Melanotan II

Research

Melanotan II

Aliases
MT-2, MT-II
Administration
Subcutaneous injection (unregulated, self-administered)

How it works

  1. Non-selective agonist across multiple melanocortin receptors (MC1R, MC3R, MC4R)

    It activates several different pigment- and brain-related receptors at once, not just the skin one.

  2. Stimulates eumelanin production for tanning effect

    This produces a tan by boosting melanin, same as Melanotan I.

  3. Activates MC4R in the hypothalamus, increasing libido and reducing appetite as side effects

    But because it also hits a brain receptor tied to sexual arousal and appetite, it produces libido changes and appetite suppression as side effects too — this is actually the same mechanism PT-141 was later engineered to isolate and refine.

Result

A noticeably deeper tan achieved without sun exposure — though it comes with unregulated safety risks and side effects like nausea and unwanted arousal. Users typically see visibly darker skin within days, often alongside nausea, flushing, and increased sexual arousal as side effects.