# Melanotan I

> Melanotan I is a synthetic analog of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) used primarily as a sunless tanning peptide. It stimulates melanocortin-1 receptors to boost the skin’s own melanin (eumelanin), which darkens pigmentation and adds some protection against UV. It is more selective for pigmentation than Melanotan II, with much less effect on appetite or arousal. Many people take a dose before sun or tanning so it acts as a catalyst for the tan, though this timing is not strictly required. Melanotan I was the research precursor to the approved implant afamelanotide (Scenesse); Melanotan I itself is not an approved pharmaceutical in most places and is generally sold outside regulated supply chains, so purity, dosing accuracy, and long-term safety data are limited.

- URL: https://www.lifeconverted.com/peptides/melanotan-i
- Also known as: Afamelanotide (related)
- Primary category: Skin & Cosmetic
- Effectiveness rank: #7 in Skin & Cosmetic
- Evidence level: Moderate evidence
- Route: Subcutaneous (Distinct from the FDA-approved implant afamelanotide; unregulated subcutaneous products carry unverified purity and dosing consistency.)
- Dose range: 250-1,000 mcg
- Dose tiers: low 250 mcg; moderate 500 mcg; high 1000 mcg
- Half-life: Estimated at roughly 1 to 2 hours; formal pharmacokinetic data are limited
- Timing: Before sun exposure
- Cycle: Loading phase of several weeks, sometimes followed by reduced maintenance frequency on, Variable and not clinically standardized off (No approved prescribing protocol exists; dosing patterns come from limited research and user-reported literature rather than official labeling.)
- Storage: Refrigerate lyophilized peptide at 2-8°C; reconstituted solution should be refrigerated, protected from light, and used within a short window.

## Mechanism of action

Melanotan I agonizes the melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) on melanocytes, activating cAMP signaling that upregulates tyrosinase activity and increases eumelanin synthesis, producing skin darkening that is largely independent of UV exposure.

## Reported benefits

- Produces a sunless tan by boosting the skin’s own melanin
- More pigmentation-selective than Melanotan II, with less appetite or libido effect
- Often taken before sun or tanning to catalyze pigmentation
- Studied for photoprotection against UV-induced skin reddening

## Reported side effects

- Nausea, especially with early doses
- Flushing
- Spontaneous erections
- Darkening of existing moles/freckles or new nevus formation
- Injection site reactions

## Common protocols

- Loading-dose tanning protocols described in unregulated/research use
- Research into photoprotection strategies for light-sensitive skin conditions

## Stacking notes

Sometimes discussed alongside sun-exposure practices; no established pharmacological interaction profile with other peptides.

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