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On social media, people are smearing electric-blue serums on their faces. Some are even injecting them. These copper peptides are supposed to deliver flawless skin and help hair grow. NPR's Will Stone reports on the evidence.
WILL STONE, BYLINE: Fifty years ago, before it was a beauty peptide and the subject of looksmaxxing content, GHK-Copper was a new discovery. A chemist named Loren Pickart had isolated it from human blood and noticed that levels decline as people age.
WARREN LADIGES: It's a naturally occurring peptide.
STONE: That's Dr. Warren Ladiges, a professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle. He collaborated with Loren Pickart, who died several years ago.
LADIGES: The aspect that Loren was pursuing was the skin. He developed this antiaging skin cream.
STONE: Because GHK binds to copper, it's often called copper peptides. He says it stimulates collagen production and other compounds in skin remodeling, triggers the growth of new blood vessels and has anti-inflammatory effects.
LADIGES: GHK-Copper, when given to mice, stimulates a number of pathways that are associated with aging.
STONE: Ladiges says his experiments also indicate GHK can help with symptoms of Alzheimer's. But all this comes from animal studies. The human evidence is mostly on skin health and, to a lesser extent, on wound healing and hair growth. These trials are small and funded by the cosmetic industry. And they show copper peptides applied as a cream or serum improves thickness and elasticity, decreases wrinkles and delivers other benefits for damaged skin. Dr. David Goldberg is director of cosmetic dermatology for the Schweiger Dermatology Group.
DAVID GOLDBERG: The science behind this is very solid.
STONE: He puts GHK in the same general category as topicals with vitamin C and antioxidants.
GOLDBERG: The topical GHK-Copper products definitely work.
STONE: But many people aren't simply putting it on their face. Increasingly, they're injecting it. There are no published human studies proving this is safe or effective. Goldberg says it's possible there are added benefits, but...
GOLDBERG: I'm going to not sleep well at night until the human studies are actually done. Do I suggest to patients that they get injected with these peptides? The answer is no.
STONE: Like many wellness peptides, GHK-Copper is not an approved drug. Technically, compounding pharmacies aren't allowed to make the injectable form. But that has not curbed consumer appetite.
MARISA GARSHICK: I definitely think we're hearing more and more about the injections.
STONE: Dr. Marisa Garshick is at MDCS Dermatology.
GARSHICK: This is a classic situation where sometimes the marketing outpaces the science.
STONE: Experts say generally GHK-Copper is quite safe. If you inject it, though, there are more risks, like overloading your system with copper or triggering a dangerous immune reaction. A big concern is that many are now buying copper peptides on the gray market. Erik Marks is a doctor of nursing practice and runs a wellness clinic in the Seattle area called Vitality Medical. He says patients come to see him with problems after using GHK unsupervised.
ERIK MARKS: Injection-site irritations, reactions, infections, liver issues.
STONE: In these circumstances, it's unclear what's even responsible - copper peptides or some other undisclosed substance.
MARKS: And I'm recommending, get out of this. You need to stop.
STONE: But Marks does offer GHK-Copper in his own practice. He prefers the topicals for skin. Occasionally, he will give the injectable form, which he buys from a licensed pharmacy. So far, the benefits are underwhelming to him.
MARKS: It's very minimal, I will honestly say, from the injectable form.
STONE: He would also like to see more research.
Will Stone, NPR News.
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