Melanotan is a chemical made to mimic hormones that affect the colour of your skin, eyes and hair. Melanotan can increase skin tanning but can also cause dangerous side effects.
Melanotan can come as:
- a liquid to inject
- sets of pre-filled syringes for injection
- nasal sprays
- powders
Melanotan is not the same as afamelanotide. Doctors use afamelanotide to treat genetic conditions that cause pain when you are exposed to sunlight.
Other names for melanotan
Other names include: barbie drug, MT1, MT2, research peptide, vacation peptide
Types of melanotan
Melanotan causes the body to make more melanin. Melanin gives colour to your hair, eyes and skin.
Types of melanotan include:
- melanotan 1 - mainly affects melanin levels
- melanotan 2 - affects more body processes such as melanin levels, appetite and sexual behaviour
Effects of melanotan
The effects of melanotan can vary depending on:
- your size, weight and sex
- if you have any health conditions or mental health difficulties
- how you take the drug
- the strength of the drug
- how much you take
- if you take alcohol, medicines or other drugs at the same time
- where you take the drug and how you feel before you take it
- if you have taken the drug before and how often
Melanotan is not a licensed medicine or approved as a cosmetic product.
We do not know all the possible effects because melanotan products are not tested for quality or safety. The products could contain toxic or contaminated ingredients.
Effects on your brain and body
Melanotan can cause:
- acne
- loss of appetite
- diarrhoea
- nausea (feeling sick)
- vomiting (getting sick)
- flushed skin on your face
- dizziness
- increased sex drive
- spontaneous erections
- priapism - a painful erection that lasts longer than 4 hours
- increased blood pressure
- sudden increase in moles and freckles
- muscle tremors or damage
- kidney problems
Melanotan and skin cancers
Many people who use melanotan also use sunbeds or spend time in the sun without sunscreen. Having a tan does not protect you from sunburn or sun damage.
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun and sunbeds can increase the risk of skin cancers including:
Melanotan and mental health
Some people decide to use or continue to use melanotan because of:
- anxiety
- body dysmorphic disorder - an intense focus on your appearance that affects your daily life
- muscle dysmorphia - an intense focus on your size or muscle mass that affects your daily life
It may help to talk to someone if you are worried about your appearance.
Managing your social feeds to protect your mental health
Some social media accounts show unrealistic bodies and standards. People may use special lighting, camera angles, filters and editing apps to create photos. Some people may say their body is natural when they had procedures to change their body.
To protect your mental health you could:
- unfollow accounts that make you feel bad or insecure
- mute accounts that you may not want to permanently unfollow
- block anyone who harasses you
- use 'not interested' or 'hide' buttons on posts that make you feel bad or anxious
- mute keywords to stop seeing posts with content on certain topics
- interact with other positive content that makes you laugh or inspires you
- set app limits if you want to reduce the time you spend on social media
Melanotan and dependency
Melanotan does not usually cause tolerance. Tolerance is when you need to take more of a drug to get the same effects.
But some people may feel they need to keep using melanotan even when it causes harm.
How long does melanotan stay in your system?
It can be hard to know how long melanotan stays in your system.
There are tests to detect melanotan. But different types of tests have different detection times.
Things that affect how long a drug stays in your system
The time it takes for a drug to leave your system depends on many things.
For example:
- how much you took
- how often you take the drug
- how strong the drug was
- your age, sex and metabolism
- your general health
Reducing risks from melanotan
It’s always safest not to take substances that do not follow quality or safety laws.
There are ways to reduce the risk of harm if you use melanotan. Select a piece of advice to find out more.
Consider if there is extra risk for you - such as health conditions or how you feel.
There are always risks if you use illegal substances. But some people may be more at risk than others.
If you or someone in your family has any health conditions or mental health difficulties, you may be more at risk of a medical emergency.
For example, you may have an increased risk from melanotan if you have:
- high blood pressure
- moles
- a higher risk of skin cancer
It can be hard to know your level of risk. Some people have health conditions and do not know it.
If you feel low, anxious or stressed, you are more at risk of a negative or challenging experience.
Find out about safer tanning products.
There is no safe way to get a tan from melanotan, the sun or sunbeds. A tan is a sign that your skin is damaged by UV rays.
Safer choices include:
- self-tanners you can buy in a supermarket or pharmacy
- professional spray tan
- bronzers or body make-up
Consider less risky ways of using if you inject melanotan.
Injecting drugs increases the risk of vein damage or infections.
Needle exchange services welcome people who want sterile injecting equipment. The service is free and confidential. The staff will only ask for your initials and year of birth.
Our drugs helpline can tell you where to get injecting packs and advice.
Freephone: 1800 459 459 - Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 5.30pm
Email: helpline@hse.ie
Store pre-filled syringes, sprays or liquids in the fridge.
Liquid melanotan is very unstable. Store liquids in a fridge out of the reach of children.
Melanotan liquids can get contaminated with bacteria if you do not store them in a fridge.
Check the liquid for particles or colour changes.
The liquid may be contaminated if it:
- looks cloudy
- changes colour
- contains particles or sediment
Do not use a liquid if there are any signs that it is contaminated.
A liquid can still be contaminated if it looks normal.
Get to know your skin, nails and moles.
Take pictures of your moles and check your skin often for any changes.
Ask someone you trust to check parts of your body you cannot see, for example your:
- back
- neck
- scalp
Moles and checking your moles for changes
A dark stripe in 1 nail only can be a sign of a type of skin cancer called subungual melanoma. Check your nails often for any changes.
Dark stripes in several nails is common in adults with black skin. But check with your GP if you notice any changes.
Mixing melanotan with alcohol or other drugs
There are not many studies on melanotan. Using melanotan with alcohol, medicines or other drugs may have negative effects.
Non-urgent advice: Contact a GP if you:
- notice a new mole
- notice a new black line or a new black spot under your nail
- have a mole that bleeds or changes size, shape or colour
- feel shame, anxiety or distress about the way you look
- have a painful erection that lasts longer than 4 hours
- have severe muscle aches, pain or weakness
Tell the GP if you use melanotan. It will help them recommend the right treatment.
If you are worried about melanotan
If you are worried about your own or someone else’s use, you can find support. This can be when melanotan affects your health, relationships, work or other areas of your life.
Non-urgent advice: Drugs and alcohol helpline
You can contact the helpline for support, information or advice on treatment and support options.
Freephone: 1800 459 459
Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 5.30pm
Email: helpline@hse.ie