Compare
Melanotan I vs Melanotan II
The honest difference
Melanotan I is a licensed implant for one rare illness, but untested for tanning. Melanotan II does tan skin, but its safety tests were never finished.
Peptide
Melanotan I
Grade A: approved / strong human evidence
Why people buy it
People buy it online to get a tan without the sun. As a licensed medicine, it is an implant for EPP, a rare illness where sunlight causes pain.
Bottom line
A proven medicine for one rare illness. The tanning vials sold online are unlicensed and unchecked.
- UK status
- Split status. As afamelanotide (Scenesse), it is a licensed, prescription-only medicine in the UK/EU (EMA approval 2014) for preventing phototoxicity in adults with EPP.
- Sport / WADA
- Not specifically prohibited as such; afamelanotide is not a recognised performance-enhancing agent. (Verify current WADA Prohibited List for definitive status.)
Peptide
Melanotan II
Grade C: early / limited human data
Why people buy it
People inject it, or use it as a nose spray, to get a tan without much sun. It is sometimes called the 'Barbie drug'.
Bottom line
It does give a tan. But nobody finished the safety tests, and the harm reports keep coming.
- UK status
- Not a licensed medicine in the UK. Melanotan II is an unlicensed product and it is illegal to sell or supply it for human use.
Grades are about evidence in humans, not about whether something is right for you. Nothing here is dosing advice. Talk to a qualified clinician before any health decision.
More comparisons