ETS Tanning Bed Blog

Melanotan is a "tanning" drug that has hit the streets and the Internet hard. It’s unlicensed, untested and unregulated and your customers may start asking about it.

How Melanotan Works

Melanotan is a synthetic peptide hormone that essentially stimulates the body’s production of melanin, the substance that makes us tan. Its follow-up drug, Melanotan II is also a libido booster. The drugs were first developed at the University of Arizona as way to help the body create a natural defense against skin cancer – through a slowly developed and natural tan.

The drug has to be injected into the skin, which means users also face the risks of self-injection, such as infection and self-harm.

Is Melanotan Safe?

Melanotan is still not regulated or licensed by the FDA. The FDA, the Dutch Medicines Agency and the UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency have all issued warnings to the public not to use this product.

Because it’s not licensed, the side effects are unknown and the quality of the drug itself is unregulated, meaning unsuspecting customers could end up injecting themselves with potentially hazardous materials.