MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: Educational research guidelines only. Lyophilized peptides are investigational chemical compounds and are NOT approved for human consumption, diagnosis, or therapy. Consult a licensed physician before any research application.
AHK-Cu Dosage Chart, Schedule & Reconstitution Protocol
Quickstart Highlights
AHK-Cu is the copper complex of the tripeptide alanine-histidine-lysine, sold cosmetically as Copper Tripeptide-3 and used as a topical hair-and-scalp active. It is a close relative of GHK-Cu. The core evidence is a 2007 in vitro study (Pyo et al., PMID 17703734) in which AHK-Cu at picomolar-to-nanomolar concentrations elongated cultured human hair follicles, increased dermal papilla cell proliferation, raised the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2/Bax ratio, lowered cleaved caspase-3 and PARP, increased VEGF, and decreased TGF-beta1 — signals associated with a longer anagen growth phase and better follicular blood supply (PMID 11181640). In practice it is applied as a once-daily scalp serum at roughly 200-500 ppm (about 200-500 mcg delivered per application). There are no controlled human hair-regrowth trials of AHK-Cu, and it is not FDA- or EMA-approved; it is a cosmetic ingredient and research chemical, presented here for education only.
Reconstitute: Add 2 mL bacteriostatic water → 5 mg/mL concentration.
Typical dose: 200-500 mcg once daily (topical, ~200-500 ppm)
Easy measuring: At 5 mg/mL, 1 unit = 0.01 mL = 0.0500 mg (50 mcg) on a U-100 insulin syringe.
Storage: Lyophilized powder stored frozen at −20 °C, protected from light. Reconstituted solution refrigerated at 2-8 °C, shielded from light, and used within ~30 days. Topical serums kept cool and dark; copper peptides oxidize on prolonged light or air exposure.
Half-life: Not formally established. The free AHK tripeptide is degraded by serum carboxypeptidases within minutes; topically the copper complex acts in a local skin reservoir rather than systemically.
Route: Topical (cosmetic scalp and skin serums, ~200-500 ppm). The subcutaneous reconstitution figures here are an educational measurement reference only.
Status: Not an FDA- or EMA-approved drug. Cosmetic ingredient (marketed as Copper Tripeptide-3) and research chemical; no approved hair-loss indication.
About AHK-Cu
AHK-Cu (the copper complex of the tripeptide Ala-His-Lys, sold cosmetically as Copper Tripeptide-3) is a hair-focused copper peptide. In every real-world use it is applied topically: a leave-on scalp serum dosed at roughly 200-500 ppm once daily, which delivers about 200-500 mcg of peptide to the scalp per application [1]. There is no validated injectable AHK-Cu protocol; the subcutaneous reconstitution figures below are an educational measurement reference that mirrors how this site presents topical and oral compounds, not a clinically established route.\n\nThis guide models a 10 mg vial reconstituted with 2.0 mL of bacteriostatic water (5 mg/mL, so each U-100 insulin-syringe unit holds 50 mcg). On that basis the educational daily \"dose\" maps cleanly onto the syringe: 250 mcg ≈ 5 units, 350 mcg ≈ 7 units, and 500 mcg ≈ 10 units — chosen to match the amount of peptide a 200-500 ppm topical serum delivers. For ≤10-unit volumes, a 30- or 50-unit (0.3-0.5 mL) insulin syringe improves readability.\n\nMechanistically, AHK-Cu shifts follicle signaling toward growth: in vitro it boosts dermal papilla cell proliferation and VEGF while lowering TGF-beta1, a driver of the catagen regression phase [1][2][3].\n\nFrequency: Once daily (topically to the scalp in real use; the subcutaneous figures are illustrative). AHK-Cu is not FDA- or EMA-approved and is presented here for educational purposes only.
Quick Protocol Navigation
Reconstitution Instruction & Mixing Step-by-Step
Lyophilized powder must be reconstituted carefully. Agitating peptide chains can shear disulfide bonds and render the peptide biologically inert.
Draw 2.0 mL of bacteriostatic water into a sterile syringe.
Inject the water slowly down the inner wall of the 10 mg AHK-Cu vial; do not aim the stream at the powder, and avoid vigorous shaking, since copper peptides foam and oxidize easily.
Gently swirl or roll the vial until the solution is a clear, faint blue (the copper complex is intrinsically blue-tinted); the result is 5 mg/mL, i.e. 50 mcg per insulin-syringe unit.
Store refrigerated at 2-8 °C, protected from light; draw the prescribed units per dose (250 mcg ≈ 5 units, 350 mcg ≈ 7 units, 500 mcg ≈ 10 units).
Educational note: AHK-Cu is used topically on the scalp in practice — these subcutaneous figures are a measurement reference only. For topical use, the same reconstituted solution can be dispensed onto the scalp; for an educational subcutaneous model, inject slowly without aspirating and withdraw the needle at the angle of insertion.
