Copper-binding tripeptide · Fact sheet
AHK-Cu
Also known as Alanyl-histidyl-lysine copper
AHK-Cu is a copper-binding tripeptide studied in isolated human hair follicles and cultured cells. Those experiments do not establish regrowth on a living person, repigmentation or an injectable hair-loss treatment.
What is AHK-Cu?
AHK-Cu contains alanine, histidine and lysine bound with copper. GHK-Cu contains glycine instead of alanine and is a different peptide.
Human cells or follicles studied outside the body are ex vivo or in vitro evidence, not a clinical human treatment trial.
Benefits & claims
Interest centers on skin or hair appearance. Biological activity does not itself establish a clinical treatment.
What the evidence supports
- AHK-Cu stimulated isolated follicle elongation and cell proliferation under experimental conditions.
- One apoptosis-related comparison was not statistically significant.
- Related GHK-Cu wound research cannot establish AHK-Cu scalp or systemic efficacy.
Research areas
- Experimental tissue and cellular responses
- Formulation-specific outcomes
Dosage & frequency
No established human regimenThe reviewed sources do not establish a human treatment amount or frequency for AHK-Cu. Animal and laboratory exposures are not human regimens.
How to read these amounts
An approved regimen belongs to a specific product, indication, and population. A study regimen describes what researchers tested; it does not establish a prescription or a safe self-use protocol. Products, routes, and formulations are not interchangeable. A prescriber uses the full label and individual clinical circumstances.
Personal accounts may describe amounts, schedules and outcomes beyond clinical research. They do not establish a regimen. Read the reported experiences
Formulations, interactions & practical context
- Identity and pharmacology
- AHK-Cu contains alanine, histidine and lysine bound with copper. GHK-Cu contains glycine instead of alanine and is a different peptide.
Formulation differences
- Human cells or follicles studied outside the body are ex vivo or in vitro evidence, not a clinical human treatment trial.
Interactions & precautions
- The reviewed sources do not establish a comprehensive human interaction profile for this exact substance or combination.
What is still unresolved
- Controlled human clinical outcomes for the exact substance
- Human exposure, pharmacokinetics and repeated-use safety
- Independent replication and formulation equivalence
Side effects & risks
- Human scalp tolerability and systemic exposure risks cannot be quantified from cultured-follicle experiments.
- Copper-complex identity, concentration, formulation and route can change exposure; topical biology does not validate injection.
This is a summary of the cited evidence, not a complete product label. A lack of human safety data does not establish safety.
Clinical research
Mostly animal or lab researchThe direct 2007 study used isolated hair follicles and dermal papilla cells. Human clinical hair-regrowth and systemic safety are not established.
Studies
Direct AHK-Cu ex-vivo follicle and cell-culture study.
Different copper peptide and animal endpoint; useful for the identity boundary only.
Personal experiences
Reports describe what someone noticed. They cannot establish cause, typical results, or how often a side effect happens. Amounts and schedules describe the individual account, not an effective or safe dose. Product identity and strength may be unverified, and missing details are left explicit.
No attributable personal accounts were found in the sources reviewed.
Approval status
AHK-Cu has no FDA-approved therapeutic product. The cited experiments or cosmetic uses do not establish an approved human treatment.
Preclinical evidence; no FDA-approved product
Approval covers the labeled product, use and population. A trial phase does not establish success; a stopped program is not ongoing research.
Open questions
- Controlled human clinical outcomes for the exact substance
- Human exposure, pharmacokinetics and repeated-use safety
- Independent replication and formulation equivalence
Summary
Related GHK-Cu wound research cannot establish AHK-Cu scalp or systemic efficacy.
Sources
Medical evidence and regulatory sources are listed here. Personal reports are linked separately in the experiences section.
- pubmedThe effect of tripeptide-copper complex on human hair growth in vitro.
Direct AHK-Cu ex-vivo follicle and cell-culture study.
- pubmedRelated GHK-Cu rat wound study
Different copper peptide and animal endpoint; useful for the identity boundary only.
- fdaFDA: cosmetics and U.S. law
Cosmetic ingredients generally do not receive FDA premarket approval; disease and structure/function claims can invoke drug regulation.