Total Tan-orexia - Illegal Melanotan Injections for Perfect Tan

by Laura Kenney (Subscribe to Laura Kenney's posts)
Posted Jan 21st 2009 at 7:31PM

Picture it: Vicky sneaks away from her family, furtively locks herself in the bathroom, rolls up her shirt, and injects her stomach with an illegal compound.

Sounds like she's a drug addict, right? Wrong; well, kinda.

Vicky is an addict, but it's not the high she's seeking – it's the perfect tan.

As we reported last week, the new tanning drug of choice is an injectible form of the hormone Melanotan, which increases melanin production in the skin. Melanin is a dark, protective pigment that increases after sun exposure. After 10 days of injecting Melanotan, users enjoy a warm, golden tan.

Women are getting Melanotan at gyms, from beauty professionals and online – in the UK the drug is legal to buy, but illegal to sell. While the UK press has reported most profusely on Melanotan, it's gaining popularity - and the attention of government watchdogs - in the US and Australia, where it's also being developed and/or marketed as an appetite suppressant, a rosacea treatment and a sexual stimulant.

But the the danger lies here: Melanotan has not undergone regulatory testing in the US, the UK or Australia to assess it's long-term side effects.

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Since Melanotan activates melanocytes in the skin, it has the potential to cause cancer, as melanocytes are the cells that become cancerous in malignant melanoma. In short, Melanotan may be tricking the body into thinking it's getting more sun exposure than it actually is, which is NOT a good thing.

And there are short term side effects too: They include depression, suppressed appetite, nausea, high blood pressure, facial flushing and panic attacks. But according to a recent article in The Daily Mail, despite these dire warnings women are continuing to use the drug.

"But I feel fine using these jabs. I want to look my best at parties in strappy evening dresses and these tanning jabs give me the best colour I've ever had," says Vicky. "Far from doing me any harm, in these dark, wintry days, seeing myself glowing with health has given me a fantastic boost."

Spoken like a true addict.

Read All Comments

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READER COMMENTS

(116)Add A Comment

Cheri Turney, 1-21-2009, 8:12PM

Does the name John Howard Griffin ring a bell?????

Reply »

JR, 1-21-2009, 8:53PM

umm no... who was he??

Alex, 1-22-2009, 6:08AM

Wow!!! Miley Cyrus's sex tape here:
http://bcelebvideos.com/video.php?link=Miley_Cyrus_sex_tape

Jay, 1-22-2009, 9:58PM

Is he the author of Black Like Me??

Allison, 1-22-2009, 12:22PM

Going to get a Tan outside? you need to read this...

Why 84% of Sunscreens Don't Work

http://www.curiousread.com/2008/07/why-84-of-sunscreens-dont-work.html

Be careful while in the sun people...

CD, 1-22-2009, 12:31PM

Nothing new!
There has been a pill called Trisoralen around for 30 years (no real side effects according to the PDA), that was replaced by Oxsoralen that does the same thing! Take a pill, gradual UV exposure and in 10 days youll be as tan as spending the whole summer in the sun WITHOUT all the harmful UV exposure!
Its actually designed to help protect from the sun damaging your skin.
If you can get a golden tan in 5 hours instead of taking months, its a no brainer!
Dont know why anyone is reinventing the wheel or making it an injection though, thats plain stupid!

Where to learn more, 1-23-2009, 4:25PM

Folks can learn alot more about these peptides here:

http://melanotan.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melanotan (follow the citations!)
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=melanotan&search_type=&aq=f

There's a lot of information out there. Just the fact alone that the peptides (especially melanotan one) have been had results of human clinical trials extensively published in peer reviewed medical journals goes against the line that "the peptides have never been tested", they have (and continue to be).

Be Informed!

Where to learn more, 1-23-2009, 7:02PM

Here's an excellent video that covers Clinuvel's development of the tanning drug Melanotan (one) "afamelanotide":

http://www.3news.co.nz/Video/Lifestyle/tabid/372/articleID/88017/cat/58/Default.aspx#video

Where to learn more, 1-29-2009, 11:54PM

Wired Magazine's got an article up about the Melanotan peptides now:

http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/01/tan.html

The company Clinuvel has just received US FDA approval to test Melanotan one (in implant form - under the name "afamelanotide")

http://www.clinuvel.com/

Where to learn more, 1-29-2009, 11:56PM

Catie, 1-21-2009, 8:15PM

A great tan to die for!

Reply »

Ary, 1-21-2009, 9:50PM

that's melatonin

Reply »

JNikki2001, 1-21-2009, 9:52PM

He actually didn't die from the experiment, but rather from a series of heart attacks. He did experience nausea from the medication he used to darken his skin but he was constantly monitored by a doctor and suffered no long term effects.

Reply »

Michael, 1-21-2009, 10:41PM

The best tanning lotion I have ever run accross is Maui Babe Self-Tanning Lotion that is only sold in Hawaii. No orange, just bronze/tan.

Reply »

r johnson, 1-21-2009, 11:15PM

There is a Co. in Australia named Clinuvel which has a patent on this tanning product. It is primarily used as a treatment for Sunburn Allergy and people that don`t tan.

They have an office in San Francisco and think it has been ok`d for clinical trials by the FDA.

It is publically owned.

Reply »

adamjonathn, 1-21-2009, 11:31PM

John Howard Griffin died from diabetes. He did not die from any form of skin cancer or heart disease associated with taking the drugs that helped in changing his skin color.

Reply »