Interactive AHK-Cu Syringe Calculator
Currently visualizing the 10 mg vial reconstituted with 2 mL bacteriostatic water. Adjust the target dose to dynamically render syringe units.
Reconstitution Calculation: 10mg dry powder in 2mL water yields 5.00 mg/mL. To evaluate a 250mcg dose, pull to 5.0 units (5 syringe ticks).
U-100 Syringe Representation
Educational reference visual. Assumes standard U-100 insulin syringe where 1.0 mL volume = 100 units.
Titration & Dose Escalation Schedules
| Phase | Dose per injection | Units (per injection) |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 — Weeks 1-4 (introduction) | 250 mcg | 5 units (0.05 mL) |
| Phase 2 — Weeks 5-8 (build) | 350 mcg | 7 units (0.07 mL) |
| Phase 3 — Weeks 9-12+ (maintenance) | 500 mcg | 10 units (0.10 mL) |
Administration guidelines: Refer to guidelines | 2 mL Reconstitution
Research Supplies Quantity Planner
Scientific mathematical planning of syringes, bacteriostatic water and dry vials needed for extended research blocks using the 10 mg vial.
Peptide Vials (AHK-Cu, 10 mg each):
- checkDaily use, titrating 250→500 mcg/day:
- check8 weeks (~17 mg total) ≈ 2 vials
- check12 weeks (~31 mg total) ≈ 4 vials
- check16 weeks (~45 mg total) ≈ 5 vials
Insulin Syringes (U-100):
- check1 injection/day = 7 per week
- check8 weeks: 56 syringes
- check12 weeks: 84 syringes
- check16 weeks: 112 syringes
Bacteriostatic Water (30 mL bottles): Use 2 mL per vial for reconstitution.
- check2-vial (8-week) course: 4 mL → 1 × 30 mL bottle
- check4-vial (12-week) course: 8 mL → 1 × 30 mL bottle
- check5-vial (16-week) course: 10 mL → 1 × 30 mL bottle
Alcohol Swabs: One for the vial stopper plus one for the injection or application site each day.
- check2 swabs/day = 14 per week
- check8 weeks: 112 swabs → 2 × 100-count boxes
- check12 weeks: 168 swabs → 2 × 100-count boxes
- check16 weeks: 224 swabs → 3 × 100-count boxes
Mechanism of Action (MOA)
AHK-Cu is the coordination complex formed when the synthetic tripeptide L-alanyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine (Ala-His-Lys; free peptide ~354 g/mol) chelates a single divalent copper ion, giving a complex of roughly 417 g/mol. It belongs to the same copper-peptide family as GHK-Cu (Copper Tripeptide-1), and the histidine imidazole provides the high-affinity copper-binding site. The peptide functions primarily as a copper carrier and a signaling molecule at the hair follicle [1][5].\n\nThe defining evidence comes from Pyo and colleagues (2007), who treated cultured human hair follicles and dermal papilla cells (DPCs) — the mesenchymal cells that orchestrate follicle cycling — with AHK-Cu. At 10^-12 to 10^-9 M, AHK-Cu lengthened hair follicles ex vivo and increased DPC proliferation. At 10^-9 M it was also cytoprotective: it reduced the fraction of apoptotic DPCs, raised the Bcl-2/Bax ratio, and lowered cleaved caspase-3 and PARP, shifting the follicle toward survival and growth [1].\n\nTwo downstream signals tie this to the hair cycle. First, AHK-Cu increases vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) output from dermal cells. VEGF drives perifollicular angiogenesis, and Yano, Brown and Detmar showed that VEGF-mediated vascularization is a major determinant of hair growth and follicle and shaft size, so a richer capillary network around the follicle supports a longer, more productive anagen phase [1][2]. Second, AHK-Cu suppresses transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1). TGF-beta isoforms are among the key endogenous triggers of catagen, the apoptosis-driven regression phase: Foitzik demonstrated that TGF-beta1 induces premature catagen in vivo, and Soma showed TGF-beta2 is essential for catagen induction in the human hair cycle. By lowering TGF-beta signaling, AHK-Cu is positioned to delay catagen and extend the growth phase [1][3][4].\n\nAs a copper donor, the complex can also feed copper-dependent enzymes such as lysyl oxidase (collagen and elastin crosslinking, relevant to the perifollicular sheath) and superoxide dismutase (antioxidant defense), mechanisms well characterized for the related GHK-Cu peptide and the broader copper-tripeptide literature [5][6][8].\n\nPharmacokinetics: AHK-Cu has no formally published systemic half-life. The free tripeptide is rapidly cleaved by serum carboxypeptidases (a property shared across this peptide class), so it is not expected to circulate meaningfully. The real-world route is topical; because the complex (~417 g/mol) sits near the practical 500-dalton ceiling for passive skin penetration, absorption through intact stratum corneum is slow and formulation-dependent, and the molecule behaves as a local skin and scalp reservoir rather than a systemic drug [7]. This is why cosmetic protocols apply ~200-500 ppm once daily.\n\nThe subcutaneous reconstitution scheme on this page is an educational measurement convention used across this site, not a clinically validated delivery method. AHK-Cu is not approved by any major regulator and is used as a cosmetic ingredient or research chemical only.
