ghk-cu vs ahk-cu
updated
ghk-cu (tier S) vs ahk-cu (tier C): what each is, why each got its grade, half-life and source counts side by side.
ghk-cu · tier S
the copper peptide with the strongest skin evidence in the catalog. topical record first, injectable story thinner.
tier rationale
the most studied cosmetic peptide in history. pickart 1973: young plasma applied to aged liver cells made them behave young. five decades of topical research on collagen, wound healing, inflammation. cleanest safety profile in the catalog after 40+ years of cosmetic use. S because topical efficacy is documented and safety is exceptional. the asterisk: injectable GHK-Cu has a much thinner human evidence base.
ahk-cu · tier C
copper tripeptide for hair growth, riding GHK-Cu's reputation. thinner evidence, bigger marketing.
tier rationale
C-tier because the compound is real and has some plausible cosmetic utility, but the evidence for its headline marketed use (hair growth) is small and the way it's sold implies a much stronger case than the trial data supports. Not B-tier because the hair-growth evidence base is clearly thinner than B-tier compounds and the cosmetic effect sizes are modest. Not D-tier because the underlying chemistry is legitimate, the peptide does produce some measurable effects in small studies, and it doesn't fail or deceive at the basic pharmacology level. It just doesn't do nearly as much as it's marketed to do.
at a glance
| ghk-cu | ahk-cu | |
|---|---|---|
| tier | S | C |
| category | skin / cosmetic / healing / tissue | skin / cosmetic |
| sources | 30 | 14 |
| claims evaluated | 7 | 5 |
| half-life | plasma: minutes | short free-peptide plasma half-life; copper complex stability and topical penetration are the relevant pharmacokinetic properties in cosmetic use |
| dosing data | yes | yes |
reptides grades the research record and cites the literature behind every call. research reference only; not medical advice.