Carl read the papersWhat it actually is
Melanotan II is a synthetic α-MSH analog that boosts melanin production for faster, darker tanning.
It also hits MC4R, causing appetite suppression and spontaneous erections. It still needs some UV to develop the tan.
How it’s thought to work
- MC1R activation — boosts melanin → tanning.
- MC4R activation — appetite suppression + libido/erections.
- Needs some UV — exposure still triggers/develops the tan.
- Darkens moles/freckles — the mechanism at work — and the risk.
What the research says
Not approved anywhere; a grey-market research chemical. (Afamelanotide/Scenesse, a related but different peptide, is the only approved one.)
- Fast, dark tanning with minimal sun.
- Libido/erection side-action.
- Darkens moles — melanoma caution.
Reported protocols
These are the doses the peptide community actually reports running (Reddit & forums), alongside published research — logged for education, not as a recommendation to use.
| Parameter | Commonly reported range |
|---|---|
| Community dose | Start ~100–250 mcg/day; loading ~500 mcg/day for 1–2 wks; maintenance ~0.25–0.5 mg 2×/week |
| Frequency | Loading daily; maintenance ~2×/week |
| Route | SubQ |
| Cycle | Load to target shade → twice-weekly maintenance; fades if stopped |
| Community tip | Start tiny and inject before bed to sleep through the nausea; 1 mg nightly is far too much |
Common use cases
| Goal | Community protocol notes |
|---|---|
| Tanning | load ~500 mcg/day 1–2 wks + UV, then 0.25–0.5 mg 2×/wk |
| Libido (side-effect) | MC4R-driven; not its intended use |
| (Caution) | mole monitoring is mandatory |
Mixing it (reconstitution)
Freeze-dried peptides must be reconstituted with bacteriostatic water before they can be measured. Carl’s calculator turns “mg in the vial + ml of water + target dose” into “units on the syringe” — and tells you how long the vial lasts.
→ Open the Reconstitution Calculator
Injection & handling
SubQ, start ~100 mcg before bed (sleep through the nausea). Do the reconstitution math carefully — unit/ml confusion causes 10× overdoses. Get a baseline mole/skin check first and monitor moles throughout.
Stacks it appears in
- Used alone — MT-II is run solo and situationally (tanning), not stacked.
