Hair health is deeply personal. Search any social media platform and you’ll find no shortage of tips on how to keep your hair beautiful and healthy at any stage of life.
But what women actually want is a science-backed way to support hair health, not the latest fad. This is one reason GHK-Cu peptides have been circulating the internet a lot recently. Not because they’re trendy, but because more people are learning about the science behind peptides and hair health.
What is GHK-Cu?
GHK-Cu (glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine + copper) is a naturally occurring copper-binding peptide that has been found to have benefits for skin and hair health. Peptides are short chains of amino acids, the fundamental components of proteins. Peptides offer a personalized approach to wellness, addressing specific concerns from hormonal imbalances to muscle recovery to hair health.
More on what the science says about GHK-Cu for hair health
Many lab and clinical studies have investigated GHK-Cu’s effect on hair. Some of the findings include:
- Increased hair follicle size and density
- Enhanced gene expression related to hair growth and repair
- Improved wound healing and tissue regeneration, supporting the scalp’s ability to grow healthy hair
As with any science-based topic, we’re still learning how GHK-Cu peptides affect hair health. But what we do know has shaped how we approach hair treatments and support healthy hair, and more and more people are getting on board.
How GHK-Cu supports hair health
Once we started to understand what GHK-Cu does, it didn’t take long to see its potential for women’s hair. Copper peptides support hair health in the following ways:
- Helps stimulate hair follicle cells, which are crucial for initiating and sustaining the hair growth cycle
- Helps extend the anagen (growth) phase, helping to promote thicker, longer hair over time
- Supports improved blood circulation. Better blood flow to the scalp means more oxygen and nutrients reach hair follicles, fueling stronger, healthier growth
- Helps reduce inflammation, which can trigger hair shedding
- Helps maintain hair color. Copper is one of the micronutrients needed to produce melanin, a compound responsible for the color of your hair
The role of GHK-Cu peptides on hair health may be a recent trend, but it’s not new science. Simply put, it’s popular because it works—and we’ve known this for a while.
10 lifestyle tips to support hair growth
GHK-Cu isn’t the only factor that affects your hair. Your daily habits can make a difference too—for better or for worse. Try these tips to help keep your locks healthy and beautiful.
1. Eat a hair-nourishing diet
Think foods high in protein, iron, omega-3s, or vitamins D, E, and A. This includes lean protein, leafy greens, eggs, salmon, citrus fruits, and berries.
2. Avoid restrictive dieting
Restrictive diets can cause nutrient deficiencies—and your hair needs those nutrients for hair growth. Inadequate nutrient intake can cause hair shedding, so stick to a nutritious, well-balanced diet as much as possible.
3. Massage your scalp regularly
Your scalp is the soil for your hair. If it’s inflamed, clogged, or dry, your hair follicles can suffer. Daily or weekly scalp massages help to increase circulation and support blood flow. (A simple wire head scratcher works great for this!)
4. Manage stress
Temporary hair loss is a common side effect of chronic stress, due to elevated cortisol levels. Make hair loss one less thing to worry about by exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, and prioritizing quiet moments throughout your day.
5. Wash your hair regularly—but not too much
Over-washing can strip away natural oils and make your hair dry and dull, but under-washing leads to oily buildup, dandruff, and other scalp problems. Aim for the “just right” middle option. For most people, this means washing 2–4 times a week.
Pro tip: You’re probably using more shampoo than you really need—a small dab will do. Focus on scrubbing shampoo into your scalp rather than lathering up every inch from top to bottom.
6. Be careful with heat
High-heat styling tools like hair dryers and flat irons damage your hair and can make hair look thinner over time. Limit your use of these tools and let your hair air-dry when you can. When you do use heat-styling tools, apply a heat-protectant product first and use the lowest heat setting possible.
7. Go gentle with your up-dos
Sometimes, you just need your hair out of your face and off your neck. Just try not to rely on tight ponytails or braids, as these tug at the roots and can cause breakage.
8. Don’t skip the trim
Regular trims (every few months) keep the split ends at bay—and prevent them from spreading farther up your strands and causing hair breakage. Trimming won’t make your hair grow faster, but it will help keep it looking and feeling healthy.
9. Drink up
Nobody wants dry, brittle hair. Hydrated hair, on the other hand, looks healthy, shiny, and full.
Drinking water throughout the day helps your hair retain its moisture balance, elasticity, and strength.
10. Protect your hair while you sleep
First off, strive to get 7–9 hours of sleep on a consistent basis. This allows your body to keep making melatonin, which plays a role in regulating hair growth.
If you toss and turn a lot once you do fall asleep, this can cause extra breakage. To prevent friction and tangling while you sleep, try using a silk or satin pillowcase or wrap to protect your hair.
Finally, don’t go to bed with wet hair. Not only will you wake up with a rat’s nest as a hairstyle, lying on wet hair can weaken the strands, making breakage later on more likely.
Further hair support
The GHK-Cu peptide has been shown to support strong, healthy hair for women of all ages, but its production declines as you get older. Lifestyle can impact how your hair looks and feels too, but lifestyle alone may not always be enough, especially as you get older.
If you’re looking for additional hair support, Shed has multiple offerings designed to support a variety of hair needs, including a GHK-Cu peptide solution. Visit tryshed.com to learn more.
