Melanotan 1 or 2

Melanotan I or II

Street names

Ubertan

General Info

The latest fads in the tanning craze are two products called Melanotan I and Melanotan II. Both are injected into the skin or taken as a nasal spray and are available over the Internet, in some tanning salons and in body-building gyms. Retailers claim that these products are safe and effective ways of getting a tan, and some even suggest that they could protect against skin cancer.

But the truth is that these are counterfeit products that have not yet been properly tested. We don’t know whether they are safe or dangerous, effective or useless. A new report suggests that they could even lead to changes in a person’s moles.

For now, only one thing is for sure – selling them is illegal.

How do they work?

Both Melanotan products work by increasing the levels of melanin, a natural dark pigment that provides some protection from the sun.

They are both manmade versions of a natural protein called “alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone”, or alpha-MSH. This protein encourages cells in the skin to produce melanin, so by mimicking it, Melanotan products also lead to more melanin in the skin.

So far, no regulatory body in any country has approved either of these products.

The Effects

• Melanotan may cause a deepening in the pigment of the skin similar to the effects of the sun.

The Risks

In the UK, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is a Government agency responsible for making sure that the benefits of any medicines outweigh their risks. The MHRA have warned people against using Melanotan.

According to them, the product is being “advertised and sold illegally”.

Melanotan has not been tested for safety, quality or effectiveness. Therefore it is not known what the possible side effects are or how serious they could be. People should be aware of this should they be offered the product… The MHRA has currently contacted 18 different companies explaining that any supplying or advertising of Melanotan is illegal and any websites etc should be taken down.

• Moles - A new report from the British Medical Journal, published today suggests that this so-called “tan jab” can also change the appearance of moles. The report describes the case of two women who went to a skin clinic with intense tans (despite having fair skin) and moles that had changed rapidly.
  • Both used sun beds and shortly before their moles changed, both had injected Melanotan I and II, bought over the Internet.
  • Moles that change quickly can be signs of skin cancer. The big worry is that   by affecting the shape, size or colour of moles, Melanotan could lead to an incorrect diagnosis, false alarms or unnecessary operations.

• Because these products are being sold illegally, there is no way of knowing if they are what they say they are, and not contaminated by dangerous chemicals. Nor do we know how they might interact with any licensed drugs a person is taking.
• Melanotan is injected with needles and if that is not done hygienically, it could transfer dangerous infections such as HIV and hepatitis from person to person.

The Law

• Unlicensed in the UK, Melanotan is illegal to sell.