--- title: "Melanotan I: Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects & Tanning" description: "Melanotan I explained: how this alpha-MSH copy builds a tan, what trials show, how it relates to afamelanotide (Scenesse), and the risks of unregulated vials." canonical: "https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1" last-updated: 2026-08-22 --- # Melanotan I: Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects & Tanning > Melanotan I explained: how this alpha-MSH copy builds a tan, what trials show, how it relates to afamelanotide (Scenesse), and the risks of unregulated vials. ![A Bolivian woman, 46, sun-browned round face, long black braid threaded with grey, linen shirt, reads a paperback with a blank cover under a wide…](https://www.vitalsvault.com/_next/image?url=%2Fpublic-v3%2Fshoot%2Fpeptides%2Fpep-mt1.webp&w=3840&q=75&dpl=shadow-production-f0162cb4d465-40992538108-1) Peptide Guide · Skin, hair and tanning # Melanotan I Melanotan 1, MT-1, NDP-alpha-MSH ([Nle4, D-Phe7]-alpha-MSH) In 1991, 28 men in Arizona wore strong sunscreen for weeks, and the ones on the peptide still came out tanned while the placebo group did not. The molecule behind that result became a medicine for a rare disease and, separately, a grey-market tanning vial. [Get early access to peptide care](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides-waitlist)[Start with 120+ lab tests · $99](https://www.vitalsvault.com/labs#plans) Free to join · One email when peptide care opens · Most lab results in 3–5 business days Studied forSkin pigmentation and light tolerance EvidenceEarly human data Taken asAs prescribed by a clinician Studied forSkin pigmentation and light tolerance EvidenceEarly human data Taken asAs prescribed by a clinician ## Melanotan I, in short Melanotan I is a lab-made copy of alpha-MSH, the hormone that tells pigment cells to make melanin. It switches on the MC1R receptor and, in small trials, darkened skin without sun and cut sunburn damage in fair skin. The same peptide, as afamelanotide, is a prescription implant for a rare light-sensitivity disease. Tanning vials sold online are a separate, unregulated product. Medically reviewed by [Robert Lufkin, MD (opens in a new tab)](https://www.robertlufkinmd.com/) Chief Medical Officer, Vitals Vault · Updated October 29, 2026 · 11 sources ## At a glance Early human data TypeSynthetic analogue of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH), also called NDP-alpha-MSH[1](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-levine-1991)[4](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-dorr-2000) TargetMelanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) on pigment cells[10](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-scenesse-label) Studied forSkin darkening, sunburn protection, erythropoietic protoporphyria and vitiligo[1](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-levine-1991)[5](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-barnetson-2006)[2](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-langendonk-2015)[9](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-lim-2015) Same peptide asAfamelanotide, the drug in the Scenesse implant, approved October 2019 for erythropoietic protoporphyria only[7](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-fabrikant-2013)[11](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-scenesse-fda)[10](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-scenesse-label) Tanning useNot approved. Sold unregulated, with unverified content[3](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-habbema-2017)[7](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-fabrikant-2013) FDA statusMelanotan I for tanning is not FDA-approved[3](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-habbema-2017) ## Before you consider Melanotan I - Safety In the disease trials, side effects were mostly mild, mainly nausea. It can darken moles, and no study tested unregulated tanning vials.[2](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-langendonk-2015)[8](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-biolcati-2015)[10](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-scenesse-label)[3](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-habbema-2017) [Side effects and safety](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#safety) - Legal status Afamelanotide (Scenesse) is FDA approved for one rare disease, EPP. Melanotan I sold for tanning is not FDA approved.[11](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-scenesse-fda)[3](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-habbema-2017) [FDA status](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#fda-status) - How it’s taken The approved implant is placed under the skin by a trained clinician. Tanning vials are usually self-injected, and we give no use instructions for them.[10](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-scenesse-label)[3](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-habbema-2017) [Forms and dosage](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#how-taken) ## How does Melanotan I work? It copies the hormone that tells skin cells to make pigment, and it lasts longer. - ### Wakes up pigment cells It switches on the pigment cells in the skin, the ones that make melanin, the brown pigment.[10](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-scenesse-label) - ### Builds protective pigment In volunteers it raised the brown-black pigment that absorbs UV well. In fair skin it cut sunburn cells by more than half.[4](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-dorr-2000)[5](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-barnetson-2006) - ### Darkens moles too It acts on pigment cells everywhere, so it can darken existing moles and freckles.