STUDresearch · Peptide

Melanotan I

Also known as

Afamelanotide · Scenesse · MT-1 · MT1 · Melanotan-1 · Melanotan 1 · NDP-MSH · [Nle4,D-Phe7]-α-MSH · CUV1647 · Melanotan-I

Community talk. May be wrong. Not medical advice. Not a protocol. Not for human or animal use.

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Peptide Some talk Systemic Implant / SubQ Tanning & melanocortin

Systemic MC1R-preferring α-MSH analog; the licensed product is an implant, while community reports describe unverified SubQ vials.

What people say Melanotan I is afamelanotide, a linear α-MSH analog. The licensed SCENESSE product is a 16 mg clinician-inserted implant for adults with erythropoietic protoporphyria; unverified community SubQ vials are a separate exposure stream. Doses people talk about

Observed 250 mcg account250 mcg SC per reported dose

Same amount was reported from start through maintenance, alongside three five-minute tanning sessions weekly; marked color was described after 2.5–3 weeks.

Observed changing-amount account250 mcg daily, then 500 mcg daily, then one 1 mg dose

Same author reported no result for almost a month at 250 mcg, a response after adding tanning-bed exposure at 500 mcg, and nausea with the 1 mg dose.

Observed adverse high amount2.5 mg SC once

After prior 500 mcg use, one author reported intense flushing, audible heartbeat and day-long exhaustion, then stopped.

Licensed controlled-release implant16 mg SubQ implant every 2 months

Clinician-inserted SCENESSE label context for adult EPP; not equivalent to community bolus vials.

These are separate descriptive exposures, not a progression. UV, product identity, formulation and indication differ, and planned future amounts were not counted as observed.

Half-life & effect duration

Half-life in the body: Injected solution · under the skinAbout 0.8–1.7 hours
IV · older reported estimateAbout 1.1 hours
Scenesse implantAbout 15 hours
Felt duration people report: Color-change accountMarked color after about 2.5–3 weeks
Other accountNo result for almost a month, then changes to amount and UV exposure
Implant · early symptomsHeadache, nausea, tiredness or dizziness during the first 1–3 days

Timing context & sources

How it may feel Community reports conflict: one user described a dark tan after 2.5–3 weeks at 250 mcg with repeated UV, another reported no result after nearly a month at 250 mcg daily, and a 2.5 mg report described marked flushing and exhaustion.

Cycles people discuss The licensed implant is placed on a medical interval, whereas community accounts describe seasonal loading and maintenance. Those patterns are not interchangeable, and inspected maintenance evidence was sparse. Timing Licensed implants are scheduled about every two months, often across high-sun seasons. Community vial use instead describes a daily or near-daily loading period followed by weekly or twice-weekly maintenance; these are different exposure systems. Stacks UV exposure changed alongside community dosing and confounds attribution; licensed-implant photodynamics and EPP light protection are separate from community vial-and-UV reports. Watch for Hyperpigmentation of freckles and moles (nevi): Expected pharmacodynamic effect — existing lesions darken; Scenesse labels list melanocytic nevus / skin hyperpigmentation among AEs; complicates skin-cancer surveillance.

Tap a line to jump into the full notes. Research only — may be wrong.

Timing context & sources

Half-life in the body

Historical bolus SC melanotan-I had a beta-phase plasma half-life of 0.8–1.7 hours.

Three male volunteers received 0.08–0.21 mg/kg SC in a randomized crossover study; oral dosing produced no detectable plasma drug.

Very small historical healthy-male study using research solution; not a gray-market product assay and not implant kinetics.

Skin pigmentation and pharmacokinetics of melanotan-I in humans (opens in a new tab)Randomized crossover in three male volunteers: 0.16 mg/kg IV and oral, 0.08–0.21 mg/kg SC over ten doses; SC beta-phase half-life 0.8–1.7 hours and no detectable oral levels.Tiny healthy-male PK study using historical research solution dosing; it does not validate gray-market vial identity or cosmetic schedules. PubMed abstract content was reviewed.

Half-life in the body

The 16 mg SCENESSE controlled-release implant has an apparent half-life of about 15 hours.

