Man's 5-Month Melanotan-II Use Sparks Viral Alarm as Experts Warn of Unregulated Injection Risks
Updated
Updated · Bored Panda · Jun 4
Man's 5-Month Melanotan-II Use Sparks Viral Alarm as Experts Warn of Unregulated Injection Risks
3 articles · Updated · Bored Panda · Jun 4
Summary
Before-and-after photos of a man who allegedly injected Melanotan-II for about 5 months resurfaced on X, showing dramatic skin darkening and triggering widespread alarm online.
Melanotan-II is a synthetic peptide that stimulates pigment cells directly rather than through UV-triggered skin damage, and experts said the degree of darkening can vary with dose, duration, skin type and sun exposure.
Doctors said the photos alone cannot confirm Melanotan-II caused the change, but warned the product is not FDA-approved and lacks reliable information on dosing, purity, contaminants and long-term health effects.
Reported risks include darkened moles that can resemble cancer, brown gums, possible infection from non-sterile injections, and pigmented spots that may persist even after the tan fades over weeks or months.
Experts said social media is amplifying demand by promoting tanning, weight-loss and sexual-performance claims while downplaying danger, drawing in users vulnerable to body-image pressures and misinformation.