[10](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-scenesse-label)[3](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-habbema-2017) ## Melanotan I benefits: what it is studied for The best evidence is for the prescription implant in a rare disease. For tanning, the human studies are small and date from 1991 to 2006. All three cards come from studies in people. 1. Human study01 ### Skin darkening without sun In a 1991 trial of 28 healthy men, 12 days of injections darkened skin, peaking one to three weeks later. Everyone wore high-potency sunscreen.[1](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-levine-1991) 2. Human study02 ### Less sunburn damage In 65 volunteers, melanin rose 41% in people who burn easily. Sunburn cells fell by more than half, and one marker of UV DNA damage fell 59%.[5](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-barnetson-2006) 3. Human study03 ### More sun time in a rare disease In two randomized trials of the implant in people with EPP, a rare light-sensitivity disease, pain-free time in sunlight and quality of life improved.[2](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-langendonk-2015) ## What the research shows Early human data 1. 1 · Cells in a labNot cited This guide cites no findings at this level. Shows a mechanism 2. 2 · AnimalsNot cited This guide cites no findings at this level. Shows an effect in a body 3. 3 · People Studied Small trials in healthy people darkened skin and cut some markers of UV damage. Two randomized trials in 168 people with EPP raised pain-free sun time.[1](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-levine-1991)[5](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-barnetson-2006)[2](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-langendonk-2015) Shows it works in people Tanning trials in healthy people are small: 28 men in 1991, 7 volunteers in 2000 and 65 in 2006. The strongest evidence among these studies is for the implant in EPP, from two randomized placebo-controlled trials in the New England Journal of Medicine and long-term observational data. None of the studies cited here tested self-injected tanning products.[1](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-levine-1991)[4](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-dorr-2000)[5](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-barnetson-2006)[2](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-langendonk-2015)[8](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-biolcati-2015)[3](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-habbema-2017) The full guide to Melanotan I 9 min read · Medically reviewed by Robert Lufkin, MD ## A tan under sunscreen: how Melanotan I began In 1991, JAMA published a trial that sounded like a beach-season fantasy. Twenty-eight healthy white men in Tucson, Arizona, answered an advertisement, got a 12-day course of injections of either a synthetic hormone or salt water, and wore high-potency sunscreen the whole time. The men on the hormone got measurably darker anyway, and the color kept deepening for one to three weeks after the last shot. The team behind it, at the University of Arizona, included Norman Levine, Robert Dorr, Mac Hadley and Victor Hruby. They had designed superpotent, long-acting, enzyme-resistant versions of the melanocortins, the family of hormones that includes the pigment signal alpha-MSH, partly to understand how those hormones work. Two of their designs were patented and tested in people: a linear peptide they named Melanotan I and a cyclic one, Melanotan II. Their ambition was larger than a cosmetic tan. Writing in 2006, Hadley and Dorr described Melanotan I as a possible therapeutic tan with the potential to lower the risk of skin cancer. The 1991 paper put it more modestly: skin tanning appears possible without potentially harmful exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Both halves of that idea, the tan and the protection, have since been tested, with very different results for very different products.[1](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-levine-1991)[6](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-hadley-2006) ## How Melanotan I works: one receptor, the protective pigment Your body already makes alpha-MSH. It binds the melanocortin 1 receptor, MC1R, on melanocytes, the pigment cells at the base of the skin, and tells them to make melanin. Natural alpha-MSH is short-lived and broken down quickly, so it makes a poor drug. The Arizona chemists swapped two of its amino acids, putting norleucine at position 4 and a mirror-image phenylalanine at position 7. That is where the technical name [Nle4, D-Phe7]-alpha-MSH, shortened to NDP-alpha-MSH, comes from. Melanin comes in two main kinds. Eumelanin is brown-black and absorbs UV well. Pheomelanin is red-yellow, more common in fair and freckled skin, and protects far less. MC1R is the switch that tilts pigment cells toward eumelanin, which is why the receptor matters for both tanning and sun sensitivity. A 2000 study measured that tilt directly. Seven volunteers with skin that tans easily got a two-week course of injections. Their face, neck and forearms darkened, and skin samples showed eumelanin in the forearm nearly doubling, while forearm pheomelanin showed no significant change. Melanotan I builds more of the protective pigment, and it does so without UV light, which is the part that makes it different from a sun tan.