Melanotan II: Status, Evidence and Risks

Melanotan II is a lab-made tanning peptide that no regulator has approved. This page sets out its legal status, the small evidence base, the reported risks and safer ways to look tan.

This page explains status, evidence and risks. It does not cover dosing or sources, and it is not medical advice.

Status snapshot

Status as of November 1, 2026.

• Melanotan II (MT-II) is not approved anywhere, for any use. Ireland's medicines regulator says no regulator has authorised it.¹⁴⁵⁶
• United States: it is an unapproved drug, and pharmacies cannot lawfully compound it.⁵²⁰ "Research use only" labels do not make sales for human use lawful.²¹ An FDA advisory committee is due to review it before the end of February 2027.²⁰
• Australia: it is prescription-only and no product is approved. Supplying it without a prescription is illegal.¹¹¹²
• Ireland: the HPRA says there are "no legitimate suppliers."¹⁴
• United Kingdom: selling medicinal MT-II products is illegal.¹⁵
• Approved relatives: Scenesse (afamelanotide implant) for a rare light-sensitivity disorder called EPP: EU 2014, US 2019, Australia 2020, Canada 2026.⁹¹¹⁶¹⁷ Vyleesi (bremelanotide) for low sexual desire in premenopausal women: US 2019.³¹⁹
• Evidence: a few tiny trials from the 1990s, with 3 to 20 men each, plus case reports of harm.^30313235

Short answer

Melanotan II darkens skin by switching on melanocortin receptors throughout the body, not just in the skin.⁵⁶ That is why it also causes nausea, yawning and erections without sexual stimulation.³⁰³¹³² No regulator has approved it, and no trial has tested whether it is safe over months or years.

Grey-market sprays and vials often do not contain what the label says.⁴⁵¹² The tan it gives is not sun protection.⁸¹³ A DHA self-tanner plus sunscreen is the safer route to a tanned look.⁷⁵⁵

At a glance

Topic	Summary
What it is	A synthetic ring-shaped peptide of 7 amino acids. It mimics α-MSH, a natural hormone that triggers tanning. It came out of University of Arizona research in the 1980s.56
Why people use it	To tan faster or darker. Users often take it before holidays or alongside sunbeds.38
How it is sold	Injectable vials, "nasal tanning sprays," drops and gummies. Common names include "melanotan," "MT2" and "TruTan."121544
What studies showed	Skin darkening in a few healthy men. Also nausea, yawning and stretching, and erections without sexual stimulation.303132
Main risks	New or changing moles and a small number of melanomas in case reports. Priapism. Kidney, muscle and brain events in case reports. Unknown product contents.3539414245
US status	Unapproved. Not lawfully compoundable.520
UK status	Illegal to sell as a medicinal product.15
Ireland status	No authorised product and "no legitimate suppliers."14
Australia status	Prescription-only, with no approved product. Supply without a prescription is illegal.1112

Much of the recent demand comes from social media. A 2024 Cutis commentary called nasal tanning sprays a popular TikTok trend. It cited a study of 488 TikTok tanning videos: 441 promoted tanning, and 12 of those were about MT-II.⁴⁸ Regulators in Ireland and the UK say products are marketed to young people with bright colours and flavours such as peach and bubblegum.¹⁴¹⁵

Approved relatives vs melanotan II

Three related drugs are often mixed up. Two are approved for narrow medical uses under medical supervision. Melanotan II is not approved for anything.

