Credit: Reddit/n3glv
Man Who Used Melanotan II Shares Dramatic Before And After Photos
A man who has used Melanotan II injections for 17 years has shared his dramatic transformation photos.
Having a year-round tan is something many people aspire to, whether it’s from regular sunbathing sessions, the help of sunbeds or the healthiest option by far, straight out of a bottle.
This man, however, who has been posting anonymously on Reddit, revealed he has been relying on Melanotan II, an unlicensed product, which is illegal to buy and sell in the United States.
What actually is Melanotan II?
Melanotan II is a synthetic peptide that was originally created as a research drug designed to help stimulate skin pigmentation and reduce UV-related skin damage, however it has never been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US or the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the UK.
Despite this, the drug is still regularly sold online as a cosmetic tanning product, often through the grey market via social media. It is most commonly taken by injection, however there are products being sold which allow users to inhale the illegal substance up their nose.
Melanotan works by mimicking a natural hormone called alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, stimulating the production of melanin, which is the pigment responsible for skin color.
This results in increased melanin production, darker skin pigmentation and enhanced tanning when exposed to UV light, however it can come with a number of other effects too.
It can lead to reduced appetite, increased libido, spontaneous erections in men and nausea and flushing. The drug can also cause the darkening of freckles and moles.
Cancer Research UK has warned that these kind of products are ‘not safe to use,’ however that doesn’t appear to have deterred one man.
Dr Ross Perry told Glamour magazine there is no such thing as ‘safe’ melanin injections.
“They haven’t been properly tested, are not regulated and the reports of damaging side effects are commonplace and so they should be avoided,” he said.
Tanning log photos
by u/n3glv in Melanotan2
Man uses Melanotan II for 17 years
The man, who posts in the thread r/Melanotan2 on Reddit, has posted regularly on the forum site, answering questions on what it’s really like to take the illegal drug.
Commenting last year, he revealed he had been taking the drug for ‘roughly 17 years,’ explaining he would ‘always do a loading phase’ to get his body ready before UV exposure.
He went on to say it ‘takes nearly two weeks to kick in’ before any results can actually be seen from sunbathing, but he did warn that the peptide also ‘does nothing to protect you from sunburn.’
The tan enthusiast explained: “It doesn’t do anything to protect you [from the sun], what it does is trigger your body to make more melanin.
“So be careful with sun exposure in the beginning. It will take around two weeks before you can take ANY sun.”
Speaking of his own experience, the man confirmed he had dealt with some pretty strange side effects, from decreased appetite to ‘the most strange thing.’
He explained: “The most strange thing is that it feels really good to stretch, like when you first wake up. I get that every time I dose, about 1hr 30 after injection.”
Did someone say too dark?
by u/n3glv in Melanotan2
Startling ‘before’ and ‘after’ from taking Melanotan II
Sharing some photos of himself, the man revealed that after following a strict schedule of taking the drug, he had gotten ‘awfully close’ to achieving his dream skin tone, however many people have suggested he crossed the line long ago.
“Yikes bro,” one person commented, while another added: “I’ll be the first to say it since nobody else is, this looks f***ing awful man. What are you doing to yourself?”
Meanwhile, others accused the man of racefishing, after he admitted the color he was trying to achieve was ‘nubian black,’ despite being a white man.
The man wrote: “In my honest opinion, there is no such thing as too dark. Having said that, my reason for posting is to show what can be achieved by a type 2-3 giving enough effort and time. This is obviously not for everyone, but has been for me.”
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