COMPOUND

Compounds / Healing

AHK-Cu

AHK-Cu (Alanine-Histidine-Lysine + Cu²⁺; Copper Tripeptide-3)

Healing Topical · SubQ Not FDA approved

Copper-bound tripeptide consisting of alanine, histidine, and lysine. Distinct from GHK-Cu (glycyl-histidyl-lysine + Cu). AHK-Cu uses alanine in place of glycine, giving it different receptor binding and a more pronounced effect on dermal papilla cells (hair follicle command center). Trade name: Copper Tripeptide-3 (INCI). Sold as topical serum, scalp spray, and lyophilized powder for mesotherapy. Available OTC as cosmetic ingredient. The catalogued evidence is in vitro plus a cosmetic-ingredient safety dossier, with no human comparison against standard hair loss treatments such as finasteride or minoxidil.

At a glance

Routes
Topical · SubQ
Vial sizes
10 mg · 50 mg · 100 mg
Evidence base
2 studies 1 review · 1 preclinical

Mechanism

AHK-Cu mechanisms documented in 2007 dermal papilla research: stimulates dermal papilla cell proliferation (the cells that signal hair to grow); increases fibroblast counts and VEGF production (angiogenesis around follicles); reduces caspase-3 by 42.7% (anti-apoptotic in dermal papilla); reduces PARP self-destruct marker by 77.5%; shifts Bcl-2/Bax balance toward survival; extends anagen (growth phase) of hair follicles in ex vivo studies. Effects are concentration-dependent (10⁻¹² to 10⁻⁹ M range optimal; higher concentrations inhibit). Established cosmetic safety profile for topical use up to 0.1%.

Dosing

No standardized human dosing has been established. Every catalogued study for AHK-Cu is preclinical or a literature review. Amounts used in animal models do not translate directly to humans.

Published evidence

  1. Review 2010

    AHK-Cu as cosmetic ingredient: Copper Tripeptide-3 dossier

    Various cosmetic dossier authors INCI / cosmetic literature

    Established cosmetic safety profile for topical use up to 0.1%; widely used in hair-care formulations.

  2. In vitro 2007

    The effect of tripeptide-copper complex on human hair growth in vitro

    Pyo HK, Yoo HG, Won CH, et al. Arch Pharm Res

    AHK-Cu significantly extended human hair follicle growth (anagen phase) ex vivo at low concentrations; stimulated dermal papilla cell proliferation. Foundational hair growth study.

    PMID 17703734

Reported side effects

Topical irritation
Occasional Mild · Mild scalp redness or itching at higher concentrations.
Theoretical copper accumulation
Theoretical Mild · Topical copper peptide use unlikely to cause systemic copper toxicity at typical doses.

Interactions

  • GHK-Cu Synergy

    Different copper peptides; GHK-Cu skin/wound-focused; AHK-Cu hair-focused. Complementary topical use.

  • Minoxidil Synergy

    Different mechanisms (Minoxidil = K+ channel; AHK-Cu = dermal papilla VEGF). Common combined hair-loss protocol.

Reconstitution and storage

Topical: vendor-prepared serum 0.05-0.1%. DIY: 100 mg powder + 100 mL serum carrier (propylene glycol or hyaluronic acid base). SubQ: lyophilized + BAC water at 1-5 mg/mL.

Topical serum: refrigerated for stability; lyophilized powder room temp.

Open the reconstitution calculator for AHK-Cu