	Scenesse	Vyleesi	Melanotan II
Molecule	Afamelanotide (also called melanotan I), a 13-amino-acid linear peptide1	Bremelanotide (PT-141), a 7-amino-acid ring peptide3	MT-II, a 7-amino-acid ring peptide56
Approved?	Yes. EU December 22, 2014, US October 8, 2019, Australia 2020, Canada 2026921617	Yes. US June 21, 201919	No, nowhere14
Approved use	Adults with erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP), a rare disorder that makes sunlight painful19	Premenopausal women with acquired, generalized hypoactive sexual desire disorder. Not for men, after menopause, or to enhance sexual performance.3	None
How it is given	16 mg implant inserted by a trained clinician every 2 months1	Autoinjector under the skin, as needed, with label limits on how often3	Unregulated vials, nasal sprays, drops and gummies1215
Quality control	Licensed medicine	Licensed medicine	None. Tested products held about 0.4 to 1.8 times the labelled amount.4512
Monitoring and warnings	Label warns of darker skin, moles and freckles. Full-body skin exam twice a year.1	Label warns of a short rise in blood pressure and of skin darkening (1% at labelled use, 38% with 8 daily doses).3	None
Evidence base	Two FDA pivotal trials (93 and 74 patients)2	Label trials. Nausea in 40% vs 1.3% on placebo.3	Tiny 1990s trials (3 to 20 men) and case reports303132

Bremelanotide is a close chemical relative of MT-II and is reported to be a metabolite of it. The two differ only at one end of the molecule.⁵⁶⁵⁷ The Vyleesi label does not mention MT-II.³

"Melanotan 1" sold online is not Scenesse. Afamelanotide is approved only as a 16 mg implant inserted by trained clinicians, and only for EPP.¹⁹ Products sold online as "melanotan" are almost always MT-II.¹² No regulator has approved afamelanotide for cosmetic tanning.¹⁹

Evidence map

The only controlled human data on MT-II come from a few small University of Arizona studies published from 1996 to 2000. Each had 3 to 20 men. The larger, well-run trials are of afamelanotide and bremelanotide, which are different products.

Study	Drug	People	Design	What it showed
Levine et al., JAMA 199129	MT-I	28 healthy white men	Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled. All used high-SPF sunscreen.	Skin darkened in both poor and good tanners, peaking 1 to 3 weeks after the course. No darkening on placebo.
Dorr et al., Life Sci 199630	MT-II	3 healthy men	Single-blind, alternating with placebo, rising doses over 2 weeks	2 of 3 darkened. Mild nausea at most doses. Yawning and stretching, with spontaneous erections lasting about 1 to 5 hours.
Wessells et al., Urology 200031	MT-II	10 men with erectile dysfunction	Double-blind, placebo crossover	Erections after 12 of 19 MT-II injections vs 1 of 21 placebo injections. Severe nausea after 4 of 19 injections.
Wessells et al., Int J Impot Res 200032	MT-II	20 men with erectile dysfunction	Double-blind, placebo crossover	Erections in 17 of 20 without sexual stimulation. Nausea and yawning were common. Severe nausea in 12.9% at the higher dose.
Dorr et al., Arch Dermatol 2004 (3 phase I trials)33	MT-I	8, 12 and 8	MT-I with or without UVB or sunlight	More tanning with UV. Side effects were nausea and brief facial flushing. Authors had ties to the developer.
FDA pivotal trials of Scenesse2	Afamelanotide implant	93 and 74 adults with EPP	Drug vs control over 180 and 270 days	Median pain-free time in direct sunlight: 64 vs 41 hours in trial 1, and 6 vs 0.75 hours in trial 2.
Lim et al., JAMA Dermatol 201534	Afamelanotide plus NB-UVB light therapy	55 people with vitiligo	Randomized, vs NB-UVB alone	Repigmentation at day 168: 48.6% vs 33.3%. The benefit was seen mainly in darker skin types (Fitzpatrick IV to VI).

What the evidence does not show

• No trial tested whether MT-II is safe over months or years.
• No MT-II trial included women, nasal sprays, sunbed users or grey-market products.
• No study shows that MT-II pigmentation protects against UV-induced skin cancer. The only sunburn-cell data come from MT-I in 3 people.³³ A 2010 review said the photoprotective effects of these peptides "have not yet been fully determined."⁴⁷
• Scenesse was approved because it reduced painful reactions to light in EPP. That is not cosmetic sun protection, and its label still requires skin checks.¹²

Scenesse is being tested for vitiligo. It is not approved for it. Results of a phase III trial (CUV105) are expected in December 2026.¹⁸

Risks

Most of what is known about harm comes from case reports and regulator warnings. Case reports cannot prove that a drug caused a problem. They do show what to watch for.

