Melanotan-1
Also known as Afamelanotide, Scenesse, MT-1, NDP-alpha-MSH, [Nle4, D-Phe7]-alpha-MSH
Melanotan-1 is a stabilized analog of the natural tanning hormone alpha-MSH that darkens skin by stimulating melanin production. It is approved as an implant called Scenesse for a rare light sensitivity disorder and is used off-label for tanning and sun protection with fewer side effects than melanotan-2.
Reviewed by the amino101 editorial team. , first published .
Quick start
What people commonly do. Not a prescription.- Typical dose
- 0.5 to 1 mg
- How often
- daily during loading, then 1 to 2 times weekly to maintain
- Where
- Subcutaneous, belly or thigh
- Timing
- evening, to sleep through any nausea; short UV sessions a few times a week help the tan develop
- Effects timeline
- first darkening 1 to 2 weeks, full shade 3 to 4 weeks with some UV exposure
- Storage
- fridge 2 to 8 C once mixed, use within 4 weeks; lyophilized in freezer or fridge away from light
- Cycle length
- 2 to 4 week loading phase, then maintenance as desired
- Break between
- many stop for winter; the tan fades over 1 to 2 months once stopped
Overview
Melanotan-1, known in pharmaceutical form as afamelanotide, is a 13 amino acid analog of alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone with two substitutions that make it far more stable and potent than the natural hormone. It was developed at the University of Arizona in the 1980s with the goal of producing a tan without UV exposure as a form of skin cancer prevention. The compound was later licensed to Clinuvel, which developed it as a subcutaneous implant, and the FDA approved it in 2019 as Scenesse for erythropoietic protoporphyria, a genetic condition in which sunlight causes severe pain.
The clinical trials in EPP showed that afamelanotide implants roughly doubled the time patients could spend in sunlight without pain and improved quality of life. The mechanism is straightforward: more eumelanin in the skin absorbs light before it can trigger the phototoxic reaction. Additional trials in vitiligo, polymorphic light eruption, and solar urticaria have shown benefit, and Clinuvel continues to pursue those indications. The safety record from these trials is reasonable, with nausea, flushing, and darkening of moles as the main issues.
The injectable powder sold as melanotan-1 on the grey market is the same peptide without the implant. People use it for tanning, either for cosmetic reasons or because they burn easily and want protection. Compared to melanotan-2 it is more selective for the MC1R receptor, so it produces pigmentation with much less nausea, appetite suppression, or sexual effects. The tan develops over one to two weeks and requires some UV exposure to fully express. The main long term concern is that it darkens existing moles and may make new ones appear, which complicates skin cancer monitoring.
How it works
Melanotan-1 is a selective agonist at the melanocortin 1 receptor on melanocytes in the skin. Activation raises intracellular cAMP and drives the enzyme tyrosinase to produce eumelanin, the brown-black pigment, rather than pheomelanin, the red-yellow form that offers little protection. The melanin is packaged into melanosomes and transferred to surrounding skin cells, darkening the skin over days. The norleucine at position 4 and D-phenylalanine at position 7 protect the peptide from enzymes and increase receptor affinity, extending an effect that lasts minutes with natural alpha-MSH into one that persists for hours. MC1R activation also has mild anti-inflammatory and DNA repair enhancing effects in skin, which contribute to photoprotection beyond simple pigment.
Where the research stands
Photoprotection in erythropoietic protoporphyriaStrong evidence
- Pain-free sun exposure in EPP. Phase 3 RCTs of the implant roughly doubled tolerable sunlight time and improved quality of life; this is the approved indication.
Vitiligo repigmentationModerate evidence
- Combined with narrowband UVB. A randomized multicenter trial found faster and greater repigmentation than UVB alone; not an approved indication.
Cosmetic tanning and sunburn resistanceModerate evidence
- Skin darkening in healthy volunteers. Small human pilot studies from the 1990s showed measurable darkening within 2 weeks, strongest in fair skin.
