Copper peptides (GHK-Cu) in South Africa: what they may do for your skin, who should not use them, and what the studies actually measured.
Your skin makes less collagen as you get older, and it starts to crease. GHK-Cu (also written GHK Cu or GHK copper peptide) is a copper-carrying peptide your body already makes, and it may help your skin make more collagen. Almost all the research in people tested a cream or a serum you rub in, not a peptide a doctor prescribes, so the two are not the same thing.
Copper peptides may help your skin make more collagen, and almost everything measured in people so far was measured on a cream.
- GHK-Cu (a copper peptide) is three amino acids, the building blocks of protein, holding one copper atom. Your body makes it, and it is in your blood.
- At 20 your blood carries about 200 nanograms of it per millilitre. By 60 that is about 80, so less than half.
- It may help your skin make more collagen, the protein that keeps skin firm, and help it repair itself.
- The human studies used creams and serums: 71 women in one, 41 in another, 12 weeks each, with modest improvements in fine lines, firmness and skin thickness.
- The prescribed form has not been through those studies. Doctors say it might reach deeper than a cream can, because a cream mostly stays in the top layer of skin, but nobody has shown that in people.
- Copper peptides are not for everyone. People with liver disease, a condition that affects how the body handles copper, or who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not use them.
- In South Africa the serum is a cosmetic you can buy off a shelf. A prescribed peptide therapy is a medicine, so it needs a registered doctor and a licensed pharmacy.
Your skin makes less collagen as you get older, and your blood carries less than half the copper peptide at 60 that it did at 20.
GHK-Cu was found in human blood in 1973 by a researcher who noticed that blood from young adults could revive older liver tissue. It has been in skincare ever since.
GHK-Cu is three amino acids, the building blocks of protein, holding one atom of copper between them.
By 60, your blood carries less than half the copper peptide it carried at 20.
The researchers who first found it in human blood measured that drop by comparing blood from young medical students with blood from their older professors.
Pickart and Margolina, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2018. Nanograms of GHK-Cu per millilitre of blood.
Collagen is the springy protein under your skin. You make less of it as you get older, and the skin above it starts to crease.
Sun damage speeds that thinning up, and South Africa has a lot of sun. In Pretoria the average midday sun in summer measures 12 on the UV index, and anything above 11 counts as extreme (South African Medical Research Council, 2020). That matters here, because the copper peptide trials were run on women with sun-damaged skin.
GHK-Cu carries copper to skin cells and gives them a signal. In the lab, that signal may help skin cells make more collagen and help the skin repair itself. It is the same peptide your body already makes. It is not a steroid and not a hormone.
Copper peptides have been tested on real women, in small groups, for 12 weeks at a time, and the skin changes they measured were modest.
There is real research here, and it is smaller than the internet makes it sound. Every number below comes from a study in people, and we say how big each study was and who paid for it.
In one small study, more women grew new collagen on a copper peptide cream than on vitamin C or on a retinoid.
One small pilot study on thigh skin in women of about 50 (Abdulghani et al., 1998, reported in Pickart and Margolina, 2015 and 2018).
That is one small study from 1998, so treat it as a clue and not as proof. It is still the most useful number for anyone choosing between products, because it is the only study that put copper peptides, vitamin C and a retinoid side by side.
The two best known trials both used creams on the face and around the eyes. One followed 71 women with sun-damaged skin for 12 weeks, the other 41 women for 12 weeks. Both reported thicker, firmer skin, better clarity and shallower fine lines. Both were presented at a dermatology conference rather than published as full papers, so they carry less weight than a printed trial.
One thing worth knowing before you trust the glowing summaries: the two review papers that most copper peptide articles quote were written by the researcher who found GHK-Cu, and he also ran a company selling copper peptide skincare. That does not make the blood measurements wrong, and other sources report the same numbers. It does mean the glowing summaries are not neutral.
The copper peptide trials ran for 8 to 12 weeks before anyone measured a change.
So if you start a serum, judge it after about three months, not after three days. The changes people measured were modest: firmer, thicker skin and shallower lines, not a new face.
Leyden et al., 2002; Badenhorst et al., 2016
People ask most about hair, and hair is where the evidence is thinnest.
Copper peptides turn up in shampoos and scalp serums, and the before and after photos travel fast. No strong trial in people has tested GHK-Cu on its own for hair loss. Almost all the research is on skin. The hair studies you see quoted online come from shops selling the product, and we could not find the papers behind them. If hair is your main worry, say so on the call, because a doctor can tell you what actually has evidence behind it.
The evidence people quote for copper peptides was measured on creams, so anyone who sells you an injection and points at those studies is using proof that was never about injections.
Almost every study you will see quoted for copper peptides was run on a cream you rub in, not on a peptide a doctor prescribes. The two are not the same thing, and the difference matters before you spend money on either.
