GHK
Skin & hair Research only Animal studies
Also called Glycyl-histidyl-lysine, Tripeptide-1
A three-amino-acid peptide found naturally in blood plasma, saliva and urine. Levels fall with age. It is released from collagen after injury and influences many genes involved in tissue remodeling. This is the copper-free form; it readily picks up copper to become GHK-Cu.
Why people take it
What studies report
- Shifts the activity of thousands of genes toward tissue repair in human cell studies
- Wound healing and anti-inflammatory effects in animal models
- Hair follicle stimulation in cell culture
In practice Unapproved use
- Used topically, though the copper-bound form dominates the market
Reported real-world use, not evidence and not a recommendation.
Worth knowing: Most evidence is cell culture and topical; blood levels fall with age but restoring them has not been shown to help.
Status: Used in cosmetics. Lab and animal research for other uses.
- Route
- Topical
- Sequence
- Gly-His-Lys
- Formula
- C14H24N6O4
- Molecular weight
- 340.38 g/mol
- CAS
- 49557-75-7
- Available as
- 50 mg
Educational information only. Nothing here is medical advice, a dosing protocol, or a recommendation to use any compound. Most entries describe substances not approved for human use. Talk to a licensed clinician before acting on anything you read here. How to read these entries.