With so many people asking about Melanotan, aka afamelanotide, we thought it was time to revisit and see whether things had developed with them. Basically, to fill you in, Melanotan is a product that is being developed by an Australian company named Clinuvel, and when legal, will be available as a skin implant and injection. The effects of melanotan are increased tan without the need for cancer-causing sunlight.
What must be remembered though is that the sunless tanner is being developed for health reasons, rather than for vanity. Melanotan is not an alternative for Dove Summer Glow or St Tropez spray tans.
Melanotan, in a nutshell, will stimulate the melanocytes that lie in the deeper layers of the skin, which are natural components of the body. Melanocytes naturally produce melanin in reaction to the sun’s harmful rays to protect skin cells and prevent people from getting skin cancer; melanin is what gives you a tan. Melanocytes in darker skin produce more melanin, and so when melanotan is used in fairer skinned people, more melanin can be produced than would be naturally, offering heightened protection against UV rays. Cancer Research has given a good overview of Melanotan.(see below)
It’s understandable how people who aren’t at high risk from skin cancer might be interested in this so called ’fantasy drug’, afterall Melanotan could provide you with an all year round tan, but don’t think it is not without its side effects. As with anything, Melanotan can have certain effects on people that i’m sure you would rather not happen, such as nausea, loss of appetite, weightloss, darkening of moles and freckles, facial flushing and sexual problems. As with any medicine, side effects would vary from person to person, but it’s something to bear in mind.
Of course the most important thing – the sale and/or advertising of Melanotan is currently ILLEGAL, so it isn’t (or shouldn’t) be available for the general public yet. We can’t stress enough how dangerous it is to use products that are still going through extensive trials and are not yet certfied as safe. We urge people to wait until Clinuvel have finished their tests and trials with this product before anyone steams in there without thinking. UK regulation of this industry is already laid back, which is why we have to look out for ourselves and be sensible about these things.
In the meantime, stick to the sun – within reason – use plenty of high factor SPF lotion when sunbathing, or go back to the bottle or spray tan. Just until we know for certain that this safe! Keep checking back here for updates!
Reply With Quote