To Melanotan or Not to Melanotan?

While tanned skin is generally considered appealing and the tanning industry is quite lucrative, people looking for a shortcut to look like a bronzed god or goddess may be in for some unfortunate surprises.  Any increase above the recommended 15 minutes of sun exposure to produce vitamin d in your body raises your chances of skin cancer and melanoma.  All of the experts agree on this and the rest of the population just shrug and ignore the advice to greater or lesser extents.  The most extreme way of flaunting this advice is to use tanning drugs.


The most common tanning drug is currently marketed as Melanotan or Melanotan 2.  It can be delivered into the body either intravenously or via a nasal spray.  These drugs work by mimicking a naturally occurring hormone in your body and stimulates the production of melanin, which is what gives your body it’s skin tone/colour.  The only official and medical use for Melanotan, and sold under the brand name Scenesse when used for this purpose, is to prevent phototoxicity resulting from an extremely rare condition.


In the relatively short time that this drug has been available, it has already been linked to melanoma, non-melanoma cancer, and a host of other health issues, including, but not limited to:
*Nausea
*Flushing
*Loss of Appetite
*Drowsiness
*Priapism, followed by prolonged Erectile Dysfunction
*Kidney Failure


Melanotan sprays and injections are not regulated in any way and are usually considered illegal for sale.  There is a reason that you cannot pop into your local chemist to buy some!  Online sellers of the product can also be a bit disingenuous is their descriptions of the product, referring to it as “pharmaceutical grade”.  The same can probably said about “good” cocaine.  It still doesn’t make it good for you.


Finally, in relation to light based therapies or treatments like laser hair or tattoo removal, having EVER used these products is a permanent contraindication!  No reputable or knowledgable laser clinic will ever treat you.


In closing, all of this information should be provided to a potential customer of a product like this, but it is not.  It is not provided online or within the packaging.  However, a quick internet search will reaffirm everything that is written here.  Buyer beware and do your due diligence before purchasing!