Users describe starting GHK-Cu at 1 mg daily and increasing to 2 mg, with some staying on continuously for months or a year while others suggest 8-12 weeks on followed by a 4-week break. Experiences include softer yet firmer skin, faster nail growth, reduced pain, and better heel/cuticle condition on Cu, with Basic alone linked to worse cuticles by one person. Many combine Cu and Basic at 1:1 or add zinc, and note that results vary by individual.
What this discussion establishesWhether cycling off is necessary versus continuous daily use, and whether GHK-Basic adds value on its own or should only be mixed with Cu.
Still openOptimal long-term schedule, exact contribution of each form, and how much zinc is needed.
Nothing here is advice.
My wife began GHK-Cu at 1 mg per day using 5 days on and 2 days off. She is only in the first few days. I want to know how long before increasing to 2 mg daily, what cycle lengths make sense for on and off periods, and whether restarting after a break should pick up at 2 mg.
I use 2 mg every day without any breaks. I have kept this up for more than a year.
Dosing depends on the person so nothing fits everyone. Suggestions include 1 to 2.5 mg daily without breaks. Some skip two days a week to cut costs even though evidence for that break is lacking. An 8 to 12 week run followed by 4 weeks off is one option. Around 2 mg seems effective for many, and continuous use works if cost is not an issue.
Hard to give advice without more detail. Are you asking about GHK-CU or GHK-Basic?
What kind of results have you seen?
I planned to switch to GHK-B after finishing a Cu run. I went 1 mg for three weeks, then 1.5 mg for three weeks, then 2 mg and stayed there. After two vials of Cu I moved to Basic. Ten days later I saw a clear drop-off without the copper. Now I mix them 1:1 and get no irritation. It suits what I need. Bodies differ so what works varies.
You are not taking any time off then, like 30 days on and 14 off or the 5 and 2 pattern?
Right, no cycling off. I stay on the 1:1 mix of GHK-Cu and GHK-B.
I have been doing the same. Started at 1 mg daily for a week then moved to 2 mg. One 100 mg vial lasted 50 straight days. I am considering an 80-day break while traveling then resuming. Skin feels softer and firmer, even tougher. Needles sometimes bend trying to pin. No clear hair change yet. I began because of loose skin after quick weight loss and think it helped, though I also use topical and microneedling so it is hard to separate the effects.
How do the results differ between the Cu version and the Basic version?
A steady 1-2 mg dose can be kept up for several months or more. Higher amounts like 3-5 mg would be for shorter runs. Zinc is often added because extra copper can lower zinc levels.
What results have you noticed? I apply it topically on my face and it has worked better than Retin-A for me, but I figured systemic use would not do much for skin.
I am also doing daily use without breaks. Started in November and so far no problems.
After two months on Cu my heels stopped cracking and cuticles stayed intact. Someone even commented that I was glowing. Two weeks on Basic alone and the cuticles went bad again. I added Cu back into the Basic and will not run Basic by itself anymore.
That settles it, I will skip Basic then.
If you already have it, mixing reduces the sting from Cu. I am considering a blend of both.
I put my wife on 1 mg daily for 30 days on and 30 off. She will move to 2 mg next week. She takes a multivitamin that already supplies 2 mg copper and 2 mg zinc, so 2 mg total from the peptide stays under common upper suggestions. So far she has faster nail growth and less pain with no side effects.
I saw an upper limit mentioned at 7 mg per day. Skin and hair texture changes build slowly, with noticeable effects around 7-8 weeks at 1 mg. The 2-4 mg range is often viewed as ideal. Zinc is said to help copper absorption.
There are conflicting views on adding zinc during a Cu cycle. I take zinc every few days while on 2 mg Cu and like the results.
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