Label PK in 12 healthy adults also reports median Tmax 36 hours and last measurable concentration at 96 hours in 9 of 12 participants.

Applies only to the licensed controlled-release implant and cannot be mapped to bolus vial exposure.

SCENESSE afamelanotide implant prescribing information (opens in a new tab)Single 16 mg controlled-release subcutaneous implant PK in 12 healthy adults: median Tmax 36 hours and apparent half-life about 15 hours.Applies to the licensed controlled-release implant, not bolus research vials; concentrations were highly variable.

Felt duration people report

The inspected community reports do not establish one reliable onset or persistence window.

One 250 mcg account described marked color after 2.5–3 weeks; another saw no result for almost a month at 250 mcg daily, then changed both amount and UV exposure.

Anonymous reports, unverified products and different UV exposure prevent causal timing or response-rate inference.

Reddit r/Melanotan2 — Dosing? (opens in a new tab)One commenter reported 250 mcg MT-I from start through maintenance plus three five-minute tanning sessions weekly, with a very dark tan after 2.5–3 weeks.Anonymous self-report, unverified product, uncontrolled UV exposure and no objective pigmentation measurement.
Reddit r/Melanotan2 — MT1 dosage guide (opens in a new tab)Same thread author later reported nearly one month at 250 mcg daily with no result, then 500 mcg daily with a result after one tanning session, and nausea plus more marked color after one 1 mg dose.Anonymous same-author update with unverified product, changing dose and UV/tanning-bed exposure; later maintenance was planned rather than observed.
Reddit r/Melanotan2 — Insanely high MT1 dose experiment part 3 (opens in a new tab)Same author reported prior 500 mcg use then a 2.5 mg dose followed by intense flushing, audible heartbeat, day-long exhaustion and little tan without UV; the experiment was stopped.Anonymous self-report with unverified product and dose, deliberate high-dose escalation and no clinical assessment; later proposed use was not counted as observed.

What people say 11

Skin darkening (community): Progressive uniform-ish bronze over weeks when paired with UV; freckles and moles often darken first and most. forum
vs Melanotan II (community preference lane): More “pigment-only” feel — fewer reports of strong nausea, spontaneous erections, appetite crash, or yawning/stretching complex at typical cosmetic mcg bands. forum
Maintenance color hold: After a load, lower or less frequent SC doses plus limited UV are widely described as enough to hold tone for a season. forum
Outside EPP honesty: Aesthetic UV-tolerance or “sunless tan” talk for research vials is not an approved cosmetic indication anywhere; implant access is disease-restricted. forum
EPP photoprotection (primary approved signal): Scenesse 16 mg implant trials — longer median pain-free sun exposure and fewer phototoxic reactions vs placebo under specialist care (e.g. NEJM-class Phase 3 summary: ~69 vs ~41 pain-free sun hours over six months in one cited comparison). trial
EPP quality of life: Improved patient-reported outdoor function and seasonal light tolerance with implants timed to high-sun months. trial
Long-term EPP tolerability: Observational cohorts (e.g. Biolcati et al., up to ~8 years, n≈115 class) report sustained clinical benefit and generally good tolerability under repeated implant use — not a cosmetic-tanning dataset. trial
Measurable melanin density (injectable research): Healthy-volunteer and photodermatosis work with SC MT-1 (commonly ~0.08–0.16 mg/kg daily for multi-day courses) showed reflectance-measured pigmentation gains, largest *relative* gains in fairest subjects. trial
UV synergy: MT-1 plus controlled UV-B/sunlight produced stronger tanning than either alone in Dorr et al. Arch Dermatol work — peptide framed as amplifying light-driven melanogenesis. trial
Vitiligo adjunct (clinical implant context): Multicenter work combining afamelanotide implant with NB-UVB phototherapy reported faster/superior repigmentation vs phototherapy alone in nonsegmental vitiligo — not an approved cosmetic indication. trial
Acne exploratory signal: Small open-label Phase 2 implant exploration in mild–moderate acne reported facial inflammatory lesion declines in some male subjects — sparse, not a community use driver. trial

