Claimed effect · GHK-Cu

Does GHK-Cu help with wound healing?

C
Grade C — weak human evidenceSmall trials, mixed · effect size: small
Short answerWeak human evidence. Small trials, mixed: enough to be interesting, not enough to count on. Where an effect is seen it is a small effect. A GHK-Cu gel was tested on diabetic foot ulcers in the 1990s with mixed results; the product was not carried forward.

What the studies show

A GHK-Cu gel was tested on diabetic foot ulcers in the 1990s with mixed results; the product was not carried forward.

A few small or poorly-controlled human studies. Enough to be interesting; not enough to count on. Most of what gets called “clinically proven” online lives here.

  1. 1
    Mulder GD, et al. Enhanced healing of ulcers in patients with diabetes by topical treatment with glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine copper.Wound Repair Regen, 1994;2:259–269Small trial of a GHK-Cu gel on diabetic foot ulcers.

In context

GHK-Cu is a naturally occurring three-amino-acid peptide that binds copper, found in plasma, saliva and urine, with levels that fall with age. Applied to skin in creams it has modest evidence from small trials for improving fine lines and skin firmness, which is why it is a common cosmetic ingredient. Injected use — increasingly promoted online — has no human evidence of any kind.

GHK-Cu is cosmetic ingredient. Legal status differs by country — see the regulation section or the jurisdiction pages.

Questions

Is GHK-Cu proven to help with wound healing?
No. The human evidence is weak (Small trials, mixed); LYO grades it C.
What studies are behind the grade?
A GHK-Cu gel was tested on diabetic foot ulcers in the 1990s with mixed results; the product was not carried forward.
Is GHK-Cu approved for this?
No. GHK-Cu is cosmetic ingredient; it is not an approved medicine for any indication in the jurisdictions LYO covers.

Other outcomes for GHK-Cu

Reviewed 2 September 2026. Grades count human evidence only; see how LYO grades. Not medical advice. Correct this page →