[4](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-dorr-2000)[10](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-scenesse-label)[5](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-barnetson-2006) ## A tan that protected DNA, in fair skin most of all A tan from the sun is a receipt for damage already done. UV light injures DNA in skin cells, and the extra pigment arrives afterward as a response. The question that made Melanotan I interesting to dermatologists was whether a tan built without UV could protect skin before the damage happened. A 2006 trial in Sydney tested exactly that. Sixty-five volunteers took part, with the peptide given in three short courses over three months and compared against placebo. Melanin density rose in everyone who got the peptide, and it rose most in the people who had the least to begin with. In those who burn easily, melanin increased by an average of 41%. In people who already tan well, it rose 12%. Then the researchers exposed skin to three times each person’s sunburn dose. In the fair-skinned group, sunburn cells, skin cells killed outright by UV, fell by more than half after the peptide. Thymine dimer formation, one kind of kink UV leaves in DNA that can lead to mutations, was reduced by 59% in the deepest layer of the outer skin, where new skin cells are made. That is the most striking finding in the whole Melanotan I literature, and it cuts against intuition. The people who gained the most color were the ones least able to tan naturally, and they were the group in which the protection was measured. Two limits keep it in proportion. Protection was partial, since much of the damage still happened, and no study cited here counts skin cancers. Hadley and Dorr’s hope of a cancer-lowering tan remains a hypothesis.[5](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-barnetson-2006)[6](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-hadley-2006) ## Melanotan I and afamelanotide: one molecule, two very different products Here the names matter. The 1991 trial called its peptide NDP-alpha-MSH. The 2000 study states that NDP-alpha-MSH is also called Melanotan I. And the drug name afamelanotide refers to the same structure, [Nle4-D-Phe7]-alpha-MSH. In chemistry, Melanotan I and afamelanotide are one peptide. In medicine, they are not interchangeable. Scenesse is a specific product: a slow-release implant of afamelanotide, placed under the skin by a trained healthcare professional, with a label limited to adults with a history of phototoxic reactions from erythropoietic protoporphyria. The label describes it as an MC1R agonist and tells prescribers to check the whole skin twice a year. Vials sold online as Melanotan I are something else. A 2013 dermatology review described unregulated analogues and counterfeit melanotans being sold for tanning, and a 2017 review raised questions about how these products are prepared, how they are injected and how much peptide they actually contain. A name on a label tells you what the seller claims. It does not tell you what is in the powder, how clean it is, or how much you are getting. So the evidence on this page splits in two. What was learned in trials of the pharmaceutical peptide and the Scenesse implant belongs to those products. None of it transfers automatically to a grey-market vial, and no study cited here tested one.[1](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-levine-1991)[4](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-dorr-2000)[7](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-fabrikant-2013)[10](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-scenesse-label)[3](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-habbema-2017) ## Afamelanotide for erythropoietic protoporphyria Erythropoietic protoporphyria is an inherited disorder of how the body makes heme. A light-sensitive compound called protoporphyrin builds up in the skin, so sunlight sets off severely painful phototoxic reactions. The 2015 trial authors described the pain as excruciating and quality of life as markedly reduced. Two randomized, double-blind trials, published together in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2015, compared afamelanotide implants with placebo in 74 patients in Europe and 94 in the United States. In the U.S. study, median pain-free time in direct sunlight over six months was 69.4 hours with the drug and 40.8 with placebo. In the European study it was 6.0 hours against 0.8 over nine months, and the afamelanotide group recorded 77 phototoxic reactions against 146 with placebo. Quality of life improved in both. Those hours can look modest until you see the starting point. In the European trial, the placebo group managed a median of under one hour of pain-free direct sun across nine months, so six hours is a real change. Long-term data back the trials. Doctors in Rome and Zurich followed 115 patients through 1,023 implants for up to eight years. Quality-of-life scores rose from 31% of the maximum to 74% and stayed there, and side effects were minor, mostly nausea. The way it helps is worth noticing. Afamelanotide does not change the faulty chemistry behind the disease. It raises skin pigmentation, and that extra pigment improves how much light people can tolerate. By mid-2014, two thirds of the patients known to those two centers were using it, only three felt it fell short of their expectations, and another 23% stopped for other, mostly compelling, reasons such as pregnancy or cost.[2](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-langendonk-2015)[8](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-biolcati-2015) ## Afamelanotide for vitiligo: a research thread Vitiligo is the opposite problem: patches of skin go white as the functional pigment cells, the melanocytes, are lost. A standard approach is narrowband UV-B light therapy, which coaxes pigment back slowly. Because afamelanotide pushes melanocytes to work, researchers asked whether combining the two would speed things up. A 2015 randomized trial in JAMA Dermatology enrolled 55 adults with skin types III to VI and vitiligo covering 15% to 50% of the body. Half got light therapy alone and half got light therapy plus afamelanotide implants. By day 168, repigmentation was 48.6% with the combination against 33.3% with light alone, and color returned sooner on the face (41 vs 61 days) and arms (46 vs 69 days). The benefit was clearest in people with darker skin types IV to VI. Side effects included redness in both groups and minor infections and nausea with the implant. This remains a research use. Scenesse’s label covers erythropoietic protoporphyria only.