Melanotan I (Afamelanotide)_Dosage, benefits & legal status
Also known as afamelanotide, Scenesse, MT-1, Melanotan I
A tanning peptide. The FDA-approved version is an implant for a rare sun-pain condition.
Common vial size is what vendors typically sell, not a recommendation. Enter your own vial in the calculator.
What is Melanotan I (Afamelanotide)?
Plain language first. The technical label stays, but it never stands alone.Overview
It builds a slow, even, protective tan and shifts your skin toward real sun defense. It is FDA-approved (as Scenesse) for a rare light-sensitivity disorder.
Melanotan I (afamelanotide) is an analog of alpha-MSH, the hormone that tells skin to make the pigment melanin.
What it's used for
The safer, approved tanning peptide. It builds a slow, even, protective tan and shifts skin toward real sun defense. It has fewer side effects than its cousin, but is slower and pricier.
How does Melanotan I (Afamelanotide) work?
What it does in the body, and where.Melanotan I copies alpha-MSH, the hormone that tells skin to make pigment. It is the only compound in this pair that is an approved medicine.
- 01It activates the MC1R receptor in skinThe pigment switch, prompting melanocytes to produce eumelanin.
- 02The tan is protective, not cosmetic in intentEumelanin genuinely absorbs UV, which is the basis of its approved use.
- 03It is selective for MC1RWhich is what separates it from Melanotan II and why it lacks the libido and appetite effects.
- 04Approved for a rare conditionAs Scenesse, for erythropoietic protoporphyria, where sunlight causes severe pain. Given as an implant, not an injection.
Where this compound is thought to act.
What else is it used for?
Each use below carries its own evidence level. Approved means regulators have cleared it for that purpose. Investigational means it is in trials. Early research means it is being studied and is not established.
- Preventing pain and skin damage in a rare light-sensitivity disorder, sold as Scenesse. This is its approved useFDA-approved
- Building a slow, even tan, which is why most people who buy it want it. This use is not approved and the product sold online is not ScenesseResearch only
- Shifting skin toward genuine sun protection rather than just colorEarly research
The published record
146
Records indexed for Melanotan I (Afamelanotide)
103 in humans, 48 of them original studies.
23 registered trials, 12 with posted results.
FDA: Named on the alert (Melanotan I and II).
Counted from Europe PMC indexing, not read by a person. Human means indexed under humans, which includes reviews and work on human cells. Original studies exclude reviews and lab work on human cells.Last updated 11 September 2026.
At a glance
Four things to know about Melanotan I (Afamelanotide)
Evidence
Research only
Category
Skin and cosmetic
Common vial
10 mg
Half-life
About 15 hours as the implant, about 30 minutes injected
How much, and do you cycle it?
The range, and whether you take breaks.0.5 up to 1 mg per day (loading phase), daily then weekly. The approved implant is one every 2 months, about 3 a yearFDA label
The approved product is an implant placed every two months, typically three times a year to cover spring and summer. That interval is on the label. The injectable version sold separately is a different product used on a loading-then-maintenance pattern that comes from community practice.
How long does it stay in the body?
The half-life, and where the figure comes from.About 15 hours as the implant, about 30 minutes injectedFDA label
Two very different numbers for the same molecule. The approved product is a controlled-release implant and its 15 hours reflects how slowly the implant releases, not how fast the peptide clears. Plain injected afamelanotide clears in about 30 to 33 minutes.
Source: Scenesse label, DailyMed setid 94f53286-11dd-7fbb-e053-2a95a90a7c48
You can compare this against the whole library to see where it sits.
How do I dose and price it?
Enter your vial and your dose. Pick a mix. We show the draw and the cost.The vial holds a fixed amount of drug. Adding more water does not make more drug, it just spreads it thinner, so you draw a bigger number on the syringe for the same dose.
Choose your mix
Measuring the water1 mL = one full 100-unit syringe.
Your draw
10 / 100 unitsMelanotan I (Afamelanotide) starts at $21.05 across 31 vendors, typically $2.60 – $5.90 per mg.
38 listings, last read Sep 5, 2026. Shipping and card fees are not included.
How do you store it?
Before mixing, and after.Dry powder in the freezer or fridge. Once mixed, fridge, and use within about a month.
Unmixed lyophilized Melanotan I (Afamelanotide) keeps for a long time cold. Once you add water the clock starts: most reconstituted vials hold up for roughly 28 to 30 days at fridge temperature. Keep it out of light, and do not freeze it after mixing.
What are the side effects and cautions?
