@vpep Yea I was dosing CJC/IPA at 150/150 mcg nightly and getting good results. I bumped it up to 200/200 mcg but started noticing some joint soreness, so I backed it down.

I’m currently 2.5 weeks off CJC/IPA to give myself a break from the IPA, but I ran tesa during the past two weeks and let me tell you, the water retention and bloating were real. I started at 0.5mg for a couple of days, then moved up to 1mg. For the last couple of days, I tried 1.5 mg and started getting the joint soreness in my wrists and other areas again.

I finished two vials of tesa, and I don’t think I’ll be going back to it. After another couple of weeks off, I’ll probably hop back on CJC/IPA. It’s cheaper, I slept better on it, probably because of the IPA, and I had good results once I found the right dose.

@randallchampion Does the tesa/ipa combo need to be kept in the fridge? I know tesa alone can be kept in a cool, dark, room temp place but curious about the combo. Also, ipa is known to help improve sleep. Was your rat running this in the am or pm? Thanks

@ResearchCat Metabolism was trash before I started peptides and reignited that flame, but it seems to be functioning fine now, or maybe it’s just all the peps lol.

Yes, I included my lab work in the original post, but unfortunately I never got a true baseline IGF-1 test. My first test was a couple of weeks into my CJC/IPA cycle, and the second was at the every end of the 16-week protocol. During that time, my IGF-1 increased from 182 to 218 ng/mL, and my Z-score went from 0.5 to 0.9.

@Stan-Douglas Lol, I don’t want to “get huge”, I actually like being lean and cut. I’d rather stay shredded and preserve muscle than add a bunch of size. I’m talking about a very low, therapeutic dose, like 1–2 IU max daily. I know people who use doses like that for improved sleep, skin/hair, recovery, metabolism, body recomp, etc. Not to “get huge” or pack on soma dem GAINZZZ

But I appreciate the feedback, sounds like your vote is not for HGH and I actually agree with you and should prob just stick with tesa or CJC/IPA.

I’m looking for some guidance on where to go next with HGH versus CJC/IPA or tesamorelin.

I’m 34 years old, 166lbs, and around 14% body fat. I started at 185lbs about three months ago when I began using peptides. I’m currently taking a low dose of Reta and have run several protocols, including a Mito stack (SS-31, MOTS-c, and NAD+), 12 weeks of KLOW, and approximately 14 weeks of CJC/IPA at 200/200 mcg nightly, fasted before bed.

During the CJC/IPA cycle, my IGF-1 increased from 182 to 218 ng/mL, and my Z-score increased from 0.5 to 0.9.

I’m currently taking a break from CJC/IPA and debating among three options:

1. Run tesamorelin alone for at least four weeks.
2. Try HGH during the break from secretagogues.
3. Start back with CJC/IPA long term after completing my break.

HGH is appealing, and I’m curious whether it would provide noticeably better recovery, sleep, body-composition, or muscle preservation benefits than the secretagogues. If I tried it, I would likely use only 1–2 IU daily, either fasted in the morning or before bed.

For those who have tried both HGH and secretagogues, did HGH provide enough additional benefit to justify the added risks and monitoring? How quickly did your IGF-1 return to baseline after stopping? Would you recommend trying HGH, using tesamorelin alone, or simply returning to CJC/IPA?

Any experiences, recommendations, or things I should consider would be greatly appreciated.

@jackiee How do you plan to recon them? I have saline i could use as I'm sure it will be easier on the skin vs alcohol from BAC water.

@pep_researcher From everything I've researched it does need to be refrigerated to preserve longevity. I'm not sure about the about the HA deteriorating the GHK-cu though, good question.

@STATIEEIGHT This is awesome, thanks for the info!

@jackiee gotcha thank you, I don't see raw snap-8 on Nexaph right now. Maybe just not in stock right now.

@jackiee sounds good I may do that. Do you reconstitute with BAC water? Just curious if that (alcohol) is bad for the face serum or not?

@jackiee thanks for the reply, found this video super helpful... DIY topical GHK-cu-snap 8 for pennies on the dollar. I just checked out @ionpeptide it looks like they have a bunch of already premade topical solutions for hair and face...wonder if its just cheaper/less hassel to do that way. I already ordered the ordinary brand serums off amazon though, Do you recommend the raw or lypholized snap-8? I only have BAC water and saline for sprays, randy recommends sterile...suppose I could find some (don't see it at Ion).

Good evening! I just finished my 12-week KLOW protocol and plan to cycle off for a while. It worked really well for me, my injuries seemed to heal faster, my hair and skin looked better, and my gut health improved.