[9](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-lim-2015)[10](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-scenesse-label) Know your baseline before any peptide 120+ lab tests at Quest Diagnostics, every result reviewed by a licensed clinician. Most results in 3–5 business days. A baseline today gives your clinician something to compare against if you start Melanotan I later. [Start with 120+ lab tests · $99](https://www.vitalsvault.com/labs#plans)[Get early access to peptide care](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides-waitlist) Full refund before your blood draw · No membership ## Melanotan I benefits: what the human studies show Put the human record side by side and it is more substantial than most peptides on the grey market. For tanning and photoprotection there are three small studies in healthy people, two placebo-controlled and one uncontrolled: 28 men in 1991, 7 volunteers in 2000 and 65 volunteers in 2006. For disease, there are two randomized trials with 168 patients in EPP, a 115-patient long-term follow-up and a 55-patient vitiligo trial. The consistent findings are that the peptide darkens skin without sun, mainly by adding eumelanin, that in the 2006 trial the people with the least pigment and the most sunburn-prone skin gained the most color in percentage terms, and that it reduces some markers of UV damage. Color peaks one to three weeks after a course and then fades. What the record does not contain is just as clear. None of the studies cited here tracks cosmetic tanning over years, counts skin cancers, or tests a product bought online. The good news about Melanotan I comes from pharmaceutical-grade peptide used under study conditions. It also helps to know who ran the studies. The two EPP trials were funded by the company that makes the implant, among others, and the Arizona tanning studies came from the team that designed and patented the peptide. That is normal in drug development, and it is one more reason larger independent trials would be welcome.[1](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-levine-1991)[4](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-dorr-2000)[5](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-barnetson-2006)[2](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-langendonk-2015)[8](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-biolcati-2015)[9](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-lim-2015)[6](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-hadley-2006) ## Melanotan I side effects and safety In trials, the peptide was generally well tolerated. In the EPP studies, adverse events were mostly mild and serious events were not thought to be drug-related. Over years of use, the main complaint was nausea. In the vitiligo trial, minor infections and nausea occurred in the implant group. Moles are the central caution. Because the peptide stimulates pigment cells everywhere, Scenesse’s label warns that it can darken existing moles and freckles and recommends a full-body skin exam twice a year. Unregulated products add uncertainty on top. A 2017 dermatology review collected case reports, with both Melanotan I and II, of changes in existing moles and newly appearing dysplastic, or atypical, moles. Four reports described melanomas arising from existing moles during or shortly after melanotan use. The authors stressed that conclusive evidence of a causal link is lacking, and noted that several national health bodies have issued safety warnings. Anyone with a personal or family history of melanoma, many moles or atypical moles should treat this as a conversation for a dermatologist first. The same goes for pregnancy and breastfeeding, where the peptide has not been studied for tanning.[2](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-langendonk-2015)[8](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-biolcati-2015)[9](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-lim-2015)[10](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-scenesse-label)[3](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-habbema-2017) ## Which checks matter most For Melanotan I, the most important check is not a blood test. It is a skin exam. The Scenesse label asks for a full-body skin check twice a year, and anyone who has used a tanning peptide benefits from a dermatologist photographing and mapping their moles so changes can be spotted. Blood work adds context. Vitamin D, measured as 25-OH vitamin D, is worth tracking because people with light-sensitive skin or skin-cancer worries often avoid the sun. A clinician may also ask for liver or kidney tests such as ALT and eGFR when the specific medicine and your history call for them. hs-CRP reflects low-grade inflammation across the body. At Vitals Vault, peptide care starts with a blood panel at Quest Diagnostics and a licensed clinician’s review of your results and history. For pigment peptides, that clinician will also want to know who checks your skin.[10](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-scenesse-label)[3](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-habbema-2017) ## Where Melanotan I stands in 2026 Afamelanotide has been FDA-approved since October 2019, as the Scenesse implant, for adults with a history of phototoxic reactions from erythropoietic protoporphyria. That approval covers one product for one disease. Melanotan I sold for tanning is not FDA-approved, and a 2017 review notes that several national health organizations have warned against unregulated melanotan I and II.