Melanotan II
MT-2, MT-II
Tans you without much sun, and stimulates melanocytes while doing it. Case reports describe melanoma appearing on existing moles within months of starting.
Anecdotal
Not approved anywhere, for any use. The FDA, MHRA and TGA have all issued consumer warnings, and it is sold exclusively as unregulated research material.
What it is
Melanotan II is a synthetic analogue of alpha-MSH, the hormone that tells melanocytes to produce pigment. Inject it and your skin darkens with far less sun than it would normally take. It also hits MC4R, which is why libido effects show up alongside the tanning, and why bremelanotide exists as a purified version of that particular action.
It works. That is not in dispute, and it is exactly the problem.
The risk that matters
Melanocytes are the cells that become melanoma. A drug whose entire mechanism is telling melanocytes to proliferate and produce more pigment sits in an uncomfortable place, and the literature has caught up with that discomfort.
Published case reports describe melanoma, including invasive melanoma, appearing in melanotan II users, with tumours developing on pre-existing moles within weeks to months of starting. Case reports are not proof of causation. They also are not nothing, and there is no trial evidence on the other side of the ledger to weigh them against.
There is a second, subtler problem. Melanotan II darkens moles across the board. The standard warning signs for melanoma are asymmetry, irregular borders, colour change and evolution over time. A drug that changes the colour of every mole on your body degrades exactly the signal you would use to catch a melanoma early. Even if it never caused a single one, it would make them harder to spot.
Reports of rhabdomyolysis, the destruction of muscle tissue, also appear in the literature and can be life-threatening.
Why people take it anyway
Because it works fast, the tan looks real, and the risk is deferred and statistical while the effect is immediate and visible. That is the shape of most bad trades.
If you are going to use it regardless, the harm-reduction position is narrow but clear: get a full-body skin check with a dermatologist first and establish a baseline, photograph your moles, and go back at any change. Do not use it at all if you have a personal or family history of melanoma.
Practical notes
- Nausea and flushing at the start are near-universal and usually settle. Community practice is to start low for this reason.
- It does not replace sun protection. The pigment offers some UV protection but nothing like enough, and people routinely use melanotan and tanning beds together, which is the worst version of this.
- Nasal sprays exist and are not safer. Same molecule, less predictable dosing.
Side effects and warning signs
Commonly reported
- Nausea and flushing shortly after injection, near-universal at the start
- Spontaneous erections and increased libido, an MC4R effect rather than a side effect exactly
- Darkening of existing moles and freckles, and appearance of new ones
- Facial flushing and appetite suppression
- Injection-site reactions
Stop and get medical help
- Any mole that changes size, shape, colour or border. This is the single most important thing on this page
- A new pigmented lesion, particularly one that appears quickly
- Personal or family history of melanoma or dysplastic naevus syndrome, which should rule this out entirely
- Severe or persistent vomiting, and any sign of rhabdomyolysis such as dark urine with muscle pain
Sources
From the community
Discussion for this compound concentrates in r/Peptidesource and r/Biohackers.
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