Moles and melanoma

Even the approved relative carries a warning. The Scenesse label says it may darken existing moles and freckles, and it calls for a full-body skin exam twice a year. New moles were reported in 4% of people on Scenesse vs 2% on the control implant.¹

For MT-II, a 2017 review found case reports that mainly describe changes in existing moles and new atypical (dysplastic) moles. Four case reports describe melanomas arising from existing moles during or shortly after melanotan use. The review found that conclusive evidence of causation is lacking.³⁵ Two examples:

• A 20-year-old woman with fair skin developed melanoma about 3 months after a 3 to 4 week MT-II course used to boost sunbed tanning.³⁶
• A 16-year-old with an inherited mole syndrome (FAMMM) used MT-II and sunbeds. Several moles darkened, some "potentially malignant," and one grew.³⁷

Moles that darken quickly in heavily tanned skin are harder to assess.⁴⁷ The Skin Cancer Foundation says MT-II can cause "rapid changes in moles and pigmented lesions that can make skin cancer harder to detect." It adds that case reports "cannot establish direct causation."⁵²

Bottom line: it is not proven that MT-II causes melanoma. Many users also use sunbeds or seek sun, which muddies the picture.³⁶³⁸ The worry is the combination: more UV, more mole changes and moles that are harder to read.

Nausea, flushing and priapism

Nausea is an expected effect, not a rare one. In trials it occurred at most doses. It was severe after 4 of 19 injections in one study and in 12.9% at the higher dose in another.³⁰³¹³² Yawning, stretching, sleepiness and erections lasting 1 to 5 hours also occurred.³⁰ The approved relative Vyleesi caused nausea in 40%, flushing in 20% and vomiting in 4.8% of users.³

Priapism, an erection that will not go down, has been reported. In one case, priapism after an MT-II injection did not respond to standard treatment and needed surgery.³⁹ In another, a 60-year-old man developed priapism and a dangerous overstimulated state (sympathomimetic toxidrome) within 30 minutes. He also needed a surgical procedure.⁴⁰

Kidney, muscle and brain events

• Muscle breakdown and kidney injury. A 39-year-old man injected about six times his usual amount. He developed a racing heart, tremor and severe muscle breakdown (rhabdomyolysis) with kidney injury. Lab tests confirmed MT-II.⁴¹
• Kidney infarction. A healthy 45-year-old man lost blood supply to about half of his right kidney after 6 months of MT-II bought online. He developed new high blood pressure. The authors proposed narrowing of blood vessels as the cause. The same paper notes that the Swedish Poisons Centre logged 215 MT-II cases from 2008 to 2019.⁴²
• Brain. Australia's TGA has warned of "swelling of the brain."²² Ireland's HPRA has received reports of stroke, vision loss, tremor and severe allergic reactions.¹⁴ A 2013 case report linked melanotan to PRES (posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome).⁴³
• Hormones. A 39-year-old man with type 1 diabetes using "TruTan" developed high cortisol, high blood sugar, ketosis and high blood pressure.⁴⁴

Clinical guidance from bestBETs advises checking kidney function in unwell MT-II users and referring suspicious skin lesions to a dermatologist.⁴⁹

What is in the product vs the label

Grey-market products are not made to medicine standards. Lab tests show it.

