GHK-Cu Dosage Guide: Copper Peptide Protocol, Cycle and Reconstitution

GHK-Cu is a copper-binding tripeptide (glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine bound to copper) studied in laboratory and skin-model research for collagen and wound-repair pathways. It ships as a freeze-dried (lyophilized) blue powder, usually in a 50 mg or 100 mg vial, and has to be reconstituted with bacteriostatic water before any volume can be measured. This guide covers the arithmetic and cycle structure only: how vial strength and diluent volume set the concentration, how a milligram figure converts into units on an insulin syringe, and how a 30-day window is typically laid out.

Everything here is third-person reference information for research and educational use. It is not dosing advice, and GHK-Cu is not approved for human consumption. Any decision about whether or how much to use belongs with a licensed clinician. To run your own numbers instead of the worked examples below, use the peptide dosage calculator.

The 1 to 2 mg reference range

Across protocols described in the research literature, injectable GHK-Cu figures are commonly discussed in a 1 to 2 mg range per administration. That is much larger than the microgram figures used for many other peptides, so the units land higher on the barrel. The conversion still reduces to one concentration value and two steps.

• Concentration = vial strength / water volume. A 50 mg vial in 5 mL gives 10 mg/mL.
• Draw volume = dose / concentration. A 2 mg figure at 10 mg/mL is 0.2 mL.
• Units = draw volume x 100 on a U-100 insulin syringe. 0.2 mL is 20 units.

Reconstituting a 50 mg vial

A 50 mg vial with 5 mL of bacteriostatic water is a clean reference setup because it lands on round, easy-to-read units. That mix gives 10 mg/mL. At this concentration the 1 to 2 mg range maps as follows.

• 1 mg = 0.10 mL = 10 units
• 1.5 mg = 0.15 mL = 15 units
• 2 mg = 0.20 mL = 20 units

At 10 mg/mL a 50 mg vial holds 50 reference doses of 1 mg, or 25 at 2 mg. If you want smaller numbers on the barrel, adding more water lowers the concentration and raises the unit count for the same milligram figure, which can make the volume easier to read.

Reconstituting a 100 mg vial

A 100 mg vial in 5 mL gives 20 mg/mL. Because the concentration is double the 50 mg setup above, every milligram figure draws to half the volume and half the units, which can make small figures harder to read precisely.

• 1 mg = 0.05 mL = 5 units
• 1.5 mg = 0.075 mL = 7.5 units
• 2 mg = 0.10 mL = 10 units

To make a 100 mg vial read on the same scale as the 50 mg setup, use 10 mL of water instead of 5 mL. That returns 10 mg/mL, so 1 mg is again 10 units. The reconstitution calculator handles this same math if you change the vial size or water volume.

The 30-day cycle structure

GHK-Cu is one of the peptides most often described as run in defined cycles rather than continuously. A common reference structure is a focused block followed by a break, so the tissue is not under constant exposure.

1. A 30-day on block is the figure cited most often in skin and hair research discussions, sometimes extended to 60 days.
2. An off period of equal or longer length typically follows, so a 30-on then 30-off pattern is a frequent reference point.
3. Subcutaneous administration (into the fat layer, not muscle) is the route described for systemic skin and hair research; topical formulations are a separate category with their own concentrations.

Cycle length is a research-protocol detail, not a recommendation. Whether to cycle, and for how long, is a clinical decision. For general background on why cycling is discussed at all, see how long to cycle peptides.

Storage and handling

Lyophilized GHK-Cu is generally referenced as stored cold and kept out of light, since copper peptides are sensitive to heat and UV. After reconstitution, general handling references describe peptides as kept refrigerated and used within roughly a few weeks. The distinctive blue color comes from the copper; a strong color shift or cloudiness is a cue to stop and inspect the vial.

• Use bacteriostatic water (saline with benzyl alcohol) for multi-draw vials, since the preservative limits microbial growth between draws.
• Aim the water down the vial wall rather than onto the powder, and swirl gently rather than shaking.
• Keep the reconstituted vial refrigerated and shielded from light between draws.