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DSIP vs GHK-Cu: side-by-side comparison

Peptide

Delta Sleep Inducing Peptide · Delta Sleep Peptide · Factor Delta

A 9-amino acid neuropeptide (Trp-Ala-Gly-Gly-Asp-Ala-Ser-Gly-Glu, ~849 Da) first isolated from rabbit cerebral venous blood in 1974 and chemically characterized by Schoenenberger & Monnier in 1977. Promotes delta wave (slow-wave) sleep stages 3-4 NREM. Modulates GABA and serotonin systems. Animal studies report increased nocturnal GH pulses and altered stress-hormone responses, but the controlled human trials that tested this directly found no effect on GH/prolactin (Giusti et al. 1993) or on CRH-/meal-induced ACTH/cortisol (Späth-Schwalbe et al. 1995): so the often-repeated GH and cortisol claims are largely unproven in humans. Research peaked in the 1980s-90s but development stalled due to very short half-life and inconsistent clinical results. Evidence quality is low-moderate with mostly small, outdated studies.

1.0/10 natty
Full breakdown →
VS
Peptide

Copper Peptide · GHK-Copper · Copper Tripeptide-1

A natural copper complex that rejuvenates skin and hair follicles. Found naturally in human plasma, GHK-Cu levels decline with age, and supplementation may restore youthful tissue function.

1.0/10 natty
Full breakdown →

1 / 10 natty scale / 1

Same lane

Both sit in the same class, but they are pointed at different goals: DSIP at health, GHK-Cu at cosmetic, recovery, longevity.

The tape

Core ratings

The same three rulers every entry on the site is scored with, read head to head.

DSIPGHK-Cu
1.0

Natty scale

1 natural · 10 heavy

1.0
2.5

Effectiveness

Documented effect · of 5Δ2

4.5
1.0

Side-effect severity

Documented burden · of 5

1.0

Cost side

Body-load fingerprint

Where each one actually lands its strain, on the calculator's thirteen channels. Tap a row for what it means and which labs track it.

DSIPGHK-Cu

Cardiometabolic

Injection & site care

Bars show strain at each one's typical protocol, not your dose. marks values inferred from side-effect data or category rather than hand-graded. For your numbers, run the calculator.

Logistics

The vitals

DSIPGHK-Cu
Peptide
Classmatch
Peptide
Subcutaneous
Routematch
Subcutaneous
100-300 mcg/dayOnce daily, 30-60 minutes before bed. Some use 5 days on/2 days off.
Typical dose
0.5-2 mg/dayOnce-daily subcutaneous injection (community/practitioner protocols); topical 0.5-3% cream/serum applied 1-2x/day for localized skin or hair use
~7-25 minutes
Half-life
Not established
4-8 weeks
Typical runmatch
4-8 weeks
Research chemical
Legal statusmatch
Research chemical
Unclear
WADAmatch
Unclear

Benefit side

What each is for

Shared goals carry both dots; a goal with one dot belongs to that side alone.

DSIPGHK-Cu
HealthCosmeticRecoveryLongevity

Run for

Sleep Quality ImprovementPromotes slow-wave (delta) sleep. Reduced sleep latency and improved sleep efficiency in some insomnia studies. Effects may be more pronounced in sleep-disordered individuals than healthy subjects.
GH Enhancement (unproven in humans)Animal studies (Iyer et al. 1987/1988) report increased nocturnal GH pulse amplitude, often cited as "30-50%" though that figure traces to older/animal work rather than a controlled human trial. The one controlled human trial that tested this, Giusti et al. (1993), found no significant change in GH or prolactin. Not comparable to exogenous GH.
Stress/Cortisol Normalization (unproven in humans)Improved stress tolerance and stress-hormone markers in animal models (e.g., preserved hypothalamic substance P, blunted adrenal/thymus stress response, Salieva et al. 1992). However, a controlled human trial (Späth-Schwalbe et al. 1995) found DSIP did not alter CRH- or meal-induced ACTH/cortisol secretion, so cortisol-normalizing claims are not established in humans.
Recovery SupportTheoretical improvement through better sleep quality alone (the cortisol-lowering pathway is not confirmed in humans). Any enhanced recovery capacity during intense training periods is indirect.

Documented upside

  • May improve slow-wave sleep quality
  • GH pulse increases seen in animal studies, but not confirmed in the one controlled human trial
  • Stress-protective effects seen in animal models; a controlled human trial found no cortisol/ACTH effect
  • Acts as an endogenous stress-limiting factor in animal research
  • Generally well-tolerated with mild side effects (largest human trial, n=107, reported good tolerance aside from occasional headache)
+3 more on the full page

Run for

Skin RejuvenationImproves skin elasticity, thickness, and reduces wrinkles.
Hair GrowthStimulates hair follicles and may reverse hair thinning.
Wound HealingAccelerates healing of wounds and tissue repair.

Documented upside

  • Improved skin elasticity and thickness
  • Reduced wrinkles and fine lines
  • Stimulated hair growth
  • Enhanced wound healing
  • Increased collagen production
+1 more on the full page

The downsides

Side effects, aligned

Each entry's documented side effects, sorted onto the same body systems so the gaps and the overlaps are visible. Tap any effect for the detail.

DSIPGHK-Cu
Blood pressure & water

None documented

Injection site
Other documented effects

The exit

Hormonal fallout & recovery

What each does to your own hormone axis while on, and what leaving it costs.

DSIPGHK-Cu
Not required
PCT
Not required
While-on only
What sticks
Support role

DSIP

Does not suppress the HPT axis. No PCT required. May indirectly support recovery through improved sleep quality (direct cortisol-normalizing effects have not been confirmed in controlled human trials).

GHK-Cu

Does not affect hormones. No PCT required.

Read-out

How they separate

  1. 01

    Enhancement

    They land at almost the same point on the natty scale (1/10 vs 1/10): a similar distance beyond natural.

  2. 02

    Coming off

    Neither requires PCT: both leave the natural testosterone axis running.

Generated from each entry's data file. Descriptive, not a recommendation; nothing here is medical advice.