Doses people talk about 16

Community low-start / tolerance ramp (newer charts): ~50–100 mcg SC daily for several days to ~1 week to gauge nausea/flush before climbing. forum
Observed community amounts: Separate users reported 250 mcg SC through a 2.5–3-week color build, and 250 mcg daily for almost a month before a switch to 500 mcg daily and one 1 mg dose; UV exposure and product identity differed. forum
Alternate community start charts: Examples include ~200 mcg daily × 1–2 weeks load then ~100 mcg 2–3×/week maintain; or fixed ~250 mcg load then 250 mcg 1–2×/week maintain. forum
Higher vendor/education charts: Some research-education pages sample ~1 mg SC daily × ~10 days then ~2 mg weekly maintenance; others discuss titration toward ~0.25–2 mg/day class — treated as higher-exposure talk, not a universal standard. forum
Maintenance band (community): ~100–250 mcg SC 1–3× weekly after color appears; some hold with ~250 mcg once weekly when ambient UV is high. forum
Higher observed account: One user described moving from 500 mcg to a 2.5 mg dose, then intense flushing, audible heartbeat and day-long exhaustion; the same report found little tan without UV. forum
MT-I vs MT-II dose lore: Forum lore often claims MT-I needs more peptide (sometimes “~2×”) for comparable tan vs MT-II, which is why MT-I is called more expensive per result — informal, not a PK equivalence study. forum
Implant ≠ vial math: DIY mcg schedules are not equivalent to controlled-release 16 mg implant exposure or release kinetics. forum
Protective / pre-UV shot lore (minority charts): Occasional “~0.25 mg SC ~30 minutes before sun” acute talk appears on vendor pages — not a controlled label regimen. forum
Purity / identity risk: Research vials may underdose, overconcentrate, or be swapped with MT-II; labeled mcg is not verified identity. forum
Framing: Community charts, early clinical SC weight-based trials, and licensed implant labels are different exposure systems — research discussion only, not advice or cosmetic recommendations. forum
Implant yearly pattern: Common EPP practice ~3 implants per high-sun season; practical ceilings often discussed around ≤3–4/year by region/payer/clinician. trial
PK route finding (Ugwu et al.): SC bioavailability ≈ complete vs IV; oral dosing produced no detectable plasma drug; preferred research delivery became SC. trial
Licensed implant (only approved human product): Scenesse one 16 mg afamelanotide implant SC, clinician-inserted (typically above anterior supra-iliac crest) about every 2 months; higher/more frequent dosing not studied as standard. trial
Early clinical SC (healthy volunteer / pigment research): Roughly 0.08–0.16 mg/kg/day SC for multi-day courses (often up to ~10 consecutive dosing days per cycle); 0.16 mg/kg cited as a maximally effective daily tanning research dose without sunlight in older Arizona work. trial
What that weight-based band means: For a ~70–80 kg adult, 0.16 mg/kg is on the order of ~11–13 mg/day — far above modern community “250–500 mcg” cosmetic charts; do not collapse those numbers. trial

How it may feel 8

Early community experience is mixed: One user reported no result after nearly a month at 250 mcg daily; another stayed at 250 mcg and described a dark tan after 2.5–3 weeks with repeated UV sessions. forum
Weeks 2–4 community split: One 250 mcg account described marked color by 2.5–3 weeks; another reported no change for almost a month at 250 mcg daily before dose and UV changes. forum
Maintenance evidence inspected: One user said the same 250 mcg amount continued from start through maintenance; another author only planned 250 mcg twice weekly, so that later schedule is not an observed outcome. forum
Days 1–3 implant (clinical AE window): Headache, nausea, tiredness, dizziness common in the first ~72 hours after Scenesse insertion; often settles within a few days. trial
Week 1 (biology + community): Melanin machinery upregulates before a full cosmetic tan; implant data show melanin density rising by ~day 7; community logs often still call color “subtle” without UV. trial
Days ~7–15 (clinical peak window): Haylett et al. solar-urticaria implant cohort: mean melanin density increased by day 7, peaked ~day 15, remained elevated at day 60 after a single 16 mg implant. trial
Weeks 2–4 clinical injection cycles: Multi-cycle 0.16 mg/kg SC programs (Barnetson et al.) produced significant reflectance melanin gains over weeks–months, not overnight bronze. trial
Months 2–3 implant schedule: Licensed re-implant ~every 60 days in high-light seasons (often ≤3–4 implants/year depending on region/practice). trial