- Reduced sunburn and UV DNA damage. Human pilot data showed fewer sunburn cells and less UV induced DNA damage at treated sites, plus supporting in vitro work on DNA repair.
Other light sensitivity disordersEmerging
- Polymorphic light eruption and solar urticaria. Small clinical trials reported benefit, but these remain investigational.
- human RCTAfamelanotide implants increased pain free sun exposure time and quality of life in patients with erythropoietic protoporphyria in Phase 3 trials.
- human RCTAfamelanotide combined with narrowband UVB produced faster and greater repigmentation in vitiligo than UVB alone.
- human pilotSubcutaneous melanotan-1 produced measurable skin darkening in healthy volunteers within 2 weeks, with the greatest effect in fair skinned individuals.
- human pilotMelanotan-1 reduced sunburn cell formation and UV induced DNA damage in treated skin compared to untreated sites.
- in vitroAlpha-MSH analogs enhance DNA repair and reduce oxidative damage in melanocytes after UV exposure.
Rodent and in vitro mean no human data for that finding. Human pilot means small, often uncontrolled. Human RCT means randomized and controlled. Clinical means an approved drug with regulatory data.
Levels over time
Modeled from the half-life. Illustrative, not measured.A half-life of 30 min against dosing every 24 h means each dose has cleared before the next. Nothing stacks; you start from zero every time, and the tissue effect is what carries over.
The peptide leaves the blood quickly, but the melanin it triggers takes days to build and weeks to fade, so pigmentation depends on cumulative daily dosing rather than what is circulating at any moment.
Melanotan-1 dosage and protocols
A loading phase of daily injections for 2 to 4 weeks until the desired shade, then maintenance once or twice a week. Many people stop over winter and reload in spring rather than running year round.
| Goal | Dose | Frequency | Route |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loading, first week | 0.5 mg | once daily | Subcutaneous, evening |
| Loading, after nausea check | 1 mg | once daily | Subcutaneous, evening |
| Fair or sensitive skin | 0.5 mg | every other day | Subcutaneous, evening |
| Maintenance | 0.5 to 1 mg | 1 to 2 times weekly | Subcutaneous |
Evening dosing keeps any nausea out of the way. Pair it with brief UV exposure two or three times a week; the peptide primes melanocytes but UV is what brings the pigment out. Food does not matter.
loading phase daily until desired shade, then 1-2 times weekly to maintain
Dose calculator
U-100 insulin syringeUnits are a volume on the syringe, not an amount of peptide. Concentration changes every time you change the water volume. The standalone calculator explains the math.
| Vial | Suggested water | Concentration | Low dose draw |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 mg | 2 mL | 5 mg/mL | 10 units |
How to reconstitute Melanotan-1
- 1
Wash your hands and wipe the work surface. Swab both vial stoppers with alcohol and let them dry.
- 2
Pick the water volume with the calculator above and write it on the vial. The concentration means nothing without it.
- 3
Draw the bacteriostatic water into a mixing syringe.
- 4
Insert at an angle and let the water run down the inside wall. Never squirt it straight onto the powder.
- 5
Swirl gently or leave it to dissolve. Do not shake.
- 6
Label with the date and water volume. Store in the fridge at 2 to 8 C and use within about 4 weeks.
- 7
Unmixed vials keep for months in the fridge and longer in the freezer, sealed and out of light.
- Full walkthrough with syringe reading and site rotation: reconstitution guide.
- ✓White, fluffy cake
Lyophilized powder should look like a small white puck or fluffy cake at the bottom of the vial. That is a proper freeze-dry.
- ✓Clear after mixing
Once dissolved the solution should be water-clear with nothing floating in it.
- !Slight clumping
Small clumps that dissolve with gentle swirling are fine. Shipping compacts powder.
- ✕Collapsed or melted
Powder stuck to the sides, glassy, or shrunken means it got hot in transit. Contact the vendor.
