Quick answer: there is no approved or proven melanotan 2 dosage for tanning. The only human studies, run at the University of Arizona in the 1990s, gave a handful of men injections of 0.01 to 0.03 mg per kg of body weight,[1][2][3] and none tested long-term safety. Doses people inject today come from sellers and forums, and published case reports link them to melanoma, priapism and muscle breakdown.[4][5][6]
This page reports only doses from published human studies and case reports, and the harms that followed. It is not a dosing guide. For background, see our Melanotan 2 profile, Melanotan 2 results, Melanotan 1 vs Melanotan 2 and the sexual health and tanning peptides hub.
Doses tested in clinical studies
Three small studies make up nearly all the controlled human data on melanotan II.
| Study | Who | Dose and schedule | Main findings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pilot tanning study, 1996 | 3 healthy men | Started at 0.01 mg/kg, raised to 0.025 or 0.03 mg/kg; 5 injections every other day | 2 of 3 tanned; erections, nausea, yawning; sleepiness and fatigue at 0.03 mg/kg |
| Erectile dysfunction, 1998 | 10 men, psychological cause | 0.025 mg/kg single injections vs placebo | Erections in 8 of 10; nausea, yawning, less appetite |
| Erectile dysfunction, 2000 | 10 men, physical risk factors | 0.025 mg/kg, two injections vs placebo | Erections after 12 of 19 injections; severe nausea after 4 of 19 |
Sources: pilot study[1] and erectile dysfunction trials.[2][3]
In the pilot, injections of melanotan II or salt water alternated on weekdays for 2 weeks. One of the two men who reached 0.03 mg per kg had grade 2 sleepiness and fatigue, and mild nausea occurred at most dose levels. The researchers recommended 0.025 mg per kg as the single dose for future phase 1 studies, which are early safety tests, not as a treatment or tanning dose.[1]
These studies had important limits. Every participant was a man, so there are no trial data at all in women. Each study involved 10 people or fewer, lasted days to weeks, and took place under medical supervision with pharmaceutical-grade peptide. None looked at moles, skin cancer or effects after months of use.[1][2][3]
What “0.025 mg per kg” means
Study doses were set by body weight and were small. Outside trials, a single 2 mg injection preceded a 30-hour erection needing surgery in a 2021 case report.[5] At trial doses, nausea was common and sometimes severe.[3] In the 1998 trial, nausea, stretching and yawning, and reduced appetite were all reported more often after melanotan II than after placebo, even though participants were monitored in a clinic.[2]
Is there a melanotan 2 dosage for tanning?
No. Melanotan 2 never moved beyond these early studies. Its developers tested it clinically for erectile dysfunction rather than tanning, and a newer analog, PT-141 (bremelanotide), was taken forward instead.[14] The tanning evidence rests on 3 men given 5 doses each.[1]
Melanotan II is non-selective: besides skin pigment cells, it acts on receptors involved in sexual function and appetite. A dose meant to tan the skin therefore affects the rest of the body too, which is why erections, nausea and yawning appeared alongside the tan in the very first study.[1][6]
So any “dosage for tanning,” “loading dose” or “maintenance protocol” online is not based on clinical evidence. A 2021 study of UK and Irish online forums found dosing regimens and misinformation among the main topics users discussed.[10]
Doses reported in case reports
Doctors have published cases describing what people actually injected. These doses are self-reported, the products were unregulated, and they show harms, not safe amounts.
| Reported dose | Who | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| 0.5 mg daily for 2 months, with sunbeds | 16-year-old girl with an inherited mole syndrome | Darkening moles within 3 weeks; an enlarging groin mole proved dysplastic (abnormal) |
| 400 mcg every other day for 64 days, with sunbeds | Adult man | Brown pigment on gums and inner cheeks; gum pigment still present 3 months after stopping |
| 250, then 500, then 1,000 mcg daily over about 1 week, with tanning beds | 49-year-old man | Moles “turned black” within a week; he then switched to melanotan 1; five melanomas in situ diagnosed |
| 2 mg single injection | 55-year-old man | Painful erection lasting 30 hours; needed surgery |
| 6 mg single injection | 39-year-old man | Racing heart, tremor, muscle breakdown, kidney injury; 3 days in intensive care |
Sources: teenage patient,[7] oral pigmentation case,[8] melanoma case,[6] priapism case[5] and toxicity case.[4]
The 6 mg case is often described as an overdose. The man said it was six times the recommended starting dose given by his source; lab testing confirmed the substance was melanotan II.[4] His muscle enzyme level peaked above 17,000 IU/L.[4]
The 2 mg case is a warning that harm is not limited to high doses. The man had used melanotan each year for over 6 years, usually with only a brief erection and severe nausea, before this episode.[5]
Why you can’t know your real dose
Even if a dose were known to be safe, the products would not deliver it reliably:
- Wrong amount: vials from three online shops, each labeled 10 mg, contained between 4.32 and 8.84 mg of melanotan II.[9]
- Impurities: vials from two of those shops contained 4.1% to 5.9% unknown impurities.[9]
- Nasal sprays: no study has measured how much a spray delivers. A 22-year-old woman developed a melanoma inside her mouth after using a melanotan II nasal spray for tanning.[13]
- Immune risk: FDA says compounded melanotan II may pose a risk of immune reactions because of clumping or peptide impurities.[11]
What FDA says
FDA lists melanotan II among bulk substances that may present significant safety risks in compounding. It notes published case reports of melanoma, posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (a brain-swelling condition), sympathomimetic toxicity (a racing-heart, overstimulated state) and priapism.[11] It is not FDA-approved for any use. See are peptides legal? for the wider legal picture.
Who is at highest risk
Based on the case reports, extra caution applies to people with many moles, a personal or family history of melanoma, fair skin that burns easily, and anyone combining injections with sunbeds.[6][7][12] Men face a risk of prolonged erections.[5]
Questions to ask a clinician
- I have used melanotan. Should I have a full skin check, and how often?
- Which moles should I watch, and what changes need prompt review?
- What safer ways are there to get a tanned look?
- If my goal is sexual function, which approved treatments fit me? Our best peptides for sexual health guide covers the evidence.
See a doctor promptly for a new or changing mole, an erection lasting more than 4 hours, or severe muscle pain or dark urine after an injection.
This is general information, not medical advice.
