Vilon vs GHK-Cu
Side-by-side comparison of Vilon and GHK-Cu: mechanism, half-life, dose range, safety profile, and vendor pricing.
Price snapshot
Vilon
GHK-Cu
Vilon
Vilon is the simplest member of Vladimir Khavinson's short-peptide bioregulator catalog — a dipeptide of lysine and glutamic acid (H-Lys-Glu-OH, abbreviated KE). Developed at the Saint Petersburg Institute of…
No vendor price on file.
Full Vilon profileGHK-Cu
GHK-Cu is the copper(II) complex of the tripeptide glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine, a molecule Pickart and Thaler first pulled out of human plasma in 1973. The free peptide (GHK, C14H24N6O4) weighs about 340.4 Da; bind it 1:1…
Lowest listed price: $34.99 across 7 listings
Full GHK-Cu profileSide-by-side comparison
| Attribute | Vilon | GHK-Cu |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Recovery | Skin, Hair & Aesthetics |
| Research Stage | Preclinical | Approved/marketed as a topical cosmetic ingredient (Copper tripeptide-1) with supporting small human studies. Injectable use is preclinical/off-label, research-use-only, with no human clinical trials. |
| Mechanism of Action | Vilon's proposed mechanism follows the Khavinson three-stage framework applied to the simplest-possible peptide. Stage one is absorption: oral Vilon is claimed to be absorbed intact from the gut because it is small enough (275 Da) to cross the intestinal… | GHK-Cu works mostly as a copper shuttle and a signaling peptide. It binds Cu(II) with high affinity (log K around 16.4, close to albumin's 16.2) and can supply or regulate copper for copper-dependent enzymes like SOD1, lysyl oxidase, cytochrome c oxidase, and… |
| Half-Life | Not established in humans; as a dipeptide (Lys-Glu) it is expected to be cleared from plasma within minutes, with proposed effects attributed to transient gene-expression modulation rather than sustained blood levels. | ~30-60 min (plasma; approximate legacy figure, no robust modern human PK study) |
| Typical Dose Range | 20 mg oral capsule (~2-4 mg Lys-Glu peptide), 1-2 capsules daily for 10 consecutive days per cycle | 200-500 mcg SC daily (community/RUO; no clinically established injectable dose) |
| Dosing Frequency | — | Once daily subcutaneous; some run 5 days on / 2 days off. Topical: 1-2x daily to cleansed skin. |
| Administration | — | Subcutaneous, Topical |
| Side Effects | Published Khavinson-group observations describe Vilon as exceptionally well tolerated at oral doses of 1 to 2 capsules daily during 10-day cycles. The structural simplicity of the dipeptide — lysine and glutamate, both ubiquitous amino acids — and the low… | Topical GHK-Cu is generally well tolerated; higher-concentration formulations (4-5%) raise the odds of irritation, redness, or stinging. Injectable use has no safety data from controlled trials; the main theoretical concern is copper accumulation with repeated… |
| Molecular Weight | 275.3 Da (C11H21N3O5) | Free peptide (GHK): 340.38 Da (C14H24N6O4). Copper complex (GHK-Cu): 401.9 Da (C14H22CuN6O4, neutral 1:1 Cu(II) complex). |
| Common Vial Sizes | — | 50 mg, 100 mg |
Price History
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Vilon: potential benefits
- Immune system support
- Tissue repair enhancement
- Anti-aging immune modulation
- General health optimization
GHK-Cu: potential benefits
- Stimulates type I collagen synthesis in human fibroblasts at low nanomolar-to-picomolar concentrations (PMID: 3169264)
- Increases glycosaminoglycans (dermatan/chondroitin sulfate) and upregulates decorin in wound models (PMID: 11121126)
- Modulates matrix metalloproteinases and their inhibitors, partially correcting the MMP-9/TIMP-1 imbalance in a smoke-induced emphysema model (PMID: 35936787)
- Drives tissue remodeling and chemoattracts macrophages, mast cells, and capillary cells to injury sites (PMID: 18644225)
- Modulates expression of ~4,000+ human genes via the Broad Institute Connectivity Map, including DNA-repair and antioxidant genes (PMID: 25302294)
- Increases stemness and proliferative potential of epidermal basal cells and keratinocytes (PMID: 23019153)
- Acts as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory copper regulator in the context of aging (PMID: 22666519)
- Broad skin-regeneration effects on collagen, proteoglycans, MMPs, and immune/endothelial cell recruitment (PMID: 26236730)
Frequently asked
What's the difference between Vilon and GHK-Cu?
Vilon is a recovery that vilon's proposed mechanism follows the khavinson three-stage framework applied to the simplest-possible peptide. stage one is absorption: oral vilon is claimed to be absorbed…. GHK-Cu is a skin, hair & aesthetics that ghk-cu works mostly as a copper shuttle and a signaling peptide. it binds cu(ii) with high affinity (log k around 16.4, close to albumin's 16.2) and can supply or regulate copper…. The two differ in mechanism, half-life (Not established in humans; as a dipeptide (Lys-Glu) it is expected to be cleared from plasma within minutes, with proposed effects attributed to transient gene-expression modulation rather than sustained blood levels. vs ~30-60 min (plasma; approximate legacy figure, no robust modern human PK study)), and typical dose range.
Which has the longer half-life, Vilon or GHK-Cu?
Vilon has a half-life of Not established in humans; as a dipeptide (Lys-Glu) it is expected to be cleared from plasma within minutes, with proposed effects attributed to transient gene-expression modulation rather than sustained blood levels.. GHK-Cu has a half-life of ~30-60 min (plasma; approximate legacy figure, no robust modern human PK study). Longer half-lives generally mean less frequent dosing but slower on/off kinetics.
Can you stack Vilon and GHK-Cu?
Stacking depends on mechanism overlap, safety profile, and goals. Vilon and GHK-Cu should only be stacked after reviewing each compound's individual protocol page, side effect profile, and any published interaction data. Use the BodyHackGuide stack builder for a structured review before combining research compounds.
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Research use only. BodyHackGuide is a research and price-comparison reference. The compounds discussed on this page are not approved by the FDA for human consumption and are sold strictly for laboratory research. Prices shown are pulled from vendor listings tracked on BHG and are subject to change. We earn an affiliate commission on some outbound clicks, and every vendor is ranked on the same public, reproducible methodology. See editorial standards and affiliate disclosure.