- ✕Cloudy or particles
Persistent cloudiness or visible particles after mixing means degraded or contaminated product. Do not use it.
- Week 1
Mild nausea or flushing after injections, not much visible change; freckles may start to stand out.
- Week 2 to 3
Noticeable darkening, first on the face, arms, and areas that get sun; moles and freckles darken along with the skin.
- Week 3 to 4
Full shade with regular UV exposure; time to drop to maintenance dosing.
- After stopping
The tan fades over 1 to 2 months as skin turns over, faster if you avoid the sun.
Interactions and stacking
Melanotan-2compatible
Some alternate them, MT-2 to load faster and MT-1 to maintain; pigment effects and nausea are additive if used on the same day.
GHK-Cucompatible
Skin health pairing with no overlap in mechanism; no combined data.
PT-141compatible
Different receptor targets (MC1R versus MC4R), so little overlap, though both are melanocortin agonists and pigment effects could add up.
Photosensitizing drugs (doxycycline, retinoids, some diuretics)caution
These raise sun sensitivity while you are deliberately getting UV exposure, so burns and uneven pigmentation become more likely.
History of melanoma or many atypical molesavoid
It darkens moles and can bring out new ones, which makes surveillance harder in exactly the people who need it most.
Sunscreencompatible
Still needed; the tan reduces but does not remove UV damage, and sunscreen does not block the peptide from working.
Safety
- ▲Mild nausea and flushing after injection, much less than with melanotan-2
- ▲Darkening of existing moles and freckles
- ▲New freckles or moles appearing
- ▲Uneven pigmentation, especially on the face, scars, and sun damaged skin
- ▲Occasional headache or fatigue
- ▲Injection site redness or itching
- ▲Darkens existing moles and freckles and can bring out new ones; photograph your skin before starting and see a dermatologist about any changing mole.
- ▲Mild nausea and flushing after injection, much less than with melanotan-2.
- ▲Uneven pigmentation is possible, especially on the face, scars, and areas with prior sun damage.
- ▲Not a substitute for sunscreen; the tan reduces but does not eliminate UV damage.
- ▲Grey market product is unregulated and vials labeled melanotan-1 are sometimes melanotan-2 or mixtures.
- ■Any mole changes in size, shape, border, or color in a way that looks irregular
- ■Pigmentation becomes blotchy or uneven in places you do not want
- ■Nausea or headache persists past the first week
- ■You get libido or appetite effects, which suggests the vial is actually melanotan-2 or a mix
Community poll
Self-reported by visitors. Not clinical evidence.Melanotan-1: frequently asked
Melanotan-1 or melanotan-2 for tanning?
Melanotan-1 is more selective for the skin receptor, so it tans with far less nausea, no appetite suppression, and no sexual side effects. Melanotan-2 works faster and at lower doses but hits several other receptors. If you only want the tan, MT-1 is the cleaner choice; MT-2 is cheaper per result.
Do I still need sun exposure?
Some. The peptide ramps up melanin production, but UV light is what triggers melanocytes to release it into the skin. A few short sessions a week during loading produce a much deeper and more even tan than the peptide alone.
Is it safe for moles?
It darkens them, which is expected, but that makes it harder to spot a mole that is changing for bad reasons. There is no evidence it causes melanoma, but it is prudent to document your skin beforehand and have any new or changing mole checked.
How long does the tan last after stopping?
Skin turns over in about four to six weeks, so the tan fades over a month or two once you stop, faster if you avoid the sun. Maintenance doses of once or twice weekly keep it going.
References
- Afamelanotide for erythropoietic protoporphyria. New England Journal of Medicine, 2015
- Afamelanotide and narrowband UV-B phototherapy for the treatment of vitiligo: a randomized multicenter trial. JAMA Dermatology, 2015
- Scenesse (afamelanotide) implant prescribing information. US Food and Drug Administration, 2019
- Melanotan-1 induces tanning and photoprotection in human volunteers. Journal of the American Medical Association, 1991