I came across this claim on a few different sites-
"While moderate use of copper peptides stimulates collagen synthesis and has antioxidant effect (by stimulating the antioxidant enzyme super oxide dismutase), excessive use can have an opposite effect by increasing the levels of free copper and/or by triggering excessive production of metalloproteinases. Free copper promotes free radical damage and collagen breakdown leading to accelerated skin aging. Metalloproteinases can digest collagen and elastin, weakening the skin and causing sag. These problems do not seem to occur among the majority of copper peptide users. However, there are anecdotal reports indicating that such side-effects might happen with overuse or, rarely, even normal use in sensitive individuals. Ideally, a sufficiently large study is needed to better quiantify these risk".

So my question is how much is to much??
Once or Twice daily?
Or does it mean applying to much product at one time?

Yes, Dr. Pickart, please let us know how much is too much?

Thanks!

Hallie

These type of comments are ignorant and not supported by chemical studies
or tests in animals and humans.

This idea seems to originated at a website called smartskincare. But the
writer, who passes himself off as a scientist who performed research on
skin, never seems to have published papers on skin renewal. If he has data
to support his contentions, then he should publish the findings in
scientific journals

Because the SRCPs were originally intended for clinical use, there
were a great number of safety studies in animals and humans. Even at
high SRCP concentrations, we never observed skin irritation or
inhibition of skin repair. If the copper complexes were oxidizing
tissue, then there would have been tissue inflammation.

In published, placebo-controlled human studies by Howard Maibach at
UC San Francisco, we tested creams as stronger than Super Cop 2X
on human skin and found both strong healing and anti-inflamamtory
actions. These studies are in
www.skinbiology.com/copperpeptideregeneration.
The copper peptides activate many reactions. See
http://www.skinbiology.com/copperpeptideregeneration-WHS2008.html.
They increase the production of MMPs and anti-proteases that block MMP
actions. So the actual MMP activity depends on the balance of these two
types of proteins. The only direct test of copper peptides and MMP
activity is from a study in rats this idea was from a study in rats that
found that the copper peptides actually decreased the activity of MMPs.

Vet Surg. 2003 Nov-Dec;32(6):515-23.
The effect of topical tripeptide-copper complex on healing of ischemic
open wounds.

Canapp SO Jr, Farese JP, Schultz GS, Gowda S, Ishak AM, Swaim SF,
Vangilder J, Lee-Ambrose L, Martin FG.
Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, University of Florida
College of Veterinary Medicine, and the School of Medicine Institute for
Wound Research, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of topical glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine
tripeptide-copper complex (TCC; Iamin 2% Gel; Procyte Corporation,
Redmond, WA) on healing in ischemic open wounds. STUDY DESIGN:
Experimental study. SAMPLE POPULATION: Twenty-four adult male
Sprague-Dawley rats. METHODS: Rats were divided into 3 groups: topical
TCC, topical TCC vehicle (hydroxypropyl-methylcellulose), and no
treatment (control). Six-mm-diameter, full-thickness wounds were created
within an ischemic bipedicle skin flap on the dorsum of each rat. Each
day, for 13 days, wound margins were traced, and the TCC and TCC vehicle
groups were treated topically. Tracings were scanned, and wound
perimeter and area were calculated. On days 6, 10, and 13, selected
wounds were biopsied and analyzed for tumor necrosis factor alpha
(TNF-alpha) and matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) 2 and 9. RESULTS: A
significant decrease in wound area was seen in the TCC group, but not
the vehicle group, when compared with the control group on days 3 to 5,
6 to 9, and 11 to 13 and when TCC was compared with TCC vehicle on days
3 and 9. On day 13, initial wound area had decreased by 64.5% in the TCC
group, 45.6% in the vehicle group, and 28.2% in the control group. On
days 6, 10, and 13, TCC-treated wounds contained significantly lower
concentrations of TNF-alpha and MMP-2 and MMP-9 than control wounds.
CONCLUSION: Topical TCC resulted in accelerated wound healing in
ischemic open wounds. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Topical TCC is an effective
stimulant of healing of ischemic open wounds in rats and may have an
application for the treatment of chronic wounds in other species.
Clinical evaluation of topical TCC is warranted.

Furthermore, it is impossible for free copper ion to exist in the
system. The binding affinities of peptides for copper ion are so high
that for every molecule of free ionic copper, there are at least 1000
billion bound copper ion bound to the peptides. The amount of free
copper is unmeasurable and of no consequence.

People do have some problems when treating skin around the eyes. This
is very thin skin and is often damaged by make-up and make-up
removers. The problem is trying to push the changes too fast. No one
ever had long lasting problems.

Also, using hydroxy acids too heavily can also loosen skin.

This person also says that cells can replicate a few generations.
As for limits on cell replication, most researchers in the area of
cell culture doubt the Hayflick Limit (postulated about 1968) actually
exists. If various growth factors are added to cultured cells, they
seem to grow forever (for about 200 generations at least) without
becoming mutated or cancerous. Such experiments are stopped not
because the cells die, but because such long term experiments are
expensive. Skin transplants from rat to rat to rat have been healthy
for more than twice the lifespan of any rat.

In year 2000, it was discovered that the skin has a constant source of
new stem cells that arise from vellus hair follicles. This work has
been confirmed in many laboratories. The problem is to find a way to
turn on stem cell production in the skin.