Copper for Hair: Gray Hair, Hair Growth & Copper Peptides

Copper is one of the most interesting minerals for hair because it touches two things people care about most: hair color and hair growth. It powers tyrosinase, the enzyme that makes hair pigment. And copper peptides have shown striking effects on hair follicles in the lab.

Here's what the research says about copper and gray hair, copper and hair growth, and how to keep your levels where they should be.

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Key Takeaways

• Copper is essential for tyrosinase, the enzyme your hair follicles use to make melanin pigment.
• A study found lower blood copper levels in young people who go gray prematurely.
• A copper peptide (AHK-Cu) lengthened human hair follicles and boosted follicle cell growth in laboratory studies.
• Copper needs to be kept in balance: stick to recommended amounts.

What Is Copper?

Copper is an essential trace mineral. It's needed for many enzymes and is involved in growth, immune defense, bone strength and brain development.

Copper And Hair Growth

Copper peptides are small protein fragments bound to copper. They appear in many topical hair serums, and the research behind them is laboratory research, which we cover below.

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How To Get Enough Copper

• Eat a varied diet. Copper is found across many whole foods. Restrictive or highly processed diets are more likely to fall short.
• Balance your minerals. A balanced formula is better than mega-dosing one mineral.
• Check your levels if you're graying early. A blood test for copper can show how you're doing.
• Consider topical copper peptides as part of a scalp routine for hair growth support.

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See also: Glutathione and Gray Hair: What the Science Says · Chlorophyll and Chlorella for Hair: What the Research Shows

What The Research Shows

Copper Powers The Pigment Enzyme

Copper acts as a cofactor for tyrosinase, the key enzyme in pigmentation (Tsang et al., 2021). Tyrosinase starts the chain of reactions that turns the amino acid tyrosine into melanin, the pigment that gives your hair its color.

Low Copper In Premature Graying

In 66 young people under 20 with premature graying, blood copper was significantly lower than in matched controls (Fatemi Naieni et al., 2012). This shows an association, not cause and effect. But it makes copper one of the most relevant minerals to check if you're graying early.

Copper Peptides In The Lab

A copper peptide, AHK-Cu, was tested directly on human hair follicles. It lengthened hair follicles kept alive outside the body, stimulated the growth of dermal papilla cells (the cells that direct hair growth), and shifted markers away from cell death (Pyo et al., 2007). These are laboratory results, and clinical trials in people are still needed.

Can You Have Too Much Copper?

Yes. Stick to recommended amounts. If you have a condition that affects copper metabolism, take copper supplements only under medical supervision.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does copper help gray hair?

Copper is required for the pigment enzyme tyrosinase, and young people who gray prematurely tended to have lower copper levels. Keeping your copper intake adequate supports normal pigment production.

Do copper peptides help hair growth?

In laboratory studies, the copper peptide AHK-Cu lengthened human hair follicles and boosted dermal papilla cell growth. Human clinical trials are still needed.

Can copper deficiency cause hair loss or color loss?

Deficiency is uncommon in adults eating a varied diet. If you're concerned about your copper levels, ask your doctor about a blood test.

References

1. Tsang T, Davis CI, Brady DC. Copper biology. Curr Biol. 2021. PubMed
2. Fatemi Naieni F, Ebrahimi B, Vakilian HR, et al. Serum iron, zinc, and copper concentration in premature graying of hair. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2012. PubMed
3. Pyo HK, Yoo HG, Won CH, et al. The effect of tripeptide-copper complex on human hair growth in vitro. Arch Pharm Res. 2007. PubMed