Cosmetic & dermatologic
Afamelanotide (melanotan I)
The approved melanotan: a tanning-hormone analogue licensed for a rare light-sensitivity disease, not for tanning.
What it is
Afamelanotide is an analogue of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone that stimulates melanin production. As the implant Scenesse it is approved in Europe and the United States for erythropoietic protoporphyria, a rare inherited condition in which sunlight causes severe pain. It is the one melanotan that became a licensed medicine; it is not approved for cosmetic tanning and is only available as an implant inserted by a clinician.
How it works
- 1
Binds MC1 receptors on skin pigment cells.
- 2
Increases eumelanin production without requiring UV exposure, thickening the skin's own photoprotection.
- 3
Reduces the skin damage and pain that follow light exposure in porphyria.
- 4
Unlike Melanotan II it has not been linked to the same pattern of nausea and spontaneous erections in user reports, although both act on melanocortin receptors.
- 5
Its half-life is short; the implant releases it slowly over weeks.
What it's studied for
Reported and studied effects
- Increased skin pigmentation within days of an implant
- Much longer pain-free sun exposure in porphyria trials
- Reduced reliance on protective clothing in treated patients
- Nausea and headache in a minority of patients
Research protocol notes
Research context onlyResearch context only outside the approved indication — Scenesse is given as a clinician-inserted subcutaneous implant of 16 mg, repeated every two months during sunny periods. There is no validated protocol for self-administration, and the injectable 'melanotan' sold online is a different, unapproved product.
These figures are described so you can understand what researchers did. They are not a dose, a schedule, or a suggestion — and they are not a substitute for a doctor.
Possible side effects and contraindications
Safety profile
Possible side effects
- Nausea
- Headache
- Back pain
- Nasopharyngitis
- Darkening of existing moles, which requires monitoring
Contraindications and cautions
- Not for cosmetic tanning
- History of melanoma or atypical moles requires dermatological review
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding
- Children outside specialist care
- Any unapproved injectable melanotan product
A side-effect list is never complete, and these are not the only situations that warrant caution. Anything unexpected, or anything you are unsure about, should be discussed with a doctor before use.
Evidence assessment
Randomised controlled trials support its licensed use in erythropoietic protoporphyria, where regulators in Europe and the United States have approved it; that evidence does not extend to cosmetic tanning.
References
- 01Afamelanotide in erythropoietic protoporphyria — PubMed search
- 02Scenesse (afamelanotide) — European Medicines Agency
References link to published literature, regulator pages or literature indexes. Where a link points to a search, it collects the peer-reviewed work on that molecule rather than a single study.
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