[11](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-scenesse-fda)[10](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-scenesse-label)[3](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-habbema-2017) ## What this means for you Melanotan I is a genuine scientific success. A pigment hormone, re-engineered in Arizona, builds a tan without sun, protects fair skin against some UV damage in trials and, as afamelanotide, gives people with a painful rare disease more hours of pain-free sunlight. All of that evidence belongs to pharmaceutical-grade peptide, studied carefully. If you are thinking about a tanning peptide, the useful question is not whether Melanotan I works. It does. The question is whether the vial in front of you is what it claims to be, and who is watching your moles while it works.[1](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-levine-1991)[5](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-barnetson-2006)[2](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-langendonk-2015)[3](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-habbema-2017) Know your baseline before any peptide 120+ lab tests at Quest Diagnostics, every result reviewed by a licensed clinician. Most results in 3–5 business days. A baseline today gives your clinician something to compare against if you start Melanotan I later. [Start with 120+ lab tests · $99](https://www.vitalsvault.com/labs#plans)[Get early access to peptide care](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides-waitlist) Full refund before your blood draw · No membership ## What to expect with Melanotan I In the tanning studies, color appeared during a short course and peaked one to three weeks after it ended, then faded over the following weeks. In the photoprotection trial, the effect was measured after three cycles spread over three months. In erythropoietic protoporphyria, benefit was judged over six to nine months of implants, and long-term users kept their gains for years. Whatever the reason for interest, the label’s rhythm is a good guide: a skin check before starting and twice a year after.[1](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-levine-1991)[5](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-barnetson-2006)[2](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-langendonk-2015)[8](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-biolcati-2015)[10](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-scenesse-label) ## Key Melanotan I studies - Levine et al., 1991[1](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-levine-1991) Randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial · 28 healthy white men Skin darkened without added UV, peaking 1 to 3 weeks after the course Limits: Small, men only, short follow-up - Dorr et al., 2000[4](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-dorr-2000) Open study with skin sampling · 7 volunteers who tan easily Tan at face, neck and forearm; eumelanin rose, no significant change in pheomelanin Limits: Very small, no placebo group - Barnetson et al., 2006[5](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-barnetson-2006) Placebo-controlled trial · 65 volunteers Melanin up 41% in fair skin; sunburn cells halved; thymine dimers down 59% in the basal layer Limits: Markers of damage, not skin cancer outcomes - Langendonk et al., 2015[2](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-langendonk-2015) Two randomized, double-blind trials · 168 people with EPP More pain-free time in sunlight and better quality of life in both; fewer phototoxic reactions in the European trial Limits: Rare disease; implant form only - Biolcati et al., 2015[8](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-biolcati-2015) Long-term observational study · 115 people with EPP, up to 8 years Quality of life rose from 31% to 74% of maximum; mainly nausea as a side effect Limits: No control group - Lim et al., 2015[9](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-lim-2015) Randomized trial · 55 adults with vitiligo Faster, greater repigmentation with afamelanotide plus light therapy Limits: Short, research use only Key studies on Melanotan I | Study | Design | Who | What it found | Limits | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Levine et al., 1991[1](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-levine-1991) | Randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial | 28 healthy white men | Skin darkened without added UV, peaking 1 to 3 weeks after the course | Small, men only, short follow-up | | Dorr et al., 2000[4](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-dorr-2000) | Open study with skin sampling | 7 volunteers who tan easily | Tan at face, neck and forearm; eumelanin rose, no significant change in pheomelanin | Very small, no placebo group | | Barnetson et al., 2006[5](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-barnetson-2006) | Placebo-controlled trial | 65 volunteers | Melanin up 41% in fair skin; sunburn cells halved; thymine dimers down 59% in the basal layer | Markers of damage, not skin cancer outcomes | | Langendonk et al., 2015[2](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-langendonk-2015) | Two randomized, double-blind trials | 168 people with EPP | More pain-free time in sunlight and better quality of life in both; fewer phototoxic reactions in the European trial | Rare disease; implant form only | | Biolcati et al., 2015[8](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-biolcati-2015) | Long-term observational study | 115 people with EPP, up to 8 years | Quality of life rose from 31% to 74% of maximum; mainly nausea as a side effect | No control group | | Lim et al., 2015[9](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-lim-2015) | Randomized trial | 55 adults with vitiligo | Faster, greater repigmentation with afamelanotide plus light therapy | Short, research use only | ## Melanotan I myths and evidence - ### Melanotan I from the internet is the same thing as Scenesse They share a molecule name, not a product. Scenesse is a regulated implant of afamelanotide for erythropoietic protoporphyria. Vials sold online as Melanotan I are unregulated, and reviews describe counterfeit products and unknown content and dosing.