Clinical Trial Efficacy Highlights
- starPyo and colleagues (2007, Archives of Pharmacal Research) showed that AHK-Cu at 10^-12 to 10^-9 M stimulated elongation of cultured human hair follicles ex vivo and increased proliferation of dermal papilla cells in vitro, the central preclinical evidence that AHK-Cu can act directly on the hair follicle [1].
- starIn the same study, AHK-Cu (10^-9 M) was anti-apoptotic for dermal papilla cells — it reduced the proportion of apoptotic cells, elevated the Bcl-2/Bax ratio, and decreased cleaved caspase-3 and PARP — and it increased VEGF while decreasing TGF-beta1 secretion by dermal fibroblasts, linking the peptide to both follicle survival and pro-growth signaling [1].
- starYano, Brown and Detmar (2001, Journal of Clinical Investigation) established VEGF-mediated angiogenesis as a major control point for hair growth: overexpressing VEGF in follicular keratinocytes accelerated regrowth and enlarged follicles and shafts, while a neutralizing anti-VEGF antibody retarded growth — the vascular mechanism AHK-Cu is proposed to engage [2].
- starFoitzik and colleagues (2000, FASEB Journal) demonstrated that TGF-beta1 is an endogenous inducer of catagen in vivo (TGF-beta1-null follicles delayed catagen entry; injected TGF-beta1 forced premature catagen), providing the mechanistic basis for why AHK-Cu's suppression of TGF-beta1 would favor a longer anagen phase [3].
- starSoma, Tsuji and Hibino (2002, Journal of Investigative Dermatology) showed TGF-beta2 is essential for catagen induction in the human hair cycle, reinforcing that down-modulating TGF-beta signaling — as AHK-Cu does for TGF-beta1 — is a plausible route to anagen prolongation [4].
- starPickart and Margolina's 2018 review (International Journal of Molecular Sciences) synthesizes the broader copper-tripeptide literature, documenting copper delivery, gene-expression modulation, angiogenesis, and hair-follicle effects that the AHK and GHK copper peptides share as a class [5].
- starHostynek, Dreher and Maibach (2011, Inflammation Research) quantified copper-tripeptide penetration across isolated human skin layers, confirming that copper from a copper tripeptide is delivered into the skin in measurable amounts but is rate-limited by the stratum corneum — the pharmacokinetic reality behind topical, rather than systemic, copper-peptide dosing [7].
- starDespite a coherent mechanistic story, there are no published randomized controlled trials of AHK-Cu for hair regrowth in humans; the evidence base is in vitro and ex vivo plus class-level data from GHK-Cu, so efficacy claims should be regarded as preliminary [1][6].
Side Effects & Tolerability Profile
Clinical subjects transiently report mild side effects. Slowly escalating the titration dose represents the single most effective intervention to limit side effects.
- warningTopical AHK-Cu is generally well tolerated; the most common effects are mild, transient scalp redness, stinging, or itching at the application site, especially on compromised or freshly microneedled skin.
- warningThe copper complex is intrinsically blue-green and can temporarily tint light hair, skin, pillowcases, and fabrics; this is cosmetic and washes out.
- warningAllergic contact dermatitis is possible in people with copper or nickel sensitivity; a patch test is prudent for anyone with a history of metal allergy or persistent dermatitis.
- warningDo not co-apply with high-strength vitamin C (ascorbic acid): copper catalyzes ascorbate oxidation, which can degrade both actives and may increase irritation; alternate them at different times of day.
- warningNo controlled human safety data exist for AHK-Cu specifically; the in-vitro and ex-vivo evidence base means long-term tolerability, optimal concentration, and drug interactions are not formally established.
- warningInjectable or intradermal use is not validated and is not recommended: it can cause localized blue-green pigmentation, pain, bruising, or swelling, and systemic copper effects (nausea, metallic taste) are a theoretical risk with excessive exposure on broken skin.
- warningSafety in pregnancy and lactation has not been studied; manufacturers typically advise avoiding copper-peptide products during these periods on a precautionary basis.
- warningRegulatory and research status: AHK-Cu is not approved by the FDA or EMA, cannot be sold as a drug to treat hair loss, and is marketed only as a cosmetic ingredient (Copper Tripeptide-3) or sold for research use.