Now I’m interested in making topical hair and face serums using copper peptides. I’ve been using minoxidil for about 10 years, and it has definitely helped regrow and maintain my hair, but I’d eventually like to come off it. I’ve heard great things about AHK-Cu for hair, although I don’t want to lose the progress I’ve made with minoxidil.

I’d also like to make a face serum for my wife (and probably me too). From what I’ve read, AHK-Cu and SNAP-8 can make a good combination and may be considerably cheaper than buying premade products.

I see that @southernaminos has GHK-Cu and AHK-Cu in stock and on sale. Would that be a good place to start? I still can’t seem to find SNAP-8 anywhere. How much of each product would I need, and does anyone have a recipe or formulation to follow?

For the hair serum, I found The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density and thought it might work as a base:
Ordinary hair serum

I’m still looking for a good base for the face serum. Any recommendations or guidance would be appreciated!

After about a month, I decided to add SS-31 for the month of July, running it at 1 mg, 5x/week because I figured it might make sense to focus on mitochondrial repair first. During that time, I cut back on the MOTS-C since I didn't want to waste it while trying SS-31.

This week I added NAD+. I still have a couple of vials of MOTS-C left, but honestly I feel like I've been a little all over the place with this mitochondrial stack because I haven't experienced the benefits that so many people talk about besides maybe a little more endurance when I took SS31 fasted pre cardio.

So I'm wondering how people normally approach this. Would it make sense to take a complete break for a few weeks before trying MOTS-C again, even though I never really completed a full cycle?
Right now I'm thinking about continuing NAD+ at 25 mg, 3x/week, running SS-31 at 1mg daily for a month, and then going back to MOTS-C 3x/week afterward. Does that seem like a reasonable approach?

Running all of these together has honestly become a bit overwhelming, especially since I travel a lot for work, so it's been difficult to stay consistent. I'd like to simplify things, reduce the number of injections, and focus on one compound at a time.

I'm also trying to figure out whether all of this is worth the time and money. I'm 34 and in pretty good shape, but I also realize I probably didn't execute the protocol as consistently as I should have, so I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt. I also still have quite a bit of MOTS-C on hand, so I'd like to use it if there's still value in giving it another proper run.

Thanks everyone, I ordered the BAC water (along with other supplies) from peptidetest.com.
Im still curious on the NA Selank vs regular selank. This would be my first run at selank so I'm unclear on the differences aside from what chatgpt told me.

Is it necessary to get the Hospira BAC water? It is becoming harder to find as fewer vendors seem to have it and it costs quite a bit more. Or is it okay to get BAC water branded from whatever vendor you're buying from?

Also is it better to get the N-Acetyl Selank Amidate or can I get away with regular selank? Whats the difference? I plan on using it for nasal spray. Thanks in advance for the help!

Hello everyone! I'm new to the group and have been learning a ton from reading through the posts here.

I've been researching with peptides from Chameleon Peptides, Verified Peptides, and another company out in California that a friend recommended when I first started using peptides earlier this year (which I was probably way overpaying for).

As I've continued learning, I've been paying more attention to things like COAs, testing, sourcing, and the differences between vendors. I'm curious how everyone feels about the sites I currently order from.

I keep hearing a lot about the grey market, but I'm not sure I'm ready to go that route yet. Having some level of confidence in testing and quality control is important to me.

I've also been reading quite a bit about Nexaph, but I'm not sure I'm ready to buy in bulk (10-packs) since I'm still figuring out the best long-term storage practices. One thing I like about my current setup is being able to order a single vial at a time. A 20mg vial of Reta can easily last me 2–3 months, so buying large quantities doesn't seem necessary for me right now. I also came across a website Peptaura which seems to have pretty decent prices as well.

I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences or any other recommendations, thanks!

@Nuncles Awesome! Thanks for that info it looks like theres everything I need in the Calc&Tools tab. Sounds like I'll be ordering the v4 when they restock. Thank you

II'm looking to switch to an injector pen and could use some advice. I travel for a living and am in airports constantly, so a pen seems like it will be more convenient than preloaded syringes. I've never had an issue with TSA and the preloaded syringes, so I'm assuming the same for the pens?

Of the V4, V3.5, and V2, which is the most compact and travel-friendly? My main goal is finding the slimmest option that will fit in a standard insulin travel canister.

I currently use 1 mL 31G 5/16" (8 mm) insulin syringes. What needle size are most people using? Would 32G 4 mm pen needles be suitable for subQ?

Also, where do most people order replacement pen needles, and how long do V4/V3.5 restocks typically take?

Thanks in advance! I'm still learning, so pardon me if some of these are basic questions.