[7](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-fabrikant-2013)[10](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-scenesse-label)[3](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-habbema-2017) - ### With a Melanotan tan you can skip sunscreen In the 2006 trial, the peptide cut sunburn cells by about half in fair skin and thymine dimers, one marker of DNA damage, by 59%, which still leaves plenty of damage. The 1991 volunteers wore high-potency sunscreen throughout, and no study here shows a peptide tan replaces sun protection.[5](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-barnetson-2006)[1](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-levine-1991) - ### Melanotan I is the safe one, so mole changes only happen with Melanotan II Mole changes have been reported with both. A dermatology review lists case reports involving Melanotan I and II, and the Scenesse label itself warns that it can darken moles and freckles.[3](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-habbema-2017)[10](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-scenesse-label) - ### Melanotan I causes melanoma That is not proven. Four case reports describe melanomas arising in moles during or after melanotan use, but reviewers say conclusive evidence of a causal link is lacking. A regular skin check is the sensible response.[3](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-habbema-2017) Know your baseline first 120+ lab tests at Quest, every result reviewed by a licensed clinician. Most results in 3–5 business days. [Start with 120+ lab tests · $99](https://www.vitalsvault.com/labs#plans) ## How is Melanotan I taken? Per its label, Scenesse is an implant placed under the skin by a trained healthcare professional. Melanotan I sold for tanning is typically self-injected from powder vials of unknown content. We do not give use instructions for unregulated products.[10](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-scenesse-label)[3](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-habbema-2017) ## Melanotan I dosage There is no FDA-approved Melanotan I dose for tanning. The only labelled dose is for afamelanotide (Scenesse): one implant placed under the skin by a trained clinician every two months, for adults with erythropoietic protoporphyria. Tanning studies used weight-based daily injections in research units. Your clinician sets any dose.[10](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-scenesse-label)[4](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-dorr-2000)[5](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-barnetson-2006) ## Typical Melanotan I dosage Afamelanotide, the drug name for Melanotan I, is labelled only as Scenesse: one implant under the skin every two months, placed by a trained healthcare professional, for adults with erythropoietic protoporphyria. Tanning studies in volunteers used weight-based daily injections in research units. No dose is approved for tanning, and a clinician decides any use. These are reference doses from FDA labels, studies in people and clinical practice reports, shown for education. They are not a recommendation or a prescription. Your dose, form and schedule should be set by a licensed clinician who knows your history and lab results. Already have a prescribed dose? The [peptide dosage calculator](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/tools/dosage-calculator) turns it into the units to draw on an insulin syringe. - FDA label · Implant under the skin above the front of the hip bone, placed by a trained healthcare professional 16 mg (one implant) Every 2 months[10](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-scenesse-label) Adults with erythropoietic protoporphyria and a history of phototoxic reactions. - Human trial · Injection under the skin 0.16 mg/kg Once daily, Monday to Friday, for 2 weeks (10 doses)[4](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-dorr-2000) Healthy volunteers in a tanning study; not an approved use. - Human trial · Injection under the skin of the abdomen 0.16 mg/kg Three 10-day cycles over 3 months[5](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-barnetson-2006) Fair-skinned volunteers in a sunburn-protection study; not an approved use. Typical Melanotan I doses in people, by source | Source | Form | Amount | How often | Notes | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | FDA label[10](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-scenesse-label) | Implant under the skin above the front of the hip bone, placed by a trained healthcare professional | 16 mg (one implant) | Every 2 months | Adults with erythropoietic protoporphyria and a history of phototoxic reactions. | | Human trial[4](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-dorr-2000) | Injection under the skin | 0.16 mg/kg | Once daily, Monday to Friday, for 2 weeks (10 doses) | Healthy volunteers in a tanning study; not an approved use. | | Human trial[5](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-barnetson-2006) | Injection under the skin of the abdomen | 0.16 mg/kg | Three 10-day cycles over 3 months | Fair-skinned volunteers in a sunburn-protection study; not an approved use. | ## Is Melanotan I right for you? A clinician makes the call. These are the questions they will ask first. ### It may suit - People with confirmed erythropoietic protoporphyria, who should ask a porphyria specialist about the prescription implant Scenesse - Anyone curious about tanning peptides who wants to hear the evidence before deciding ### Talk to a clinician first if you