Cycles people discuss 7

Community cosmetic cycle: ~1–2+ week daily (or near-daily) load → weekly / 2× weekly maintain for a tanning season or pre-vacation window. forum
Seasonal re-runs: Common summer return cycles; some guides float informal “~8 weeks on / 8 weeks off” conventions for cost, mole monitoring, and off-season fade — not a documented desensitization requirement. forum
Off periods: Stop at target color, intolerable sides, changing moles, or between seasons; fade speed guides whether to restart. forum
No classic PCT: Rare formal hormonal post-cycle therapy; discourse centers on sun habits, SPF realism, and dermatology mole checks. forum
Year-round implant vs seasonal vials: EPP patients may run implants across the light season under care; gray-market aesthetic users more often seasonal. forum
Clinical implant blocks: EPP implants timed to high-sun seasons with ≥~60 days between insertions; not a bodybuilding “PCT” model. trial
Clinical counterpoint on “need to cycle”: Long-term EPP implant use over years reports sustained response without a mandatory off-period for receptor reset; cosmetic off-cycles are community convention more than proven pharmacology. trial

Timing 10

Why community loads daily: Short free-peptide residence after bolus SC drives daily/near-daily loading talk during build — not because MT-I has MT-II-style multi-hour central effects. forum
UV timing habits: Many pair injections with controlled sun/bed sessions later the same day or on load days once tolerance is known; UV is treated as a co-factor, not optional for strong color. forum
Twice-daily historical talk: Because free half-life is short, some older research/education summaries mention BID SC in skin-disorder contexts; modern cosmetic charts more often use once-daily load. forum
Free peptide plasma half-life (SC/IV research): β-phase elimination commonly summarized ~0.8–1.7 h after SC (mean ~1.3 ± 0.46 h in Ugwu et al.); IV ~1.07 ± 0.46 h class — short circulating residence. trial
Absorption phase: SC absorption phase half-lives reported in a broad short window (~0.07–0.79 h class in early PK) with rapid appearance in plasma. trial
Native α-MSH comparison: Endogenous α-MSH half-life is shorter still (~20 min class); NDP-MSH is longer-lived but still not a multi-day free-peptide depot. trial
Oral: No detectable plasma levels after oral research dosing — not a practical oral peptide. trial
Implant PK (Scenesse label-class): Median Tmax ~36 h; apparent half-life ~15 h under controlled-release conditions; mean Cmax ~3.7 ng/mL with high variability; last measurable concentrations often by ~96 h in most subjects. trial
Implant release biology: Majority of drug released in first days; biodegradable PLGA-class core discussed on ~50–60 day clinical re-implant cadence even though plasma is gone much earlier. trial
Why pigment outlasts blood levels: Melanogenesis and epidermal pigment hold for weeks after peptide clears; visible tan is a tissue process, not steady plasma drug. trial

Stacks 9

UV co-factor (the real “stack”): Controlled sun or tanning-bed UV is treated as essential for meaningful cosmetic color with MT-I; community talk often cites short sessions (roughly 10–30 minutes class) during load, then less frequent UV to hold — not unlimited burning. forum
MT-I alone for pigment-first goals: Chosen specifically to avoid MT-II’s libido/appetite/nausea cluster while still chasing melanin. forum
vs Melanotan II (compare, rarely stack): Forum consensus often calls MT-I + MT-II a poor pair — more sides without proportional pigment gain; switch rather than combine. forum
vs PT-141: PT-141 is the libido-focused melanocortin path; stacking tan peptide + PT-141 is uncommon in serious guides because of overlapping nausea/BP risk without clear synergy. forum
Skin-care adjacency: Moisturizer, realistic SPF habits, and mole photography/monitoring discussed more than second peptides. forum
Antioxidant / “photoprotection support” mentions: Occasional astaxanthin or vitamin C talk in blog stacks — confounded lifestyle add-ons, not validated MT-I potentiators. forum
GHK-Cu or other skin peptides (minority): Occasional multi-peptide cosmetic stacks; attribution of tone changes becomes muddied. forum
Not an injury / healing stack: Stays in tanning–photoprotection lane — not BPC-157/TB-500 “Wolverine,” GLOW, or KLOW territory. forum
Nausea management (non-stack): Lower start mcg, morning vs evening preference experiments, hydration, light food — anti-emetic drug stacks are less central than with MT-II. forum

