Reference protocol: GHK-Cu
GHK-Cu is the copper peptide: tissue regeneration, collagen and skin. Its protocol is simple —one small daily dose— and its only real complication is that some people react to the copper at the injection site. This page covers how to manage it.
The reference for injectable GHK-Cu is 1 mg per day —6 units at 16.7 mg/ml— or, at the same weekly load, 2 mg every other day —12 units—, preferably at night. Cycles of 4 to 12 weeks. Our 50 mg vial lasts about seven weeks on either schedule.
View product & buy →Which case is yours?
1 mg every day (6 U) — 7 mg per week.
First time? Start here
Your GHK-Cu vial arrives with the compound as a dry powder. Before using it you mix it with a special water — that step is called reconstitution — and measure each dose with an insulin syringe. Here is everything you need, in order.
- Get what you need: your vial, a vial of bacteriostatic water (not included — it is the special mixing water), a 1 ml U-100 insulin syringe — ask for it exactly like that at any pharmacy — and alcohol wipes.
- Mix the powder with the water (reconstitute): the vial is never uncapped — the needle goes through the rubber stopper. Add 3 ml of water letting it run down the inside wall, then swirl gently — never shake; it turns clear in a few minutes (some compounds take longer). Measure the water with the same insulin syringe: full to the top is 1 ml — repeat until you complete the 3 ml. Once mixed, the vial goes in the fridge and lasts about 4 weeks; unmixed, also keep it refrigerated from the day it arrives.
- Fill the syringe up to the 6 mark: every small line on the insulin syringe is 1 unit (U). That mark equals the starting dose (1 mg); if your dose is different, pick it in the panel below and the number updates. And note: several protocols raise the dose after the first weeks — the dose steps further down tell you when your mark changes.
- Inject under the skin and you are done: belly area (two fingers away from the navel), skin cleaned with alcohol; pinch the skin, insert the full needle and inject slowly. Switch sides each time and use a new syringe for every injection. Used preferably at night, daily or every other day depending on your schedule.
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Quick dictionary — the words that stop beginners
- Reconstitute: mixing the vial's powder with the special water so it becomes a liquid you can measure.
- Bacteriostatic water: the special water for that mix (regular water will not do); sold separately — one vial covers several mixes.
- Unit (U): each small line on the insulin syringe. 100 units = 1 ml.
- U-100 syringe: the standard 1 ml insulin syringe with 100 marks; sold at any pharmacy.
- mg and mcg: milligrams and micrograms: 1 mg = 1,000 mcg. Mind the factor of one thousand when reading a dose.
- Subcutaneous: an injection under the skin (not into muscle or vein), usually in the belly area.
- Cycle and washout: using the product for a period and then stopping completely for some weeks; when resuming you start again from the starting dose.
Quick facts
| Parameter | Reference |
|---|---|
| Frequency | Daily (1 mg) or every other day (2 mg) — same weekly load |
| Time of day | Night preferred; any time works |
| Fasting | Not required |
| Escalation | If needed after ~2 weeks: 2 mg daily, or 4 mg every other day |
| Cycle | 4–12 weeks · 4–12 week washout |
| Documented route | Subcutaneous injection |
Reconstitution and syringe units
Our 50 mg vial is reconstituted with 3 ml of bacteriostatic water: it sits at 16.7 mg/ml.
The buttons follow the protocol's dose steps; the starting dose comes pre-selected.
Fill the syringe up to the 6 mark
The syringe: a 1 ml U-100 insulin syringe (100 small marks = 1 ml), sold at any pharmacy.
Open this calculation in the calculatorThe protocol week
Copper reactivity: what to expect and what to do
Some people experience pain on injection or a local reaction —redness, swelling, itching, bruising or a nodule under the skin that can last for days—. It is not universal: most feel no more than minor discomfort. The documentation associates it with low baseline ceruloplasmin, already-inflamed skin, or zinc and iron imbalances.
- Rotate the injection site with every dose and note which areas react least for you: some tolerate the thigh better than the abdomen.
- Dilution reduces reactivity. Our water vial allows up to 3 ml; if it still reacts, check the calculator to work with more dilute doses per draw.
- If you cannot tolerate it injected, the reconstituted contents can be incorporated into a cream or serum for topical use: it is this peptide's classic route in cosmetics and does not waste the vial.
Documented precautions
- Stop and seek advice at signs of copper excess: intense headache, fever, persistent nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps.
- Respect the dose: this peptide's margin lies in its low range of daily milligrams.
- Keep the reconstituted vial refrigerated and protected from light.
In our catalog
The 50 mg vial is on the GHK-Cu product page. Documented practice combines it with BPC-157 + TB-500 in tissue-repair lines, and with Ipamorelin + CJC-1295 for collagen synthesis and anti-aging lines.
Frequently asked questions
Does the GHK-Cu injection hurt?
For most, no more than any subcutaneous injection. Some people do react to the copper with pain or local irritation lasting several days. If it happens to you: rotate the injection site, dilute further and, if it persists, switch the rest of the vial to topical use.
How long does the 50 mg vial last?
About seven weeks on either schedule: 50 doses of 1 mg daily, or 25 doses of 2 mg every other day — the weekly load is the same (7 mg). A single vial covers a full short cycle.
Can I use it on the skin instead of injecting it?
Yes. Reconstituted GHK-Cu can be incorporated into a neutral cream or serum; it is the peptide's classic route in cosmetics. Avoid mixing it with retinoids, pure vitamin C or exfoliating acids, which degrade it.
How many units do I draw for 1 mg?
With the 50 mg vial reconstituted with 3 ml (16.7 mg/ml), 1 mg is 6 units in a U-100 syringe and 2 mg is 12. The table on this page and the calculator come with the math already done.
Reference protocols compiled from documented research practice and adapted to our formats. Research-context documentation (RUO): not medical advice, not a prescription, and no substitute for professional evaluation.