are - Personal or family history of melanoma or many moles - Pregnant or breastfeeding - Any plan to use a product bought online without a prescription - Liver or kidney disease Vitals Vault peptide care starts with a blood panel and a licensed clinician, and ends with a retest. [Get early access to peptide care](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides-waitlist) ## Melanotan I vs Melanotan II Melanotan I vs Melanotan II | Attribute | Melanotan I | Melanotan II | | --- | --- | --- | | Shape | Linear, 13 amino acids | Cyclic, truncated ring | | Receptors | Mainly MC1R (pigment) | A non-selective melanocortin receptor agonist, active at more than one receptor | | Related prescription drug | Afamelanotide (Scenesse) for EPP is the same peptide | None as sold for tanning. Bremelanotide (Vyleesi) is a related but different peptide | | FDA status for tanning | Not approved | Not approved, and on FDA’s compounding safety-risk list | ## Pigment is protection, and a tan is a stress response Skin darkens to shield DNA from ultraviolet light, and a sun tan is a sign the skin has already been stressed. Darker skin is partial protection at best, and no study cited here shows that a peptide tan lowers skin cancer. So the bigger job is still managing UV, knowing your moles and having someone check your skin.[1](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-levine-1991)[5](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-barnetson-2006)[3](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-habbema-2017) ### What else moves the same system 1. 01Know your skin type and molesA dermatologist can map moles and set a baseline for tracking change. 2. 02Keep using sunscreenThe 1991 volunteers wore high-potency sunscreen, and no study shows a peptide tan replaces sun protection. 3. 03Check vitamin DSun avoidance is common with photosensitive skin, so 25-OH vitamin D is worth checking. 4. 04Ask about general baselinesA clinician may want liver, kidney or inflammation markers depending on the medicine and your history. ## Labs to check with Melanotan I A blood test before you start and a retest after shows what actually changed for you. It is how Vitals Vault approaches every treatment. 1. TestA baseline panel at Quest Diagnostics. 2. DecideA licensed clinician reviews your history and results. 3. RetestThe same markers again, side by side. [Start with 120+ lab tests · $99](https://www.vitalsvault.com/labs#plans) - [Vitamin D (25-OH)People with light-sensitive skin often avoid the sun, so vitamin D is worth tracking.](https://www.vitalsvault.com/biomarkers/vitamin-d-25-oh-total) - [Liver enzymes (ALT)Part of a metabolic panel. Checks the liver before and during any new prescription.](https://www.vitalsvault.com/biomarkers/alt) - [Kidney function (eGFR)Peptides are cleared through the kidneys, so a baseline is useful.](https://www.vitalsvault.com/biomarkers/egfr) - [hs-CRPA blood marker of inflammation you can track before and after a course.](https://www.vitalsvault.com/biomarkers/hs-crp) ## Is Melanotan I FDA approved? Afamelanotide (Scenesse) is FDA-approved, since October 2019, to increase pain-free light exposure in adult patients with a history of phototoxic reactions from erythropoietic protoporphyria. Melanotan I sold for tanning is not FDA-approved. A review of unregulated alpha-MSH analogues notes that national health bodies have issued safety warnings about melanotan I and II.[10](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-scenesse-label)[11](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-scenesse-fda)[3](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-habbema-2017) ### Melanotan I timeline 1. 1991 JAMA trial shows a synthetic melanotropin darkens skin in healthy men without added UV.[1](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-levine-1991) 2. 2000 Arizona study shows the tan comes from more eumelanin, the brown-black protective pigment.[4](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-dorr-2000) 3. 2006 Sydney trial of 65 volunteers finds the peptide cuts sunburn cells and UV DNA damage in fair skin.[5](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-barnetson-2006) 4. 2015 Two randomized trials in the New England Journal of Medicine show afamelanotide increases pain-free light exposure in erythropoietic protoporphyria.[2](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-langendonk-2015) 5. October 2019 FDA approves Scenesse (afamelanotide) for adults with a history of phototoxic reactions from EPP.[11](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1#source-scenesse-fda) ![A white woman, 66, small, white wavy hair, rosy cheeks, bifocals reads in a greenhouse chair](https://www.vitalsvault.com/_next/image?url=%2Fpublic-v3%2Fshoot%2Fpeptides%2Ffaq-melanotan1.webp&w=3840&q=75&dpl=shadow-production-f0162cb4d465-40992538108-1) ## Melanotan I questions What is Melanotan I used for? Melanotan I is studied for skin darkening and sunburn protection. As afamelanotide (Scenesse), the same peptide is FDA-approved to increase pain-free light exposure in adults with erythropoietic protoporphyria. Tanning products sold under the Melanotan I name are not approved. Is Melanotan I the same as afamelanotide? Chemically, yes. Afamelanotide is the drug name for the peptide researchers called Melanotan I. Scenesse is a regulated slow-release implant of it for one rare disease. A vial sold online as Melanotan I is a different product whose content and purity are unverified. How does Melanotan I work? It mimics alpha-MSH and activates the melanocortin 1 receptor on pigment cells, which raises eumelanin, the brown-black pigment. Trials showed skin darkening without sun and less UV damage in fair skin. What are the benefits of Melanotan I? In small trials it darkened skin without sun, halved sunburn cells in fair-skinned volunteers and cut thymine dimers, one