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Reference only · Not medical advice · For adults 18+ · No dosing information is published here
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Skin, Hair & Pigmentation

Melanotan I — reference

An alpha-MSH analogue (afamelanotide) that stimulates melanin production; FDA-approved as an implant for a rare light-sensitivity disorder.

Regulatory statusFDA-Approved (labeled use)
Published half-life~1 hour (as solution injection); differs from the FDA-approved slow-release implant form (afamelanotide/Scenesse)
Evidence levelLimited data
CategorySkin, Hair & Pigmentation

Regulatory status

FDA-Approved (labeled use). FDA-approved as SCENESSE for erythropoietic protoporphyria — a rare condition. The injectable peptide sold online for tanning is not that product and is not approved.

Reported cautions

⚠ Worth knowing. The approval is for a specific implant in a rare disease, not for cosmetic tanning. Increased pigmentation does not remove the need for sun protection, and existing moles should be monitored.

Pharmacokinetics

Published figures give an elimination half-life of ~1 hour (as solution injection); differs from the FDA-approved slow-release implant form (afamelanotide/Scenesse). Don't conflate implant duration with plasma half-life if you cite the FDA-approved form.

This figure is tagged Limited data in our evidence system. The available data does not support a confident single figure, so this entry is flagged accordingly. Read any curve built from it as illustrative only. You can see the shape this implies between doses in the Half-Life Visualizer, and compare it against every other compound in the Half-Life Data Table. Our sourcing page explains what each tier means.

Remember that an estimated curve is a model built from a population figure, not a measurement of your blood. Individual clearance varies, and for depot injections the figure describes release from the injection site rather than the compound clearing. Half-life explained →

What Peptide Plug does and does not publish

This page carries regulatory status, general context and published pharmacokinetics. It carries no dose, frequency or cycle information — that is a deliberate editorial line, because dosing is a clinical decision rather than reference data. We also do not sell, supply, source or link to vendors for any compound.

Frequently asked

Is Melanotan I FDA-approved?
FDA-Approved (labeled use). FDA-approved as SCENESSE for erythropoietic protoporphyria — a rare condition. The injectable peptide sold online for tanning is not that product and is not approved.
What is the half-life of Melanotan I?
Published figures give ~1 hour (as solution injection); differs from the FDA-approved slow-release implant form (afamelanotide/Scenesse). Don't conflate implant duration with plasma half-life if you cite the FDA-approved form.
How reliable is that half-life figure?
It is tagged “Limited data” in our system. The available data does not support a confident single figure, so this entry is flagged accordingly. Read any curve built from it as illustrative only.
What cautions are associated with Melanotan I?
The approval is for a specific implant in a rare disease, not for cosmetic tanning. Increased pigmentation does not remove the need for sun protection, and existing moles should be monitored.
Does Peptide Plug publish dosing for Melanotan I?
No. This library publishes regulatory status, general context and pharmacokinetics only. Dose, frequency and cycle information is deliberately absent from these public pages — those are clinical decisions, not reference data.
Does Peptide Plug sell Melanotan I?
No. We do not sell, supply, source or link to vendors for any compound, and we have no affiliate arrangements with suppliers. Peptide Plug is a tracking and calculation tool.

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Reference information, not medical advice. This page describes regulatory status and published pharmacokinetics. It does not tell you whether to use this compound, how much to use, how often, or whether it is safe for you. Peptide Plug does not sell, supply or source any compound. Those decisions belong to you and a licensed clinician.

Part of the Peptide Plug research library · How we source our figures