Dosage protocol · Skin & Cosmetic
Melanotan II 10 mg
Typical daily range: 250–1000 mcg once daily (gradual titration over 8–12 weeks).
- Reconstitute: Add 3.0 mL bacteriostatic water → 3.33 mg/mL concentration.
- Typical daily range: 250–1000 mcg once daily (gradual titration over 8–12 weeks).
- Easy measuring: At 3.33 mg/mL, 1 unit = 0.01 mL ≈ 33.3 mcg on a U-100 insulin syringe.
- Storage: Lyophilized: freeze at −20 °C (−4 °F) or below; after reconstitution, refrigerate at 2–8 °C (35.6–46.4 °F); use within 1–2 weeks.
Reconstitution
Melanotan II dosage chart
| Week | Dose | Draw |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | 250 mcg0.25 mg | 7.5 units0.075 mL |
| Week 2 | 500 mcg0.5 mg | 15 units0.15 mL |
| Week 3 | 750 mcg0.75 mg | 22.5 units0.225 mL |
| Weeks 4–8 | 1000 mcg1 mg | 30 units0.30 mL |
| Maintenance (after Week 8) | 500–1000 mcg1–2× weekly | 15–30 units0.30 mL |
How much to draw
The Draw column shows exactly where to stop on a U-100 insulin syringe. Different vial size or dose? The calculator below recomputes it live.
Supplies needed
Supplies needed
Peptide vial
The lyophilized compound
Bacteriostatic water
For reconstitution
U-100 insulin syringes
One per injection
Alcohol swabs
Stopper + site each time
How it works
Melanotan II is a synthetic peptide analog of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH), a hormone that acts on the melanocortin receptor family. It built an online reputation as a "tanning injection," but it was never itself developed into an approved medicine.
Two related melanocortin peptides did reach approval for narrow, specific indications: afamelanotide (Scenesse) for a rare light-sensitivity disorder, and bremelanotide (Vyleesi) for a specific sexual-desire disorder in premenopausal women.[10] That shows the receptor family has real drug potential — it does not mean melanotan II itself is approved or interchangeable with those products.
Benefits & side effects
Human evidence is limited to small, decades-old studies. A pilot Phase I study evaluated pigmentation changes and tolerability in a small group of participants.[2] A separate small double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study tested melanotan II in men with psychogenic erectile dysfunction and reported increased erectile responses compared with placebo.[7]
Both studies were designed to test biological plausibility in small samples, not to establish a safe consumer product. No large modern trials and no FDA drug-development program exist for melanotan II itself.
Calculator
Plan your own dose
Reconstituting a different vial size or targeting a different dose? Run the numbers.
Reconstitution
Your dose
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