Melanotan 2 Genopharm 10 mg

What sits in the vial

Melanotan 2, often shortened to MT-2 or Melanotan II, consists of seven amino acids in a ring structure. It’s an analogue of endogenous α-MSH, which is produced in the pituitary from the precursor molecule POMC.

Development traces back to the 1980s — University of Arizona, originally as an agent for skin tanning without UV exposure. The idea: less sun damage, less skin-cancer risk, tanned skin on demand. In practice the concept has proved problematic in several ways (more on that below).

As a licensed medicine, Melanotan 2 has never been approved. Regulators in the US (FDA), UK (MHRA) and Germany (BfArM) have warned against melanotan-containing products from the internet. In the US, the FDA lists it in category 2 of the 503A bulk list — the highest-risk class for compounding substances. On the WADA Prohibited List it’s classified as a peptide hormone, banned at all times.

Mechanism: why the side effects belong to the action

The body has five melanocortin receptors (MC1R through MC5R). α-MSH primarily binds MC1R. Melanotan 2 in contrast is a non-selective agonist hitting all four relevant melanocortin receptors — MC1R, MC3R, MC4R and MC5R. That explains why the peptide produces such a wide range of effects:

• MC1R on melanocytes — the intended effect: more eumelanin production (the dark, protective pigment).
• MC4R in the hypothalamus and erection centres — the famous MT2 “side effect”: spontaneous erections in men, dampened appetite. In extreme cases priapism.
• MC3R and MC5R across various tissues — inflammation modulation, effects on sebaceous glands and the GI tract, general circulatory shifts.

Picture it this way: Melanotan 2 is a key that doesn’t open one lock but four. Anyone aiming only at the skin gets three additional side-effect profiles thrown in for free.

What Genopharm delivers

The 10 mg vial contains pure lyophilised peptide with no additives. At the doses typical in the community (0.25–1 mg per injection), one vial lasts about 4–8 weeks — depending on the buildup and maintenance mix.

How the peptide actually tans

Melanotan 2 works only in combination with UV light. The melanocytes it triggers do produce melanin, but that melanin only gets visibly deposited in the skin after UV exposure. Without UV, the skin stays pale despite the injections. The UV amount needed is smaller than for unassisted tanning — but “smaller” still means 10–15 minutes of sun or tanning-bed use per day.

First visible pigmentation after 5–10 injections with parallel UV exposure. In fair skin types (Fitzpatrick I–II), it takes longer and needs more UV; in darker types (III–IV) the effect appears faster. Full tan after 2–4 weeks. On stopping, without UV maintenance, the tan fades back to baseline across 4–8 weeks.

What users report — positive and negative

Positive notes in field reports:

• Visible tan after 5–15 injections, noticeably faster than natural tanning
• More even pigmentation without a sunburn intermediate phase
• Less UV needed to hold the tan
• Appetite suppression as a “bonus” for users running parallel cutting phases

Negative reports — noticeably more common than the marketing literature suggests:

• Nausea right after the injection, often with vomiting
• Facial flush and warmth
• Fatigue and grogginess
• Spontaneous erections with potentially painful priapism
• Existing moles darkening, sometimes drastically
• New pigmented skin lesions appearing

Two serious warnings

Priapism. One documented case involves a 41-year-old man who developed a 22-hour erection after a single injection, requiring drainage of 700 millilitres of blood from the corpus cavernosum. Another case: a 55-year-old man, 30 hours of inpatient care for the same complication. Priapism lasting more than 4 hours is a medical emergency — ER, no delay.

Melanoma risk. Melanotan 2 stimulates melanocytes non-specifically — existing moles can darken, new ones can appear, and telling harmless naevi from an early melanoma becomes noticeably harder. Published case reports document melanomas in Melanotan users. Anyone with a lot of pigmented naevi should walk around this peptide.

And one dangerous myth many users hold: the tan produced by Melanotan 2 does not protect against UV damage or skin cancer. The natural sun-protection factor sits at 2–4 — no substitute for sunscreen. Anyone using it as false security and staying unprotected in the sun longer measurably raises their skin-cancer risk.

Instructions

Reconstitution

The 10 mg vial is reconstituted with bacteriostatic water. Recommended dilutions:

• 1 ml water → 10 mg/ml → 0.05 ml = 500 µg
• 2 ml water → 5 mg/ml → 0.1 ml = 500 µg
• 5 ml water → 2 mg/ml → 0.25 ml = 500 µg

For dose accuracy at low starting doses (0.25 mg), the 5 ml dilution is practical — with an insulin syringe you can measure 0.125 ml = 250 µg well.

Spray the water slowly at the inner wall, then roll the vial for 30 seconds. Do not shake.

Dosing schedule

Start intentionally low to test tolerance. Anyone starting at full dose risks severe nausea and vomiting for the first 60–90 minutes after the shot. In the loading phase the dose is stepped up over 5–10 days until the individual target is reached.

Important: Melanotan 2 without UV exposure is useless for tanning. After the first injection wait 30–60 minutes, then 10–15 minutes of sunlight or tanning-bed use. Without that coupling the peptide only produces side effects with none of the desired tanning result.

Injection technique

Subcutaneous injection into the abdomen. Insulin syringe 30G × 8 mm, lift a skin fold, insert at 45° or 90°, inject slowly.

Timing: preferably in the evening, because nausea and flush are more tolerable then (not mid-workday). Some users combine with a meal to reduce nausea — the tanning effect isn’t affected.

Storage

Before reconstitution: fridge at 2–8 °C, protected from light.

After reconstitution: fridge at 2–8 °C, use within 4 weeks. Light protection is especially important — Melanotan 2 isn’t stable at room temperature and light for long. Do not freeze.

When to stop immediately

• Persistent, painful erection (priapism over 4 hours) — ER
• New or clearly changed moles — see a dermatologist
• Repeat severe nausea or vomiting despite dose reduction
• Cardiac rhythm disturbances or hypertensive crises
• Confusion, hallucinations, panic attacks (likely MC4R-mediated)

If you have a lot of pigmented naevi or a family melanoma history: Melanotan 2 is a bad idea. For plain tanning there are risk-free alternatives — DHA-based self-tanning creams deliver visually comparable results with no injection, no legal questions, no priapism risk.