Subcutaneous Injection Technique
Most research peptides require subcutaneous injection into fatty tissue. Never inject directly into a blood vessel or deep muscle tissue unless clinically detailed.
1. Site Selection
Common locations include the abdomen (2 inches from navel), outer upper arms, or thighs.
2. Sanitization
Thoroughly clean the selected site, stopper and vial top using 70% isopropyl alcohol prep swabs.
3. Angle & Push
Pinch the skin and insert the needle at a 45 to 90-degree angle. Depress plunger smoothly.
4. Site Rotation
Rotate injection sites continuously to avoid lipodystrophy or tissue scarring.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the typical AHK-Cu dosage?expand_more
In cosmetic practice the typical AHK-Cu dosage is a topical scalp serum at roughly 200-500 ppm (about 0.02-0.05%), applied once daily, which delivers approximately 200-500 mcg of peptide per application. The educational subcutaneous model on this page mirrors that amount: 250 mcg (5 units) building to 500 mcg (10 units) per day from a 10 mg vial reconstituted with 2 mL of bacteriostatic water (50 mcg per unit). There is no validated injectable dose; topical application is the real-world route.
Is AHK-Cu FDA approved?expand_more
No. AHK-Cu is not approved by the FDA or EMA for any medical use. It is sold as a cosmetic ingredient (marketed as Copper Tripeptide-3) and as a research chemical. For androgenetic alopecia, only minoxidil and finasteride hold FDA approval; AHK-Cu has no approved hair-loss indication and the evidence is limited to in vitro and ex vivo work.
How do you reconstitute AHK-Cu?expand_more
For the educational model, draw 2.0 mL of bacteriostatic water and inject it slowly down the wall of a 10 mg AHK-Cu vial, then swirl gently until you have a clear, faint-blue 5 mg/mL solution (50 mcg per U-100 unit). Avoid shaking, which foams and oxidizes the copper complex. Refrigerate at 2-8 °C, protect from light, and use within about 30 days. For topical use, the same reconstituted solution can be dispensed onto the scalp.
What is the half-life of AHK-Cu?expand_more
No formal pharmacokinetic half-life has been published for AHK-Cu. Like other small copper tripeptides, the free peptide is cleaved by serum carboxypeptidases within minutes, so it is not thought to circulate meaningfully. Applied topically, the molecule (~417 g/mol) penetrates the stratum corneum slowly and acts as a local skin and scalp reservoir rather than a systemic agent, which is why once-daily application is standard.
Can AHK-Cu be stacked with other hair actives?expand_more
In cosmetic formulations AHK-Cu is frequently combined with GHK-Cu, minoxidil, and procapil-type actives, and is used alongside microneedling. Avoid applying it at the same time as high-strength vitamin C (ascorbic acid), because copper can catalyze ascorbate oxidation and degrade both ingredients; alternate them morning and evening. These combinations are cosmetic conventions, not clinically validated drug regimens.
Related Guides & Tools
Step-by-step references for reconstituting, measuring, and storing AHK-Cu, plus the universal dosing calculator.
Academic References & Study Citations
Pyo HK, Yoo HG, Won CH, Lee SH, Kang YJ, Eun HC, Cho KH, Kim KH. The effect of tripeptide-copper complex on human hair growth in vitro. Arch Pharm Res. 2007;30(7):834-839. View Scientific Paper →
Yano K, Brown LF, Detmar M. Control of hair growth and follicle size by VEGF-mediated angiogenesis. J Clin Invest. 2001;107(4):409-417. View Scientific Paper →
Foitzik K, Lindner G, Mueller-Roever S, et al. Control of murine hair follicle regression (catagen) by transforming growth factor-beta1 in vivo. FASEB J. 2000;14(5):752-760. View Scientific Paper →
Soma T, Tsuji Y, Hibino T. Involvement of transforming growth factor-beta2 in catagen induction during the human hair cycle. J Invest Dermatol. 2002;118(6):993-997. View Scientific Paper →
Pickart L, Margolina A. Regenerative and protective actions of the GHK-Cu peptide in the light of the new gene data. Int J Mol Sci. 2018;19(7):1987. View Scientific Paper →
Maquart FX, Pickart L, Laurent M, Gillery P, Monboisse JC, Borel JP. Stimulation of collagen synthesis in fibroblast cultures by the tripeptide-copper complex glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine-Cu2+. FEBS Lett. 1988;238(2):343-346. View Scientific Paper →
Hostynek JJ, Dreher F, Maibach HI. Human skin penetration of a copper tripeptide in vitro as a function of skin layer. Inflamm Res. 2011;60(1):79-86. View Scientific Paper →
Pickart L. The human tri-peptide GHK and tissue remodeling. J Biomater Sci Polym Ed. 2008;19(8):969-988. View Scientific Paper →