Evidence strength for the context described on this page.
PEPTIDE ATLAS / SKIN & HAIR / MELANOTAN II
Not FDA-approvedInsufficient
Melanotan II
ALSO KNOWN ASMT-2 · tanning peptide
An unapproved tanning peptide linked to serious case reports and unpredictable products.
01CATEGORYSkin & hair
02REGULATORY STATUSNot FDA-approved
03COMMON ROUTETypically sold for subcutaneous injection or nasal use; neither is approved
04DOSE BASISHuman study + reported community use
HOW TO USE THIS PAGE
Read the profile in the order that protects the decision.
- 01Verify what it is
Confirm the exact molecule, route, regulatory lane and actual human evidence.
- 02Read limits before dose
Unsupported claims, contraindications and uncertainty come before any protocol.
- 03Build the monitoring plan
Define the target, baseline checks, reassessment point and stop rules with a qualified clinician.
This peptide does not have an FDA-approved product or dose for the claims described here. Research dosing and vendor protocols are not consumer prescribing guidance.
RESEARCH PASSPORT
The five facts to know first.
REVIEWED
JULY 2026
Status is product-, formulation- and indication-specific.
Trial, label or reported-practice basis is always named.
Official labels, regulators, trials and indexed literature where available.
Peptide hormones, growth factors and related substances may be prohibited.
Check Global DRO ↗OVERVIEW
What Melanotan II is.
A synthetic melanocortin analog sold for tanning and sometimes sexual effects. It is not afamelanotide and has no FDA-approved consumer use.
HOW IT IS THOUGHT TO WORK
Nonselectively activates melanocortin receptors, influencing pigmentation, appetite, cardiovascular responses and sexual function.
EFFECTS & EVIDENCE
What the evidence supports—and what it does not.
- Can darken skin
- Pigmentation is not evidence of safe photoprotection
- Safe tanning
- Skin-cancer prevention
- Safe erectile or libido enhancement
- A standardized human dose
Evidence grade: Insufficient. For an approved drug, “high” refers only to its labeled indication—not every off-label or wellness claim.
DOSAGE CONTEXT
Best available dosing range.
Human study + reported community useBest human-research range: 0.01–0.025 mg/kg subcutaneously in a small phase 1 program; severe nausea occurred at 0.025 mg/kg in some subjects. Current users and clinics more often publish 0.25–0.5 mg daily for loading, followed by 0.25–0.5 mg once or twice weekly. The market range is not approved and should not be interpreted as a safe consumer standard.
BEST AVAILABLE GENERIC RANGE
Men and women.
The basis is named above. Reported-use ranges describe what clinics or communities publish; they are not proof of safety, efficacy, legality or product quality.
- Schedule in that source context
- Commonly reported as daily loading for 1–2 weeks, then once- or twice-weekly maintenance. Long-term safety has not been established.
- How to interpret it
- The early study dose of 0.025 mg/kg is not a consumer recommendation and produced frequent nausea. Current market ranges are unapproved and product identity is unreliable. UV exposure adds independent skin-cancer risk.
ACTUAL HUMAN DOSES REPORTED IN THE RECORD
Research regimens may use different routes, diagnoses, formulations and monitoring. They cannot automatically be converted into a general protocol.
- Early phase 1 tanning research: 0.01–0.025 mg/kg subcutaneously for five doses given every other day; investigators selected 0.025 mg/kg for future study.
- Erectile-response studies in men also used 0.025 mg/kg subcutaneously; severe nausea occurred in a subset.
- Route
- Typically sold for subcutaneous injection or nasal use; neither is approved
- Duration
- Reported loading: 7–14 days; maintenance may continue, but no safe long-term course exists
- Men & women
- The reported tanning range is similar for men and women, but male priapism risk and unknown pregnancy/reproductive safety require separate counseling.
Clinician verification required. Always double-check the exact molecule or salt, concentration, route, volume, schedule, indication, patient-specific contraindications, interactions and applicable law with the prescribing clinician and dispensing pharmacy. A disclaimer does not make an unapproved product FDA-approved, and a reported-use range is not a prescription.
MONITORING
What should be tracked.
- New or changing pigmented lesions require dermatology evaluation
- Blood pressure and prolonged erection are acute concerns
SAFETY
Risks, red flags and reasons to avoid it.
- Nausea, flushing, blood-pressure effects and spontaneous erections
- Priapism
- FDA cites case reports including melanoma, posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome and sympathomimetic toxidrome
- Contamination and incorrect identity
- Human use
- History of concerning pigmented lesions
- Cardiovascular disease
- Combining with sexual-function drugs
Stop and seek careGet urgent medical help for trouble breathing, facial or throat swelling, chest pain, fainting, severe persistent abdominal pain, neurologic changes, severe hypoglycemia, uncontrolled vomiting or a prolonged painful erection.
CLINICIAN VISIT CHECKLIST
Six questions worth bringing with you.
Molecule or analog, salt, concentration, route, manufacturer or compounder, lot and beyond-use date.
Name the diagnosis or target, how it will be measured and the realistic time to reassess.
Ask how it compares with FDA-approved, lower-risk or better-studied alternatives.
Label, human trial, specialty guideline or clinic convention—and whether that route and formulation match.
Baseline checks, follow-up measures, interactions, pregnancy considerations and symptoms that mean stop.
Pharmacy license, prescription, identity/potency testing, sterility controls and who handles a product complaint.
Do not improvise reconstitution or convert “units” without the exact concentration. Mixing, storage and beyond-use instructions are product-specific; confirm them with the dispensing pharmacy.
PRIMARY SOURCES
Read the record yourself.
We prioritize official prescribing information, FDA regulatory material, registered trials and indexed biomedical literature. A source supports the specific statement beside it—not every claim made about the molecule.
PRODUCTS & TREATMENT ACCESS
There is no product we can responsibly recommend.
Illicit/gray-market online product; not FDA-approved.
A tan is a visible pharmacologic effect, which can make an unsafe product feel effective. It does not establish product quality or long-term safety.
Evidence before affiliate revenue.
We do not rank or sell unapproved research peptides. Use the Atlas to discuss safer, evidence-backed alternatives with a qualified clinician.
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