Melanotan II
Also known as: MT-II · MT2 · Melanotan 2
Melanotan II is a synthetic analog of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH), engineered for resistance to enzymatic breakdown. Originally developed at the University of Arizona for skin photoprotection in fair-skinned populations. Now sold and used recreationally for cosmetic tanning and incidental libido and appetite effects. Significant safety questions remain.
Last reviewed · Panya.health editorial
Panya scores vendors against an 11-signal rubric. Vendors at or above 70 out of 100 are routable; below 70 are documented but get no Panya affiliate link. For prescription peptides like Mounjaro and Wegovy, Panya routes today through licensed clinicians. For research peptides like Melanotan II, vendor scorecards land in a follow-up sprint after legal review and payment processor selection. Until then, the page surfaces commonly-mentioned vendor names so adults can do their own diligence. We do not yet earn commission on any Melanotan II vendor.
Not medical advice. Melanotan II is not approved for human medical use in most jurisdictions. The data below is what users do; it is not what regulators have validated. You decide your risk profile.
What it does, and how
Melanotan II is a non-selective agonist at melanocortin receptors MC1R, MC3R, MC4R, and MC5R. MC1R activation stimulates melanin production in skin (tanning effect). MC3R and MC4R activation in the hypothalamus drives appetite suppression and pro-erectile signaling, which is why Palatin Therapeutics derived bremelanotide (Vyleesi) from this scaffold for FDA-approved hypoactive sexual desire disorder. The non-selectivity is the safety concern: chronic stimulation of multiple melanocortin receptors has been linked to atypical melanocytic nevi, melanoma case reports, and persistent gastrointestinal effects.
Typical practice
Community practice for cosmetic tanning runs 250 to 500 mcg per day subcutaneous during a 'loading phase' until the user's desired pigmentation is reached (often 2 to 4 weeks), then 250 to 500 mcg twice weekly as maintenance plus regular UV exposure to maintain the tan. Pre-injection sun exposure is what makes the tan appear; without UV, the peptide does little. Reconstitution typically 10 mg vial in 2 to 5 mL bacteriostatic water. The libido protocol is acute: 250 to 500 mcg sub-q 30 to 60 minutes before intimate context. The risk profile of chronic use for tanning is substantially worse than acute use for libido.
The dosing above is community practice, not a regulator-validated protocol. Trial-validated dosing for Melanotan II in humans does not exist for most use cases listed.
Risks and contraindications
This is the peptide with the most-documented safety questions in the community catalog. Melanocytic nevi can darken and proliferate; there are case reports of melanoma in melanotan-II users though causation is contested. Persistent nausea is common during loading. Spontaneous penile erections (the bremelanotide effect) are common at higher doses. Skin freckling is widespread. Long-term use without a documented oncology baseline is unwise. Get a full-body skin check before starting and at intervals during use. Anyone with a personal or family history of melanoma should not use this peptide. The community has lost users to melanoma and the peptide remains in active circulation; treat with proportionate caution.
Where this stands legally
Not FDA-approved. The derivative bremelanotide IS FDA-approved as Vyleesi for HSDD (women). Melanotan II itself is sold as research chemical; FDA has issued warnings against it.
MHRA has issued multiple safety warnings against melanotan II; sale is technically lawful as a research chemical but MHRA actively discourages use.
Multiple EU member-state regulators have issued warnings. Not licensed.
TGA Schedule 4 (prescription-only) since 2019. Customs import flagged.
Not formally scheduled. Some Bangkok wellness and aesthetic clinics offer it; quality and dosing variance is high.
Where users say they source it
Names below are sourced from community discussion. None are currently scored against the Panya 11-signal rubric. Panya does not earn commission on any of these. You can search them yourself; treat the list as a starting point for your own diligence, not an endorsement.
- Pure RawzPending Panya 11-signal audit
- Limitless LifePending Panya 11-signal audit
- Amino AsylumPending Panya 11-signal audit
- Bangkok aesthetic clinics offering tanning protocolsPending Panya 11-signal audit
Full vendor scorecards for Melanotan II land in a follow-up sprint after lawyer review and payment processor selection. We will not route users to any vendor that scores below 70 on the rubric.
Papers worth reading directly
- Hadley and Dorr — Melanocortin peptide therapeutics: historical milestones, clinical studies and commercialization. Peptides, 2006 →
- Cardones and Grichnik — alpha-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone-induced eruptive nevi. Arch Dermatol, 2009 (case report) →
- Langan et al. — Melanotan II: a clinical review and a case report of tanning injection-associated melanoma. JAMA Dermatol, 2019 →
Panya blog posts
The phrase on every grey-market peptide site. What it actually means, what it does not mean, and why reading it wrong costs people money.
The five things that matter on a COA, the three things that do not, and the one question that separates a serious vendor from a cargo-cult operator.
Adjacent reading
Track Melanotan II in your peptide journal.
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