AHK-Cu
A copper-binding tripeptide marketed primarily for hair regrowth. We read all 2 studies. The protocol is below.
Free — puts AHK-Cu on your decision board.
Everything you need to start: dose, sourcing, safety, our verdict.
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Built from 2 cited studies.
- you're trying to figure out whether "AHK-Cu" and "GHK-Cu" are the same thing (they're not — different tripeptide, mostly the same copper-delivery game)
- you're already on finasteride plus minoxidil and looking for a third lever
- you live in the Tressless subreddit and want to know if copper peptides are real
- you're a postpartum-shedding reader who shops The Ordinary and wants the honest read
- you haven't tried minoxidil or finasteride yet — start there
- you want a head-to-head trial against a drug that actually works — it doesn't exist
- you're allergic to copper or have Wilson's disease
- you're hoping for the GHK-Cu skin-collagen evidence — that's a different molecule with more data; read the GHK-Cu report
- you can't separate your copper-peptide step from low-pH actives (vitamin C, AHA/BHA at pH 3–4) or from minoxidil applied to the same site — copper bonds break in acid and the copper itself can destabilize minoxidil; if you can't AM/PM-separate, the peptide won't do anything
- Persistent contact dermatitis or worsening irritation.
- No perceived change in week 8 and week 12 photo comparisons (cosmetic peptides usually take longer than 12 weeks, but at 16 weeks if nothing has changed, the formulation isn't reaching the target).
- Any pigmentation changes that persist after stopping.
What it is.
AHK-Cu is a tripeptide — alanine-histidine-lysine — bound to a single copper ion. It's the hair-and-scalp cousin of GHK-Cu, the better-known Loren Pickart . Both are copper-bound short peptides; AHK-Cu was developed and marketed specifically for follicle activity rather than skin.
The mechanism story: copper peptides modulate genes involved in hair-follicle dermal papilla cells, supporting the anagen (growth) phase, prolonging follicle lifespan, and possibly improving the local vascularization that hair growth depends on. It's sold mainly as a topical scalp serum, sometimes combined with minoxidil or other actives.
Like GHK-Cu, AHK-Cu has been studied in cosmetic dermatology for years. It's not as a hair-loss drug — that bar belongs to minoxidil and finasteride — but it is a legitimate cosmetic ingredient with a published research base.
TL;DR. 30-second version.
The compressed verdict — what AHK-Cu actually is, what the human evidence shows, and the watch-for in three bullets. Locked.
Get the report · $19 ↓Mechanism.
How the molecule actually works — receptor profile, downstream signaling, what to expect mechanistically.
Get the report · $19 ↓Evidence. What we actually know in humans.
The trial breakdown — phase, n, primary endpoint, who funded, what hit, what didn't.
Get the report · $19 ↓Dose. The actual protocol.
The specific protocol — dose, titration schedule, cycle pattern, frequency, route.
Sourcing. Where the cohort actually buys.
Sourcing breakdown — vendor methodology, red flags, our published test results, COA checklist.
Safety. Side effects.
The watch-for list — contraindications, drug interactions, monitoring labs, when to stop.
Get the report · $19 ↓Editorial position.
Our editorial position — explicit yes / no / depends, with the reasoning behind it.
Get the report · $19 ↓Citations.
- 01Jung JI, et al. Vitamin C-linker-conjugated tripeptide AHK stimulates BMP-2-induced osteogenic differentiation of mouse myoblast C2C12 cells. Differentiation; research in biological diversity. 2018;101:1-7. PMID: 29567599.
- 02Pyo HK, et al. The effect of tripeptide-copper complex on human hair growth in vitro. Archives of pharmacal research. 2007;30(7):834-9. PMID: 17703734.
Everything you need to start.
Dose, sourcing, safety, our verdict. One purchase. Yours forever.
Built from 2 cited studies.