Melanotan II
Contents
In short
- Melanotan II is a synthetic version of a hormone that darkens the skin.
- Small studies from the 1990s showed that it gives darker skin. It also gave erections.
- A related substance, afamelanotide, is approved in the EU for a rare light sensitivity, and the related bremelanotide has been tested in large studies.
- A new study is testing melanotan II together with light therapy for vitiligo.
Fact box
- Type
- Research compound
- Research
- Early human studies
- Sequence
- Ac-Nle-cyclo[Asp-His-D-Phe-Arg-Trp-Lys]-NH2
- Other names
- melanotan 2, MT-II, MT2
What is Melanotan II?
Melanotan II is a lab-made peptide that mimics alpha-MSH, a hormone that makes the skin produce more pigment. It is often called the tanning injection because it gives darker skin.
The body makes the hormone alpha-MSH, which among other things controls how much pigment the skin produces. Melanotan II is a synthetic and more potent version of part of this hormone.[1]
It acts on more than the skin. It also affects other receptors in the body, and in the studies the men had erections as a side effect.[1][2] This led to research on related substances for sexual health.
Melanotan II should not be confused with afamelanotide, a related substance approved in the EU for a rare inherited condition where the skin tolerates very little light.[3][4]
A new study with 60 participants will test melanotan II together with light therapy for vitiligo. It started in 2026, and there are no results yet.[5]
The amino acid sequence in the fact box comes from PubChem.[6]
What does the research say about Melanotan II?
Small studies in humans, most of them from the 1990s, show that melanotan II gives darker skin and erections. Related substances have since been developed into approved medicines.
| Use | Studies | Research |
|---|---|---|
| Darker skin | 1 study · Pilot study · n = 3 | Early human studies |
| Erection problems | 2 studies · RCT · n = 20 | Early human studies |
RCT means randomised controlled trial. How to read a study
Darker skin
In a small pilot study from 1996, three healthy men received melanotan II and salt water on alternate days for two weeks. Two of them got darker skin on the face and upper body.[1]
Erection problems
Two small placebo-controlled studies with ten men each tested melanotan II for erection problems. In the first, eight of ten men had an erection.[2] The second study also found an effect.[7]
The related substance bremelanotide has since been tested in two large studies in women with low sexual desire.[8]
Questions and answers about Melanotan II
Does melanotan give a tan?
Yes. In the small studies, melanotan II gave darker skin on the face and upper body.
Is melanotan the same as afamelanotide?
No. Afamelanotide is a related substance approved in the EU for a rare inherited light sensitivity. Melanotan II is a different substance.