Storage notes 2

No mix instructions here: STUDresearch does not list reconstitution, diluent volumes, or syringe unit charts. People reconstitute many different ways and vial labels differ — that content creates more confusion than clarity. forum
Storage (general talk only): Unopened research products are usually kept cool, dry, and away from light per the seller label. Anything after first use is product-specific — follow the label, not a universal forum SOP. forum

Related 8

Watch for 15

Source / mislabel risk: Unregulated vials may be underdosed, contaminated, or actually MT-II — users chasing “clean MT-I” can still get MT-II sides if identity is wrong. forum
Cost / practicality: Higher peptide use per result vs MT-II in community lore plus implant specialty pricing keep MT-I a secondary path for pure aesthetics. forum
Nausea / GI: Top early effect in both implant trials (~19% class on Scenesse label summaries) and injectable research logs; generally milder and less dose-limiting than MT-II at typical community mcg bands, but still common at clinical mg/kg exposures. trial
Headache: Frequently listed among common Scenesse TEAEs (roughly ~20–22% class in some summaries); also appears in community injectable reports. trial
Fatigue / somnolence / dizziness: Common post-implant and in early systemic AE lists; often settles after the first days. trial
Facial flushing: Transient face/neck/upper-trunk flush noted in early SC/IV volunteer studies and community injection logs. trial
Hyperpigmentation of freckles and moles (nevi): Expected pharmacodynamic effect — existing lesions darken; Scenesse labels list melanocytic nevus / skin hyperpigmentation among AEs; complicates skin-cancer surveillance. trial
Eruptive / changing naevi discourse: Shared melanocortin-class concern (more case literature on MT-II, but pigment-pathway logic applies); changing, new, or atypical moles need professional derm evaluation — not “wait and see on forums.” trial
Implant-site reactions: Bruising, erythema, hematoma, discoloration, pain, pruritus, nodule, swelling — ~21% class vs lower vehicle rates in controlled implant data; rare expelled implant reported in AE coding. trial
Other labeled implant AEs (>2% class examples): Oropharyngeal pain, cough, respiratory tract infection, skin irritation, non-acute porphyria coding in trial tables — context is EPP population under care. trial
Full-body skin exams: Scenesse labeling and payer criteria emphasize baseline and periodic full-body skin examinations (e.g. twice-yearly class guidance) because of pigment changes. trial
Rare sexual AE note: One published case report of acute priapism after a melanotan-1 injection exists; far less characteristic than MT-II’s erection/yawning complex, but not zero in literature. trial
Not a UV free pass: Extra eumelanin does not cancel burn risk or melanoma risk from high UV; clinical EPP use still advises light-protection measures. trial
Regulatory / access caveats: Scenesse is adult-EPP (and region-specific) specialty care only; research-chem tanning use is unapproved; multiple health agencies warn against unlicensed melanotan products generally. trial
Melanoma uncertainty: Darkening lesions and case reports around melanotan products (especially MT-II + UV) drive caution language; causal proof is confounded, but risk communication remains strong. trial

Updated: 2026-08-12

Evidence mix Mixed trial + community tags Full: every bullet (trial + community). Use Scan for a faster bro-science read.

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Half-life & effect duration

Timing context & sources⌄

Half-life in the body

Half-life in the body

Felt duration people report

What people say 11

Doses people talk about 16

How it may feel 8

Cycles people discuss 7

Timing 10

More on what it is 7

Stacks 9

Storage notes 2

Related 8

Watch for 15

Timing context & sources