When you rub in a copper peptide cream, most of the peptide stays in the thin top layer of your skin, above the collagen.
A cream has been tested on real women
Small trials in women, 8 to 12 weeks, measuring skin thickness, firmness and fine lines. Decades of use in skincare with no pattern of harm reported anywhere in the research.
A prescribed peptide has not been tested on people yet
No published human trial has tested the prescribed form. The argument for it is that a cream mostly stays in the top layer of skin, so a peptide that goes in under the skin may reach the collagen layer instead of sitting above it. That is a reason to look into it, not proof that it works better.
American doctors interviewed by NPR in September 2026 put it plainly. A cosmetic dermatology professor said the science behind the creams is very solid, and that about injecting it, he will not sleep well until the human studies are done. A longevity clinician said he sees patients who bought it from a seller, used far too much, and turned up with blood tests showing their liver under strain and too much copper in their blood.
That is the real risk, and it is not really about copper peptides. It is about buying a medicine from someone who never checked your health, never checked what is in the bottle, and is not there when something feels wrong.
A doctor may talk to you about two skin therapies, and only your doctor decides which one, if any, suits you.
GHK-Cu
The copper peptide on its own. If a doctor prescribes it, our own licensed pharmacy in Johannesburg makes it as a ready-to-use pen, from ingredients lab-tested to be at least 98% pure.
Learn More About GHK-CuAsk About GHK-Cu
Glow Stack
GHK-Cu together with other skin peptides, prescribed as one therapy. They may help with firmness, skin texture and dull-looking skin. Which one fits you, if either, is the doctor's call on the consult.
Learn More About Glow StackAsk About Glow StackWant to know if a peptide therapy suits your skin? Answer a 60-second quiz, then book a once-off R99 call with a registered doctor, because by law a doctor has to check your health before anyone may prescribe these.
Claim Your Peptide Therapy ConsultationPeptide therapy is legal in South Africa if you can answer yes to both of the questions below.
In South Africa these peptides count as medicines, not supplements. Ask these two questions about any peptide you have been offered.
A doctor registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) checked your health before prescribing it, and a pharmacy licensed by the South African Pharmacy Council (SAPC) made it to the standard for medicine that goes into people. This is how Clarve works.
You can get peptide therapy the legal way. It starts with a 60-second quiz and one call with a registered doctor.
Claim Your Peptide Therapy ConsultationCopper peptides are not for everyone, so a registered doctor checks your health before you start, and says no if they do not suit you.
You should not use copper peptides at all if any of these three things is true of you, whichever form they come in.
Not if you have a condition that stops your body clearing copper
People with Wilson's disease or any inherited condition that affects how the body handles copper should not use copper peptides, and nor should anyone with a known copper allergy.
Not if you have liver disease
Your liver handles copper, so a doctor says no if your liver is not well, unless your own specialist says otherwise.
Not while pregnant or breastfeeding
Nobody has tested copper peptides in pregnant or breastfeeding women, so nobody knows whether they are safe for the baby.
On the skin, the reported side effects are mild: redness, itching, tingling or a breakout when you start, and rarely a blue or green tinge from the copper that fades. If your skin is already sore or stinging from strong acids, or your eczema is bad at the moment, let it calm down before you add anything new.
With a prescribed peptide, the doctor goes through your health and your other medicines first, tells you what to watch for, and you have someone to phone if anything feels wrong. That is the part nobody selling from a gym or an online shop gives you.
Get your peptides legally in five easy steps.
The legal way to get these peptides in South Africa is a prescription from a registered doctor, made up by a licensed pharmacy. Clarve gives you both.
Answer a few quick health questions so we can check whether this therapy is suitable for you before you pay anything.
Complete a quick checkout for the R99 consultation fee. You can add other peptides to your consult here if you'd like the doctor to assess them too. R99 is all you pay to start. Your therapy is priced separately once prescribed.
A registered doctor reviews your information in a short online consultation to assess what's right for you.
Based on the consult, the doctor writes your prescription and confirms the price of your therapy.
Once you settle the invoice, your therapy is compounded and dispatched to you.
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Before you buy anything with copper peptides in it, make sure you know what the research does and does not show.
What is GHK-Cu, and what do copper peptides do?
GHK-Cu is three amino acids holding one copper atom, and your body already makes it. It carries copper to your skin cells and gives them a signal that may help them make more collagen, the protein that keeps skin firm.
Is an injected copper peptide the same as the serum?
No, and this is the most important thing on this page. The human studies were done on creams and serums. No published human trial has tested the injected form. A cream mostly stays in the top layer of skin, which is the argument for a prescribed peptide, but that is a reason to ask a doctor, not proof that it works better.
Do copper peptides actually work?
