Melanotan II (Melanotan 2): What Users Report
Melanotan 2 (Melanotan II): tanning claims, nausea and mole risks, and anonymous user reports. Not approved for tanning. Not medical advice.
Anonymous user report. Not medical advice. Peptides discussed are not FDA-approved for the uses described. Editorial process →
Short answer
Melanotan II (often searched as Melanotan 2) is an unapproved melanocortin peptide marketed for tanning. Regulators have warned about illegal tanning injections. Nausea, flushing, freckling/mole darkening and other effects appear in community stories. Peptide Confessions does not publish dosing, timing, injection or sourcing guidance.
What Melanotan 2 is
Melanotan II (MT-2) is a synthetic analogue of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, developed at the University of Arizona in the 1980s–90s as a possible "sunless tan". It activates several melanocortin receptors at once: MC1R in skin (tanning), MC4R in the brain (sexual arousal and appetite) and others. That broad action is why tanning comes with nausea, flushing, spontaneous erections and reduced appetite. It was never approved as a medicine anywhere. Its relatives went different ways: afamelanotide (Melanotan 1) is an approved implant for a rare light-sensitivity disorder, and bremelanotide (PT-141) is approved for low sexual desire in women.
Known risks
Regulators including the FDA, the UK MHRA, Australia's TGA and Health Canada have warned against unlicensed tanning injections. Last reviewed October 15, 2026.
| Risk | What's known |
|---|---|
| Darkening and new moles | Widely reported; changes can make skin checks harder |
| Melanoma | Case reports in users; a causal link is unproven, but dermatologists advise against it |
| Nausea, flushing, yawning | Common, especially early |
| Spontaneous or prolonged erections | Common; an erection lasting over 4 hours is an emergency |
| Uneven pigmentation | Freckles, face, genitals and gums can darken |
| Rare serious events | Case reports of kidney injury, muscle breakdown and other reactions |
| Product quality | Unregulated vials and nasal sprays; contents and sterility unknown |
What users report
Mole changes are the most consistent theme. #82 warns that it "darkens every existing mole and can wake up new ones"; #771 says a dermatologist found new moles in places that never see the sun and told them to stop; #607 describes a spouse asking whether their moles had always been that dark.
Side effects beyond tanning come up constantly: #479 describes freckles so dark they "looked dirty instead of bronzed", darkened armpits and genitals, and random erections in public; #111 says it wrecked their sleep. #741 describes quickly getting used to the colour and wanting to go darker, a pattern dermatologists call tanning dependence. #201 knows about the moles and won't stop.
Related
Melanotan II hub, Melanotan 1 vs 2. Related melanocortin: PT-141.
related peptides:
community guides:
More confessions from the archive
Community Q&A
- Does Melanotan 2 cause cancer?
- Melanoma has been reported in users, but a causal link is unproven. It darkens and can create moles, and dermatologists advise against it.
- Is Melanotan 2 legal?
- It is not an approved medicine. Regulators in the US, UK, Australia and Canada have warned against it.
- What are Melanotan 2 side effects?
- Nausea, flushing, darkened moles and freckles, spontaneous erections, appetite loss and sleep disruption are commonly reported.
- Is Melanotan 2 safe?
- It is not approved for tanning. Community reports include nausea and pigment changes. Mole changes need dermatology follow-up.
- Is Melanotan 2 the same as PT-141?
- No. Both act on melanocortin pathways but they are different compounds with different use discussions.
- Does this page give dosing advice?
- Peptide Confessions does not publish dosing, timing, injection or sourcing guidance.
- What is Melanotan II?
- Melanotan II is a synthetic melanocortin peptide discussed for tanning and libido. It is not an approved tanning drug in the US or Canada.
- Where are Melanotan II reports?
- See the Melanotan II peptide hub. Related: the PT-141 hub.
- Does this page say how to tan with it?
- No. We do not publish dosing, prices or sourcing, and we are not a tanning guide.
Anonymous first-hand reports plus sourced context — educational only, not medical advice. Editorial policy & corrections.