Pal-AHK_Dosage, benefits & legal status
Also known as Palmitoyl-AHK, Palmitoyl tripeptide AHK, Pal-Ala-His-Lys
A hair-peptide serum ingredient that borrows most of its reputation from GHK-Cu.
Common vial size is what vendors typically sell, not a recommendation. Enter your own vial in the calculator.
What is Pal-AHK?
Plain language first. The technical label stays, but it never stands alone.Overview
The idea is to nudge hair follicles into staying in their growth phase, and the evidence is thin.
Pal-AHK is palmitoylated Ala-His-Lys, a lipidated tripeptide used as a leave-on cosmetic ingredient in scalp and lash products.
What it's used for
Applied to the scalp or lash line, marketed for thicker hair and lashes.
How does Pal-AHK work?
What it does in the body, and where.A short peptide with a fatty tail, designed to reach the follicle through the skin.
- 01The palmitoyl tail aids penetrationThe fatty acid half helps the peptide cross the skin's oily outer barrier, which plain peptides do poorly.
- 02AHK is a signal fragmentShort peptides like this are thought to act as signals to skin and follicle cells rather than as building blocks.
- 03The evidence is mostly borrowedThe copper-carrying relatives GHK-Cu and AHK-Cu have most of the actual studies. Pal-AHK itself has very few.
Where this compound is thought to act.
What else is it used for?
Each use below carries its own evidence level. Approved means regulators have cleared it for that purpose. Investigational means it is in trials. Early research means it is being studied and is not established.
- Hair thickness and follicle support, the main marketing claimResearch only
- Eyelash serums, where it appears alongside other cosmetic peptidesResearch only
At a glance
Four things to know about Pal-AHK
Evidence
OTC / supplement
Category
Skin and cosmetic
Common vial
Varies
Half-life
Not measured, and not the right question
How much, and do you cycle it?
The range, and whether you take breaks.Topical serum, per product, daily. Used continuously as a daily cosmeticCommunity practice
No study has examined cycling. Cosmetic ingredients of this type are simply used daily until the user stops.
How long does it stay in the body?
The half-life, and where the figure comes from.Not measured, and not the right questionNo figure
This is a topical cosmetic ingredient. A blood half-life measures how fast something leaves the bloodstream, and these are not intended to reach it in meaningful amounts. What matters for a topical is how much penetrates the skin and how long it stays in the tissue, which is a different measurement and one that is rarely published.
You can compare this against the whole library to see where it sits.
What does it cost?
Typical dose and cost, in plain numbers.Pal-AHK is not injected
It is taken on the skin (topical).
Pal-AHK starts at $176.00 across 3 vendors, typically $0.88 – $0.90 per mg.
4 listings, last read Sep 12, 2026. Shipping and card fees are not included.
How do you store it?
Before mixing, and after.Room temperature, out of light. Cap it tight after each use.
Pal-AHK ships as a cream, gel, or serum. Keep it at room temperature away from sun and heat unless the label says otherwise. Refrigerating an emulsion can split the texture. Watch for color, smell, or separation changes and stop using it if any appear.
What are the side effects and cautions?
Known cautions and warnings for this compound.Check what you are buying. Pal-AHK, AHK-Cu, and GHK-Cu are three different molecules that get marketed almost interchangeably, and the research behind them is not shared equally. Also note that unlike the copper versions, Pal-AHK carries no copper, so copper-interaction advice does not apply to it.
Who should avoid it
- Broken or badly irritated skin
- Known allergy to any ingredient in the finished product
Stop and get help
- A spreading rash or burning where it was applied
- Signs of an allergic reaction
Common effects
- Mild stinging or redness when first used
- Beyond that, little is documented, because little has been published
Where this page says nothing is established, that means nobody has studied it, not that a compound is safe.
Is Pal-AHK approved?
And where the numbers on this page come from.Not as a medicine. Pal-AHK is sold without a prescription as a supplement or cosmetic ingredient, which is a different thing from being approved as a drug.
- Approval statusOTC / supplement
- RouteOn the skin (topical)
- CheckedSeptember 2026
What has happened recently
We have not yet written a full regulatory note for this compound. The status above is current as of the date shown.
You can compare this against the whole library, or read how to check a seller.
- DoseFrom product labeling and published use.
- Vial sizeFrom what vendors typically list; not a recommendation.
- Sources
- Reviewed12 September 2026
What else is like Pal-AHK?
Others in Skin and cosmetic, side by side.If you're weighing Pal-AHK, it's worth reading Tripeptide-29, Lipopeptide, and GHK-Cu in the same class.
A hair-peptide serum ingredient that borrows most of its reputation from GHK-Cu.
- Dose
- Topical serum, per product
- How often
- Daily
A three-amino-acid collagen fragment sold as a signal for firmer skin.
- Dose
- Topical serum, per product
- How often
- Daily
A class label, not one molecule: a peptide with a fatty tail, usually sold for skin and anti-ageing products.
- Dose
- Topical serum, per product
- How often
- Daily
A copper skincare peptide for smoother, firmer, younger-looking skin.
- Dose
- Topical serum, 1-2 pumps
- How often
- Daily
Guides for this compound
- How to Reconstitute a Peptide
Mix peptide powder with bacteriostatic water, step by step.
- mcg vs mg: The Peptide Dosing Mistake to Avoid
Your vial says mg and your protocol says mcg. Here is the conversion and how to check it.
- Why Does My Peptide Injection Itch or Welt
Injection-site irritation, a histamine reaction, or a true allergy, and how to tell them apart.
- How to Read a Peptide COA
What the purity number does and does not tell you, and how to spot an edited report.
- How to Vet a Peptide Vendor
Independent COAs, HPLC purity, and the red flags that mean walk away.
Sources
- European Commission CosIng cosmetic ingredient database(2026)Palmitoylated tripeptides of this family are listed as cosmetic ingredients, which permits their use in leave-on products in the EU. A CosIng listing records that an ingredient may be used in cosmetics. It is not an assessment that the ingredient works.
Last reviewed 12 September 2026