• Vials from 3 online shops claimed 10 mg but held 4.32 to 8.84 mg. Vials from 2 of the shops held 4.1% to 5.9% unidentified impurities.⁴⁵
• The TGA tested 5 nasal-spray bottles labelled "30 MG." Each held an estimated 22 to 54 mg. The TGA said the inconsistent dosage "further increases the chance of adverse events."¹²
• In the UK, all MT-II nasal sprays investigated failed labelling rules and were ordered off sale.²⁴
• No safety data exist for inhaling MT-II. UK Trading Standards has raised concerns about respiratory irritation.¹⁵
• Shared needles can spread blood-borne viruses.²⁶⁴⁷

Across these tests, products held about 0.4 to 1.8 times the labelled amount. The UK's MHRA says "their contents are unknown and there are no safeguards."²⁴

A tan is not sun protection

The FDA says tanning "is a sign of the skin reacting to potentially damaging UV radiation." A tan gives "some—but not nearly enough—protection against sunburn."⁸ A base tan is roughly equal to SPF 3 to 4.⁵⁴ The TGA says melanotan pigmentation does not protect skin from UV damage the way sunscreen does.¹³

MT-II also tends to add UV rather than replace it. Users often speed it up with sun or sunbeds.³⁶³⁸ MT-I tanning in trials was strongest when combined with UV.³³

Safer ways to look tan

• Sunless tanner with DHA. The FDA lists DHA as a color additive for external use only. It has not approved DHA for all-over spray booths, and it advises protecting the eyes, lips and mucous membranes and not inhaling it.⁷ The only reported side effect in people is contact dermatitis.⁵⁰
• Sunscreen, applied separately. DHA tanners give little or no sun protection.⁵⁰⁵⁵ The Canadian Dermatology Association advises a broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher sunscreen.⁵⁵ In a 1,621-person Australian trial, daily sunscreen users had 11 new melanomas vs 22 with occasional use, a borderline result. Invasive melanomas were 3 vs 11.⁵¹ The numbers are small, but this is the best direct trial evidence that sunscreen lowers melanoma risk.
• Shade and clothing, and no sunbeds. There is no such thing as a healthy tan from unprotected UV exposure.⁵³
• Skin checks if you have used MT-II, in line with the twice-yearly exam on the Scenesse label.¹

For other appearance topics, see our looksmaxxing guide.

When to see a doctor

• A new mole, or a mole that changes in size, shape or colour. Get a skin check.
• An erection that lasts more than 4 hours. Get emergency care. In reported cases, priapism after MT-II has needed surgery.³⁹⁴⁰
• Dark urine, or muscle pain or weakness. These can be signs of muscle breakdown and kidney injury.⁴¹
• A severe headache or a change in vision.¹⁴²²

Tell the doctor you used melanotan, so they know what to check.⁴⁹

Myths vs evidence

Myth	Evidence
"A tan protects you."	A tan is a sign of UV damage and is roughly SPF 3 to 4 at best.854 Melanotan pigmentation does not protect like sunscreen.13 In 2007 the FDA acted against a seller marketing MT-II as a skin cancer preventive.428
"It's safer than sunbeds."	It is often used with sunbeds, not instead of them.38 One melanoma case involved MT-II used to boost sunbed tanning.36
"It's a natural peptide."	It is synthetic. It acts on melanocortin receptors around the body, which is why it causes nausea and erections as well as tanning.563032
"The FDA un-banned it in 2026."	In April 2026 MT-II left FDA's Category 2 list because the nominator withdrew. That does not make it eligible for compounding. It is not on Category 1, so pharmacies still cannot lawfully compound it.205
"Nasal spray is gentler."	There are no safety data for the nasal route. Tested sprays held 0.7 to 1.8 times the labelled amount.1215
"Melanotan 1 is Scenesse."	Scenesse is a 16 mg implant inserted by clinicians, approved only for EPP. "Melanotan" sold online is almost always MT-II.112
"Research use only means it's legal."	In August 2026 the FDA rejected "research use only" disclaimers in warning letters to five peptide vendors.21

Legal and regulatory history

Newest first.