Known cautions and warnings for this compound.Who should avoid it
- Pregnancy
- Approved only for a specific rare light-sensitivity disorder
Stop and get help
- A mole that changes in size, shape, or color
- Signs of an allergic reaction
Common effects
- Darkening of skin, which is the intended effect
- Nausea
- Headache
- Reactions at the implant site
What regulators say
- FDA: Import Alert 66-41: Detention Without Physical Examination of Unapproved New Drugs Promoted in the U.S., revised May 19, 2026Named on the alert (Melanotan I and II)Checked 11 September 2026
Where this page says nothing is established, that means nobody has studied it, not that a compound is safe.
Is Melanotan I (Afamelanotide) approved?
And where the numbers on this page come from.No. Melanotan I (Afamelanotide) is not approved for any use, anywhere. It is sold labelled for laboratory research only, and there is no legal route to buy it for human use.
- Injected under the skinResearch onlyNot approvedThe reconstituted vial sold for tanning is not the approved product and is not approved for any use.
- ImplantFDA-approvedApproved as Scenesse for erythropoietic protoporphyriaSupplied as an implant placed by a certified provider, for a rare condition where sunlight causes severe pain. It is not approved for tanning.
- RouteUnder the skin (or implant)
- CheckedJuly 2026
What has happened recently
Scenesse is approved for erythropoietic protoporphyria, a rare condition where sunlight causes severe pain. It is supplied as an implant, not as a vial you reconstitute.
You can compare this against the whole library, or read how to check a seller.
- DoseFrom research and community reports. No regulator has reviewed this dose.
- Vial sizeFrom what vendors typically list; not a recommendation.
- Sources
- Reviewed22 July 2026
What else is like Melanotan I (Afamelanotide)?
Others in Skin and cosmetic, side by side.If you're weighing Melanotan I (Afamelanotide), it's worth reading Argireline (Acetyl Hexapeptide-8), SNAP-8 (Acetyl Octapeptide-3), and Matrixyl (Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4) in the same class.
A tanning peptide. The FDA-approved version is an implant for a rare sun-pain condition.
- Dose
- 0.5 up to 1 mg per day (loading phase)
- How often
- Daily then weekly
A topical Botox-like peptide that softens fine lines, needle-free.
- Dose
- Serum, per product
- How often
- Daily
A stronger topical wrinkle-smoothing peptide for forehead and eye lines.
- Dose
- Serum, per product
- How often
- Daily
A topical collagen-boosting peptide that firms skin over time.
- Dose
- Serum, per product
- How often
- Daily
Guides for this compound
- How to Reconstitute a Peptide
Mix peptide powder with bacteriostatic water, step by step.
- How to Read an Insulin Syringe
Read the units, convert to millilitres, and draw the exact dose.
- mcg vs mg: The Peptide Dosing Mistake to Avoid
Your vial says mg and your protocol says mcg. Here is the conversion and how to check it.
- How to Read a Peptide COA
What the purity number does and does not tell you, and how to spot an edited report.
- How to Vet a Peptide Vendor
Independent COAs, HPLC purity, and the red flags that mean walk away.
Sources
- Pharmacy Times, FDA approval of Scenesse(2019)FDA approval of Scenesse for a rare light-sensitivity disorder.
- FDA prescribing information, SCENESSE (afamelanotide) implant for subcutaneous use, revised August 2024(2024)Melanotan I is an approved drug, and reading its label is the fastest way to see how far the approved product is from what people buy. It is not an injection. SCENESSE is a 16 mg bioresorbable rod, 1.7 cm long and 1.45 mm across, inserted under the skin above the hip bone with a specific cannula by a clinician trained by the manufacturer, once every two months. The approved use is narrow: increasing pain-free light exposure in adults with erythropoietic protoporphyria, a rare disorder in which sunlight causes severe pain. Tanning is the mechanism, not the indication. The trial results are modest and worth quoting exactly. In the 93-subject study, subjects on the drug spent a median 64.1 hours in direct sunlight without pain over 180 days against 40.5 on vehicle. In the 74-subject study, the median was 6.0 hours over 270 days against 0.75. Safety comes from 244 subjects, 125 on the drug: implant site reactions in 21% against 10%, nausea 19% against 14%, skin hyperpigmentation 4% against none. Two warnings deserve carrying across to anyone using this off-label. Serious hypersensitivity including anaphylaxis has been reported after approval, which is why the August 2024 revision changed the contraindications. And because the drug darkens existing moles and freckles, the label recommends a full-body skin examination twice a year. Pharmacokinetics come from 12 healthy adults, with an apparent half-life around 15 hours from the implant. No carcinogenicity study has been conducted.
Last reviewed 22 July 2026
Beyond these, 146 records are indexed. Browse the records