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Melanotan I

Melanotan I is the research name for afamelanotide, a lab-made version of alpha-MSH, the hormone that tells skin to make melanin pigment. Two of its amino acids differ from the natural hormone. The approved medicine (Scenesse) is a small dissolvable implant placed under the skin. Powder sold in vials as Melanotan I is not that approved product.

ApprovedChecked October 2026
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Approval status

Afamelanotide is approved as an implant (Scenesse) for adults with erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP): by the EMA in 2014 and by the FDA in 2019. Injectable powder sold as Melanotan I is not this approved product. Australia's TGA says melanotan tanning products are not approved and buyers cannot know what they contain.2310

What it’s used or studied for

  • Approved use

    Increases pain-free light exposure in adults with EPP, a rare inherited light sensitivity, as an implant (FDA 2019; EMA 2014, as prevention of phototoxicity).234

  • Human studies

    Vitiligo: in a randomized trial, the implant plus narrowband UVB light gave faster, greater repigmentation than UVB alone, mainly in darker skin.5

  • Human studies

    Solar urticaria (hives from light): a study of five patients found weaker skin reactions to light after an implant.6

  • Human studies

    Sunless tanning: small trials in healthy volunteers in the 1990s and 2000s found that injections darkened the skin. Not approved for tanning.78

Each label shows how strong the evidence is: an approved use, human studies, animal or lab studies only, or a popular claim with no published studies. Being studied is not the same as being proven safe or effective.

Side effects

Common

  • Implant site reaction
  • Nausea
  • Sore throat
  • Cough
  • Tiredness
  • Skin darkening
  • Dizziness
  • New moles

Serious or rare

  • Serious allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis
  • Darkening of existing moles and freckles
  • Mole changes and melanoma reported with unregulated melanotan use (case reports)

Common effects are from the Scenesse implant label. Early injection studies also reported nausea and facial flushing. A review links unregulated melanotan I and II to changing moles and four melanomas, without proof that the drug caused them.289

Cautions

  • The label recommends a full-body skin exam twice yearly to check existing moles and new pigmented spots.2
  • Do not use after a serious allergic reaction to afamelanotide.2
  • The implant is meant to be placed by a healthcare professional trained in the procedure.2
  • There are no data on use in pregnancy or breastfeeding.2
  • Unregulated melanotan products may be impure, and the UK MHRA has warned that shared needles can spread blood-borne viruses.1011

Sources

  1. PubChem: Afamelanotide (CID 16197727)
  2. FDA label: Scenesse (afamelanotide) implant (DailyMed)
  3. EMA: Scenesse (afamelanotide) EPAR
  4. Langendonk JG et al. Afamelanotide for erythropoietic protoporphyria. N Engl J Med 2015
  5. Lim HW et al. Afamelanotide and narrowband UV-B phototherapy for vitiligo: a randomized multicenter trial. JAMA Dermatol 2015
  6. Haylett AK et al. Systemic photoprotection in solar urticaria with afamelanotide. Br J Dermatol 2011
  7. Levine N et al. Induction of skin tanning by subcutaneous administration of a potent synthetic melanotropin. JAMA 1991
  8. Dorr RT et al. Melanotan-1 combined with UV light or sunlight for tanning in volunteers. Arch Dermatol 2004
  9. Habbema L et al. Risks of unregulated use of alpha-MSH analogues: a review. Int J Dermatol 2017
  10. TGA (Australia): Melanotan tanning products
  11. Langan EA et al. Melanotropic peptides: more than just 'Barbie drugs' and 'sun-tan jabs'? Br J Dermatol 2010 (review)

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