Date	Event
Planned before end of Feb 2027	FDA's compounding advisory committee (PCAC) is due to review MT-II with four other peptides. No meeting date or Federal Register notice had been published as of November 1, 2026.20
Oct 2026	An HHS interim enforcement-discretion notice covers six peptides. MT-II is not one of them.6
August 24, 2026	FDA sends warning letters to five "research use only" peptide vendors. PT-141 is among the peptides named. MT-II is not.21
July 13, 2026	Approval of Scenesse for EPP in Canada is announced.17
2026 (paid May 2026)	The TGA issues 27 infringement notices totalling A$101,412 to a NSW individual for alleged unlawful supply of MT-II.11
April 15, 2026	MT-II is removed from Category 2 of FDA's compounding list after the nominator withdrew. It is not added to Category 1, so it is still not lawfully compoundable.205
May 16, 2025	UK Trading Standards warns about flavoured nasal tanning sprays and "tanning gummies" sold on TikTok and Facebook.15
March 11, 2025	Reporting in Australia finds products still on sale. Influencer promotion counts as illegal advertising.23
January 24, 2025	The TGA warns against nasal sprays, injectables and ingestibles promoted online.2213
September 2, 2024	The MHRA tells users to stop and report side effects through the Yellow Card scheme. All MT-II nasal sprays investigated by UK officials failed labelling rules.24
April 24, 2024	An EU application to extend Scenesse to adolescents is withdrawn after the EMA said the benefit-risk balance could not be established.10
August 10, 2023	The HPRA reports more than 500 listings removed in a year and warns that products are marketed to young people.14
September 29, 2023	The FDA places MT-II in Category 2 ("significant safety risks") of its compounding list.5
June 27, 2022	The HPRA warns that injected, inhaled or under-the-tongue products "cannot be classified as cosmetics."25
October 27, 2020	Approval of Scenesse for EPP in Australia is announced.16
October 8, 2019	The FDA approves Scenesse for EPP.12
June 21, 2019	The FDA approves Vyleesi for hypoactive sexual desire disorder.19
December 22, 2014	The EU authorises Scenesse for EPP "under exceptional circumstances."9
Sep 2013	The MHRA warns about MT-I, MT-II and "Ubertan." It cites 18 reports describing 74 suspected side effects and 72 websites shut down in 3 months.26
Nov 2011	The MHRA finds that "Ubertan" nasal spray contains MT-II and calls it "potentially dangerous."27
September 5, 2007	The FDA sends a warning letter to Melanocorp and tells consumers to stop using MT-II, "an unapproved product."428

Frequently asked questions

Is melanotan legal in the US?

MT-II is an unapproved drug, and pharmacies cannot lawfully compound it.⁵²⁰ Labelling it "research use only" does not make sales for human use lawful.²¹ The FDA has told consumers to stop using it since 2007.⁴

Is melanotan legal in the UK?

Selling medicinal MT-II products is illegal in the UK.¹⁵ The MHRA has told users to stop and to report side effects through the Yellow Card scheme.²⁴

Is melanotan legal in Australia?

MT-II is a prescription-only medicine with no approved product, and supplying it without a prescription is illegal.¹² The TGA has issued infringement notices to an individual for alleged unlawful supply.¹¹

Is Scenesse the same as melanotan?

No. Scenesse is afamelanotide, sometimes called melanotan I. It is a 16 mg implant inserted by clinicians, approved only for EPP.¹⁹ What is sold online as "melanotan" is almost always MT-II, a different molecule.¹²

Is PT-141 the same as MT-II?

No, but they are close. PT-141 (bremelanotide) differs from MT-II at one end of the molecule and is reported to be a metabolite of it.⁵⁶⁵⁷ As Vyleesi, it is approved only for low sexual desire in premenopausal women.³ PT-141 sold by "research use only" vendors was named in FDA warning letters in August 2026.²¹

Do nasal tanning sprays work, and are they safe?

No study has tested MT-II as a nasal spray, so there are no safety data.¹⁵ Tested sprays held very different amounts from their labels, and UK officials found all those investigated broke labelling rules.¹²²⁴

Does melanotan cause cancer?

It is not proven. Case reports link MT-II to new and changing moles and a small number of melanomas, but conclusive evidence of causation is lacking.³⁵ Many users also use sunbeds, and darker moles are harder to check.³⁸⁵²

I already used it. What should I do?

