dose — a rough sense of how long it stays active.
Common questions
What is GHK-Cu?
Copper-binding tripeptide (Gly-His-Lys) studied for skin regeneration, wound healing, and gene-expression modulation. Binds copper and regulates expression of genes involved in collagen synthesis, antioxidant defence, and tissue remodelling.
How is GHK-Cu reconstituted?
GHK-Cu ships as a lyophilised powder and is reconstituted with bacteriostatic water before use, then drawn on an insulin syringe. Use the calculator above to see the exact units to draw for your vial size and dose. This is a reference tool, not medical advice.
What is the half-life of GHK-Cu?
Research reports an approximate half-life of 1 hours for GHK-Cu. Half-life informs how frequently a compound is studied; it is not a dosing instruction.
How should GHK-Cu be stored?
Refrigerated; protect from light Once reconstituted: Refrigerated 2-8°C; use within ~30 days (about 30 days). This is general storage information, not medical advice.
Keep your protocol, doses, and vials in one place.
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