How much water do I add to Melanotan I (Afamelanotide)?

You can reconstitute Melanotan I (Afamelanotide) with 0.5, 1, or 2 mL of bacteriostatic water. Each option produces a different concentration and syringe draw for the same dose. Use the calculator to see which is easiest to measure.

What does Melanotan I (Afamelanotide) cost per dose?

Cost per dose depends on vial size, price paid, and your dose. Enter your vendor's price in the Melanotan I (Afamelanotide) calculator to see cost per dose and monthly cost.

What is the reference dose for Melanotan I (Afamelanotide)?

The commonly referenced range is 0.5 up to 1 mg per day (loading phase), taken daily then weekly. This is reference information, not a recommendation. Talk to a licensed clinician.

What are the side effects of Melanotan I (Afamelanotide)?

Reported side effects of Melanotan I (Afamelanotide) include: A cleaner profile than Melanotan II, but you should still watch moles for changes.. Severity and frequency vary by person and dose.

Who should not take Melanotan I (Afamelanotide)?

Melanotan I (Afamelanotide) is generally not appropriate for: Pregnancy; Approved only for a specific rare light-sensitivity disorder. Talk to a licensed clinician before starting.

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Decoding

Melanotan I (Afamelanotide)_

Q: What is Melanotan I (Afamelanotide)?

Melanotan I (Afamelanotide) is a melanocortin agonist used for tanning & skin protection. Melanotan I (afamelanotide) is an analog of alpha-MSH, the hormone that tells skin to make the pigment melanin. In plain terms: 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.

Q: Do you cycle Melanotan I (Afamelanotide)?

The approved implant is one every 2 months, about 3 a year 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.

Also known as afamelanotide, Scenesse, MT-1

The safer, approved tanning peptide for a slow, protective tan.

Tanning & skin protectionMelanocortin agonistFDA-approved

InSkin and cosmetic

Common vial size10 mg

Dose0.5 up to 1 mg per day (loading phase)

FrequencyDaily then weekly

RouteUnder the skin (or implant)

StatusFDA-approved (Scenesse)

MixYour choice, calculate it

CycledThe approved implant is one every 2 months, about 3 a year

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

Melanotan I (afamelanotide) is an analog of alpha-MSH, the hormone that tells skin to make the pigment melanin. In plain terms: 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.

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.

01
It activates the MC1R receptor in skin
The pigment switch, prompting melanocytes to produce eumelanin.
02
The tan is protective, not cosmetic in intent
Eumelanin genuinely absorbs UV, which is the basis of its approved use.
03
It is selective for MC1R
Which is what separates it from Melanotan II and why it lacks the libido and appetite effects.
04
Approved for a rare condition
As Scenesse, for erythropoietic protoporphyria, where sunlight causes severe pain. Given as an implant, not an injection.

Where it acts

Skin

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 colourEarly research

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.

Source: SCENESSE (afamelanotide) FDA label

Compare cycling across compounds →

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.

Your vial size (mg)

Printed on the vial.

What you paid per vial

Used for cost per dose only.

Your dose (mg)

Commonly referenced range: 0.5 up to 1 mg per day (loading phase)Community practice

Choose your mix

0.5 mL water2.5units · 20 mg/mL

Half a 100-unit syringe

1 mL water5units · 10 mg/mL

One full 100-unit syringe

Easiest

2 mL water10units · 5 mg/mL

Two full 100-unit syringes

your own mL

units · —

Enter your own volume

Measuring the water1 mL = one full 100-unit syringe.

Your draw

10 / 100 units

Full calculator with reorder date →Read a syringe →

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.

22 July 2026Scenesse 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.

Who should avoid it

Check these before anything else.

Pregnancy
Approved only for a specific rare light-sensitivity disorder

Stop and get help

These are emergencies. Seek care.

A mole that changes in size, shape, or colour
Signs of an allergic reaction

Common effects

Expected, and usually mild.

Darkening of skin, which is the intended effect
Nausea
Headache
Reactions at the implant site

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.

FDA-approved

Yes. FDA-approved.

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.

DoseFrom the drug label. The manufacturer tested this range and a regulator reviewed it.
Vial sizeFrom what vendors typically list; not a recommendation.
Sources
Pharmacy Times, FDA approval of Scenesse
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 GHK-Cu, Argireline (Acetyl Hexapeptide-8), and SNAP-8 (Acetyl Octapeptide-3) in the same class.

YOU ARE HERE

Melanotan I (Afamelanotide)

The safer, approved tanning peptide for a slow, protective tan.

FDA-approved

Dose: 0.5 up to 1 mg per day (loading phase)
How often: Daily then weekly

GHK-Cu

A copper skincare peptide for smoother, firmer, younger-looking skin.

OTC / supplement

Dose: Topical serum, 1-2 pumps
How often: Daily

Argireline (Acetyl Hexapeptide-8)

A topical Botox-like peptide that softens fine lines, needle-free.

OTC / supplement

Dose: Serum, per product
How often: Daily

SNAP-8

SNAP-8 (Acetyl Octapeptide-3)

A stronger topical wrinkle-smoothing peptide for forehead and eye lines.

OTC / supplement

Dose: Serum, per product
How often: Daily

See other skin and cosmetic peptides

What these words mean

Show glossary +

Titrate: Starting at a low dose and increasing it slowly over time so your body adjusts and side effects stay mild.
Subcutaneous: An injection just under the skin, into the fat layer, usually with a short, thin insulin needle.
Intramuscular (IM): An injection into a muscle, using a longer needle.
Reconstitution: Mixing a powdered peptide with liquid (bacteriostatic water) so it can be drawn into a syringe.
Bacteriostatic water: Sterile water with a tiny amount of preservative, used to mix powdered peptides.
Concentration: How strong the mixed peptide is, in milligrams per milliliter (mg/mL). More water makes it weaker; less water makes it stronger.
Units (on the syringe): The marks on an insulin syringe. 100 units equals 1 mL. They measure how much liquid you draw, not the dose in milligrams.
mcg and mg: Units of dose. 1 milligram (mg) equals 1,000 micrograms (mcg).
GLP-1: A natural gut hormone that lowers appetite and blood sugar. Drugs that copy it, like semaglutide, are used for weight loss.
Growth hormone secretagogue: A compound that nudges your body to release more of its own growth hormone, rather than injecting the hormone itself.
Half-life: How long a compound stays active in your body. A longer half-life means you inject less often.
Peptide vs small molecule: A peptide is a short chain of amino acids. A few items here (like MK-677 or methylene blue) are small molecules, not true peptides, but people use them the same way.
Research only: No approved dose or use in people. Sold for research and not reviewed by the FDA for safety or quality.
Investigational: Still being tested in clinical trials and not yet approved or legally sold for general use.
Banned in drug-tested sport: Prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA); using it can disqualify a competing athlete.

Sources

Pharmacy Times, FDA approval of Scenesse(2019)
FDA approval of Scenesse for a rare light-sensitivity disorder.

Last reviewed 22 July 2026