Stop using it. Get a full skin check, and watch for the warning signs listed under When to see a doctor. Report side effects to FDA MedWatch in the US, the MHRA Yellow Card scheme in the UK or the TGA in Australia.²⁴

Will it show up on a drug test?

Anti-doping labs can identify MT-II. A Norwegian lab found it in 3 of 21 seized peptide products analysed in 2010.⁴⁶ Athletes subject to anti-doping rules should check with their anti-doping body; unapproved substances can fall under WADA's S0 "non-approved substances" class.⁵⁸

What's the safest way to look tan?

Use a DHA sunless tanner and a separate broad-spectrum SPF 30+ sunscreen, and skip sunbeds.⁷⁵⁵ See Safer ways to look tan above.

More evidence pages are in our peptide guides.

References

1. FDA. SCENESSE (afamelanotide) implant, prescribing information (revised 10/2019). accessdata.fda.gov
2. FDA. News release: FDA approves first treatment to increase pain-free light exposure in patients with a rare disorder, 8 Oct 2019 (as republished by Drugs.com).
3. FDA. VYLEESI (bremelanotide) injection, prescribing information (via Drugs.com). drugs.com
4. FDA. Consumer update on Melanotan II, 5 Sep 2007 (archived). webarchive.library.unt.edu
5. FDA. Certain bulk drug substances for use in compounding that may present significant safety risks. fda.gov
6. HHS. Interim enforcement-discretion notice on certain peptides, Federal Register public inspection document 2026-22192, Oct 2026. federalregister.gov
7. FDA. Sunless tanners and bronzers (current as of 15 Oct 2024). fda.gov
8. FDA Consumer Health Information. Sun safety, 2008 (archived). webarchive.library.unt.edu
9. EMA. Scenesse: European public assessment report. ema.europa.eu
10. EMA. Scenesse: withdrawal of application to change the marketing authorisation (adolescents). ema.europa.eu
11. TGA. Individual issued 27 infringement notices for allegedly supplying Melanotan II. tga.gov.au
12. TGA. Melanotan II consumer warning and testing of "Pure Tans" nasal sprays. tga.gov.au
13. TGA. Don't risk using tanning products containing melanotan. tga.gov.au
14. HPRA. Reminder of serious health risks with Melanotan 2 self-tan products, 10 Aug 2023. hpra.ie
15. Chartered Trading Standards Institute. Nasal tanning sprays linked with skin cancer and serious respiratory problems, 16 May 2025. tradingstandards.uk
16. Clinuvel. Australian TGA approves SCENESSE, 27 Oct 2020.
17. Clinuvel. ASX announcement: SCENESSE approved for EPP in Canada, 13 Jul 2026.
18. Clinuvel. ASX announcement, 30 Jul 2026.
19. Healio. FDA approves Vyleesi for women with low sexual desire, 21 Jun 2019.
20. Frier Levitt. FDA to remove 12 popular peptides from the Category 2 "do not compound" list, Apr 2026.
21. Arent Fox Schiff. RUO-ined: five peptide vendors learn that "research use only" is not a legal strategy, 18 Sep 2026.
22. Australian Journal of Pharmacy. TGA warns against use of melanotan tanning products, 24 Jan 2025.
23. The Limbic. New concerns about sale of "sunless tanning" peptides, 11 Mar 2025.
24. Rayo. Paying through the nose: we reveal health risks from popular nasal tanners, 2 Sep 2024.
25. Echo Live. HPRA issues warning over "serious health risk" posed by "self-tanning aids," 27 Jun 2022.
26. CosmeticsDesign-Europe. MHRA warns against melanotan tanning injections, Sep 2013.
27. CosmeticsDesign-Europe. MHRA say tanning nasal spray is "potentially dangerous," Nov 2011.
28. News-Medical. FDA warns Melanocorp for illegal sale of Melanotan II, 5 Sep 2007.
29. Levine N, et al. Induction of skin tanning by subcutaneous administration of a potent synthetic melanotropin. JAMA 1991;266(19):2730-6. experts.arizona.edu