In small studies on creams, women's skin measured thicker and firmer after 12 weeks. One trial followed 71 women with sun-damaged skin, and reported thicker, firmer skin and shallower fine lines. The studies are small and most were funded by cosmetic companies, so expect a modest change, not a new face.
How long do copper peptides take to work?
Judge a serum after about three months. The trials ran for 8 to 12 weeks before they measured anything. Nothing in the research happens in a week.
What about the before and after photos I keep seeing?
A photo is not evidence. Lighting, angle, make-up and a good night's sleep change a face more than any serum does. The trials measured skin thickness and wrinkle depth with instruments, which is why those numbers are worth more than a picture.
Can I use copper peptides with retinol?
Most dermatologists say use them on alternate nights rather than at the same time. That advice is about avoiding irritation. There is no human study showing that the two cancel each other out.
What should you not mix with copper peptides?
The common advice is to keep them away from vitamin C and strong acids. The reason given is that copper can break vitamin C down. That is chemistry, not a study in people, and the safe way around it is simple: vitamin C in the morning, copper peptides at night.
Copper peptides or retinol, which is better?
In the one small study that compared them, more women made new collagen on the copper peptide cream (70 in 100) than on a retinoid (40 in 100). That was a pilot study in 1998. Retinoids still have far more research behind them for lines and wrinkles, so copper peptides sit next to them, not instead of them.
What are the side effects of copper peptides?
On the skin: redness, itching, tingling or a breakout when you start, and rarely a blue or green tinge that fades. With an injected peptide bought from a seller, doctors report too much copper in the blood, and livers under strain, in people who used far too much, with nobody checking their bloods.
Who should not use copper peptides?
Anyone with Wilson's disease or another condition that affects how the body handles copper, a copper allergy, or liver disease, unless their own specialist says otherwise. Also not while pregnant or breastfeeding, because nobody has tested it in them.
Are copper peptides safe in pregnancy or while breastfeeding?
No study has tested them in pregnant or breastfeeding women, so a doctor does not prescribe them then. Ask your own doctor before using any active on your skin while pregnant.
Do copper peptides grow hair?
There is no strong human trial showing that they do. Most of the research is on skin. The hair claims you see online come from shops, not from published trials, so treat them as marketing until a proper study lands.
How much GHK-Cu should I take, and how often?
Only your doctor can tell you that. There is no published human trial of the injected form to base a number on, so anyone handing you a dose off a website is guessing with your health. Your doctor decides it on the call, from your health history and your skin.
Where can I get copper peptides in South Africa?
A serum is a cosmetic and sits on a shelf at Clicks, Dis-Chem or any beauty shop. A prescribed peptide therapy is a medicine, so it is legal only when a registered doctor prescribes it and a licensed pharmacy makes it. Buying an injectable peptide from anyone without a prescription is not legal.
Can you use copper peptides every day?
A serum is usually used once a day, and it is safer to build up to that. Start a few nights a week and see how your skin takes it. With a prescribed peptide, how often you use it is your doctor's call, not a number off a website.
Can copper peptides cause acne or breakouts?
Some people do break out when they start, especially if their skin is already acne-prone. Stop if your skin is angry and speak to a doctor or a dermatologist rather than pushing through it.
How much does it cost to talk to a doctor?
The doctor consult is a once-off R99. If the doctor prescribes a therapy, you get the exact price before you pay anything more. Our prices are market-related, and the doctor gives you the exact price before you pay anything more.
- Pickart L, Margolina A. Regenerative and protective actions of the GHK-Cu peptide in the light of the new gene data. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2018;19(7):1987 (PMC6073405).
- Pickart L, Vasquez-Soltero JM, Margolina A. GHK peptide as a natural modulator of multiple cellular pathways in skin regeneration. BioMed Research International, 2015 (PMC4508379).
- Leyden J, et al. Skin care benefits of copper peptide containing facial cream, and eye cream. Proceedings of the American Academy of Dermatology 60th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, 2002 (conference abstracts).
- Abdulghani AA, et al. Effects of topical creams containing vitamin C, a copper-binding peptide cream and melatonin compared with tretinoin on the ultrastructure of normal skin. Disease Management and Clinical Outcomes, 1998 (a pilot study).
- Badenhorst T, et al. Effects of GHK-Cu on MMP and TIMP expression, collagen and elastin production, and facial wrinkle parameters. Journal of Aging Science, 2016.
- NPR. The copper peptide trend has gone from creams to injections, ahead of the science. 7 September 2026.
- Wright CY, Norval M, Millar DA, du Preez DJ, et al. The epidemiology of skin cancer and public health strategies for its prevention in Southern Africa. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2020 (PMC7037230).
- Westlake Dermatology. GHK-Cu copper peptides for skin care (Dr Jennifer Gordon).
Last checked 23 September 2026. This article is general information, not medical advice. Only a doctor can tell you what is right for you.
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