marker of UV DNA damage, by 59%. As afamelanotide, it gave people with erythropoietic protoporphyria more pain-free time in sunlight. What are the side effects of Melanotan I? In the EPP trials, adverse events were mostly mild, with nausea most common over time. The label warns it can darken moles and freckles. For unregulated products, dermatologists have reported mole changes and several melanoma cases, though a causal link is not proven. Is Melanotan I safe for tanning? Safety for cosmetic tanning has not been established. A dermatology review concludes that unregulated melanotan use is likely risky because of unknown preparation and dosing and reports of mole changes. Melanotan I vs Melanotan II, what is the difference? Melanotan I acts mainly on the MC1R pigment receptor and is the same peptide as afamelanotide. Melanotan II acts on several melanocortin receptors, including those linked to sexual effects and nausea. Neither is FDA-approved for tanning. What is the Melanotan I dosage? There is no FDA-approved dose for tanning. Scenesse is labelled as one implant every two months, placed by a trained clinician, for erythropoietic protoporphyria. Tanning trials used weight-based daily injections under supervision, and we do not give use instructions for unregulated products. Your clinician sets any dose. Is Melanotan I FDA approved? No, not for tanning. The same peptide, as afamelanotide (Scenesse), is approved only for erythropoietic protoporphyria. Can I get Melanotan I through Vitals Vault? Vitals Vault is opening clinician-led peptide care that starts with a blood test. Join the peptides waitlist to hear first. A licensed clinician reviews your history and labs and decides whether Melanotan I is right for you. ## Peptides, prescribed and measured Vitals Vault is opening peptide care that starts with your blood work, is prescribed by licensed US clinicians and ends with a retest. Join the waitlist to hear first. - Prescription only - Licensed US clinicians - Quest Diagnostics labs [Get early access to peptide care](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides-waitlist)[Start with 120+ lab tests · $99](https://www.vitalsvault.com/labs#plans) ## Keep reading [Full Peptide Guide](https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides) - Melanotan IIA synthetic melanocortin peptide that darkens skin and affects sexual function. Unapproved, with documented safety reports. - PT-141Bremelanotide, an FDA-approved melanocortin peptide for low sexual desire in premenopausal women, sold as Vyleesi. - GHK-CuA copper-binding tripeptide found in human blood, studied for skin repair, collagen and hair. - FDA peptide update 2026What FDA’s October 2026 decision on six peptides means for you. ## Sources 1. 1. [Levine N, et al. Induction of skin tanning by subcutaneous administration of a potent synthetic melanotropin. JAMA. 1991 (opens in a new tab)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1658407/) 2. 2. [Langendonk JG, et al. Afamelanotide for Erythropoietic Protoporphyria. N Engl J Med. 2015 (opens in a new tab)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26132941/) 3. 3. [Habbema L, et al. Risks of unregulated use of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone analogues: a review. Int J Dermatol. 2017 (opens in a new tab)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28266027/) 4. 4. [Dorr RT, et al. Increased eumelanin expression and tanning is induced by a superpotent melanotropin [Nle4-D-Phe7]-alpha-MSH in humans. Photochem Photobiol. 2000 (opens in a new tab)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11045725/) 5. 5. [Barnetson RS, et al. [Nle4-D-Phe7]-alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone significantly increased pigmentation and decreased UV damage in fair-skinned Caucasian volunteers. J Invest Dermatol. 2006 (opens in a new tab)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16763547/) 6. 6. [Hadley ME, Dorr RT. Melanocortin peptide therapeutics: historical milestones, clinical studies and commercialization. Peptides. 2006 (opens in a new tab)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16412534/) 7. 7. [Fabrikant J, et al. A review and update on melanocyte stimulating hormone therapy: afamelanotide. J Drugs Dermatol. 2013 (opens in a new tab)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23884489/) 8. 8. [Biolcati G, et al. Long-term observational study of afamelanotide in 115 patients with erythropoietic protoporphyria. Br J Dermatol. 2015 (opens in a new tab)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25494545/) 9. 9. [Lim HW, et al. Afamelanotide and narrowband UV-B phototherapy for the treatment of vitiligo: a randomized multicenter trial. JAMA Dermatol. 2015 (opens in a new tab)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25230094/) 10. 10. [DailyMed. SCENESSE (afamelanotide) implant, prescribing information (opens in a new tab)](https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/lookup.cfm?setid=94f53286-11dd-7fbb-e053-2a95a90a7c48) 11. 11. [Drugs@FDA. SCENESSE (afamelanotide), NDA 210797, original approval October 8, 2019 (opens in a new tab)](https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/daf/index.cfm?event=overview.process&ApplNo=210797) Written by the Vitals Vault editorial team, medically reviewed by Robert Lufkin, MD, and updated October 29, 2026. This is general education, not medical advice. None of these peptides is FDA-approved to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, and compounded medicines are not FDA-reviewed for safety, effectiveness or quality. Talk to a licensed clinician before starting any treatment. --- Canonical HTML: https://www.vitalsvault.com/peptides/melanotan-1 - [llms.txt](https://www.vitalsvault.com/llms.txt) - [sitemap.xml](https://www.vitalsvault.com/sitemap.xml) - [Developer portal](https://www.vitalsvault.com/developers)