30. Dorr RT, et al. Evaluation of melanotan-II, a superpotent cyclic melanotropic peptide, in a pilot phase-I clinical study. Life Sci 1996;58(20):1777-84. experts.arizona.edu
31. Wessells H, et al. Effect of an alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone analog on penile erection and sexual desire in men with organic erectile dysfunction. Urology 2000;56(4):641-6. experts.arizona.edu
32. Wessells H, et al. Melanocortin receptor agonists, penile erection, and sexual motivation: human studies with Melanotan II. Int J Impot Res 2000;12(S4):S74-9. experts.arizona.edu
33. Dorr RT, et al. Three phase I trials of melanotan-I. Arch Dermatol 2004;140:827-35 (summarised in a press release; abstract not reviewed).
34. Lim HW, et al. Afamelanotide and narrowband UV-B phototherapy for the treatment of vitiligo: a randomized multicenter trial. JAMA Dermatol 2015. epistemonikos.org
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36. Hjuler KF, Lorentzen HF. Melanoma associated with the use of melanotan-II. Dermatology 2014;228(1):34-6. karger.com
37. Sivyer GW. Changes of melanocytic lesions induced by Melanotan injections and sun bed use in a teenage patient with FAMMM syndrome. Dermatol Pract Concept 2012;2(3):53-6. dpcj.org
38. Gilhooley E, Daly S, McKenna D. Melanotan II user experience: a qualitative study of online discussion forums. Dermatology 2021;237(6):995-9. karger.com
39. Mallory CW, Lopategui DM, Cordon BH. Melanotan tanning injection: a rare cause of priapism. Sex Med 2021;9:100298. openaccess.library.uitm.edu.my
40. Letter to the editor on melanotan II, priapism and sympathomimetic toxidrome. Clin Toxicol 2013. informahealthcare.com
41. Nelson ME, et al. Case report of melanotan II toxicity with sympathomimetic excess and rhabdomyolysis. Clin Toxicol 2012 (PMID 23121206). pubmed.gov
42. Peters B, Hadimeri H, Wahlberg R, Afghahi H. Melanotan II: a possible cause of renal infarction: review of the literature and case report. CEN Case Rep 2020;9(2):159-61. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
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46. Henninge J, Hullstein I, Hemmersbach P. Unknown peptide preparations analysed in 2010: an overview. Manfred Donike Workshop proceedings 19 (2011):231-4. dshs-koeln.de
47. Langan EA, Nie Z, Rhodes LE. Melanotropic peptides: more than just "Barbie drugs" and "sun-tan jabs"? Br J Dermatol 2010;163(3):451-5. research.uni-luebeck.de
48. Newton J, Reinschmidt A, Van Gorp R, Sonstegard A. Nasal tanning sprays: illuminating the risks of a popular TikTok trend. Cutis 2024;113(1):E3-E4. the-hospitalist.org
49. Phillips J. Melanotan II adverse reactions: first-line investigation. bestBETs, 9 Nov 2021. bestbets.org
50. Owji S, Teklehaimanot F, Maghfour J, Lim HW. Properties and safety of topical dihydroxyacetone in sunless tanning products: a review. Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed 2023;39(6):567-72. scholarlycommons.henryford.com
51. Green AC, Williams GM, Logan V, Strutton GM. Reduced melanoma after regular sunscreen use: randomized trial follow-up. J Clin Oncol 2011;29(3):257-63. research.manchester.ac.uk
52. Skin Cancer Foundation. The Skin Cancer Foundation issues warning regarding Melanotan II, 7 Jul 2026.
53. Skin Cancer Foundation. Young women looking for a "healthy glow" should not turn to indoor tanning, 2 Mar 2020.
54. Shmerling RH. The problem with tanning (and the myth of the base tan). Harvard Health Blog, 12 Apr 2017.
55. Canadian Dermatology Association. Position statement: the use of sunless tanners, 30 Apr 2024.
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57. mdwiki. Bremelanotide (accessed 1 Nov 2026).
58. German Sport University Cologne. S0 non-approved substances (accessed 1 Nov 2026).