Melanotan 2 Dosage: Loading, Maintenance and Reconstitution
Melanotan 2 (MT-II) is a synthetic analog of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone that people use to darken skin. Its dosing splits into a loading phase to build color and a lighter maintenance phase to hold it, both given by small subcutaneous injection. This guide covers the dose ranges in mcg, the reconstitution math, injection and UV pairing, and the side effects that shape how people titrate. For the background chemistry and how MT-I and MT-II differ, start with the tanning peptides overview.
Melanotan 2 Dosage Chart: Quick Reference
The figures below reflect the ranges reported in the unregulated research-compound space. Start at the low end. Nausea and flushing scale with dose, so ramping slowly is the difference between a tolerable start and a miserable one.
| Phase | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Goal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | 250 mcg | Once daily | Days 1–3 | Test tolerance |
| Loading | 500 mcg | Once daily | 1–3 weeks | Build pigment |
| Maintenance | 500 mcg–1 mg | 1–2× weekly | Ongoing | Hold color |
The Loading Phase
Loading is where color is built. The standard pattern is a low starter dose of 250 mcg once daily for the first two to three days to see how the stomach handles it, then a step up to 500 mcg daily. That daily dosing continues until the skin reaches the shade you want, which is roughly one to three weeks in practice. Fair, burn-prone skin darkens slowly and needs a longer load and more patience with UV; naturally darker skin reaches target on a shorter run. The loading phase is not open-ended: once the tan is there, daily injections stop.
The Maintenance Phase
Because Melanotan 2 has a long duration of action, holding a tan does not require daily dosing. Once the target shade is reached, most people drop to 500 mcg to 1 mg once or twice a week. From there it is a feedback loop: if color fades, nudge the dose or frequency up; if it holds easily, pull back. Continued UV exposure still matters during maintenance, since the peptide only primes pigment production and does not create it on its own.
Reconstitution Math
Melanotan 2 ships as a lyophilized powder in a 10 mg vial. The common reconstitution is 2 mL of bacteriostatic water, which makes a 5 mg/mL solution. On an insulin syringe that puts 500 mcg at the 0.1 mL mark and 250 mcg at 0.05 mL. Some users prefer adding only 1 mL of water so the dosing marks are less fiddly, though that concentrates the solution and shrinks the volume you are measuring. Add the water slowly down the side of the vial, swirl gently instead of shaking, and store cold. The rules in our peptide storage guide and the walkthrough in how to reconstitute peptides apply directly.
Injection and UV Exposure
Dosing is subcutaneous with a small insulin syringe into the abdomen or thigh, rotating sites. The mechanics are the same as any low-volume peptide injection covered in how to inject peptides. The part people underrate is UV: Melanotan 2 primes the melanocortin pathway, but pigment still needs a UV trigger to actually develop. Short, controlled sun or sunbed sessions built up gradually are what turn the primed pathway into a tan. Dosing with no UV mostly delivers side effects and little color.
Side Effects and Skin Monitoring
Nausea in the first days is the most common complaint and the main reason protocols open at 250 mcg. Facial flushing, appetite suppression, and spontaneous erections in men show up frequently and trace back to melanocortin activity. The skin-specific concern is that moles, freckles, and existing dark spots tend to darken, and new nevi can appear. That is why anyone using Melanotan 2 should have existing moles monitored and get a dermatologist to check anything that changes. This is not a cosmetic-only compound with no downside; the pigment changes it drives are systemic.
Legal and Regulatory Status
As of 2026, Melanotan 2 is not approved by the FDA, EMA, MHRA, or TGA for any indication, and selling it for human use is illegal in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. It circulates only as a research compound. The related peptide PT-141 (bremelanotide) came out of the same melanocortin chemistry but was developed for sexual function and is FDA approved as Vyleesi for that one indication, which is a useful contrast for understanding where MT-II sits. Everything here describes reported practice in an unregulated market and is not medical advice.
Frequently Asked Questions About Melanotan 2
Most protocols start low to gauge nausea, around 250 mcg subcutaneously once daily for the first two to three days, then step up to 500 mcg daily. The loading phase runs until skin reaches the desired shade, usually one to three weeks depending on skin type and how much UV exposure is paired with it. Fair skin darkens slowly and needs a longer load; darker skin reaches target faster.
Once the target tan is reached, users drop to a maintenance schedule of roughly 500 mcg to 1 mg once or twice a week. The long duration of action means color can be held on only two or three doses per week rather than daily injections. Maintenance dosing is adjusted up or down based on how the tan fades and continued UV exposure.
The common approach is to add 2 mL of bacteriostatic water to a 10 mg vial, giving a 5 mg/mL solution. At that concentration a 0.1 mL draw on an insulin syringe carries 500 mcg, and 0.05 mL carries 250 mcg. Inject the water slowly against the vial wall, swirl gently rather than shaking, and refrigerate. Some users add only 1 mL to make dosing marks easier to read, which puts 250 mcg at the 0.025 mL mark.
Not really. Melanotan 2 primes the melanocortin pathway that drives melanin production, but pigment still needs a UV trigger to develop. People pair dosing with short, controlled sun or sunbed sessions and build exposure gradually. Dosing with no UV at all produces little tanning and mostly just the side effects.
It is given subcutaneously with a small insulin syringe, the same technique used for other small-volume peptides. Common sites are the abdomen or thigh, rotating to avoid irritation. The injection is shallow and low-volume. Our general injection and reconstitution guides cover the mechanics.
The most common is nausea in the first days, which is why protocols start at 250 mcg. Facial flushing, appetite suppression, and spontaneous erections in men are frequently reported and are tied to the melanocortin activity. Moles, freckles, and existing dark spots often darken, and new nevi can appear, which is the reason regular skin checks matter. Nausea usually eases as the body adjusts.
No. As of 2026 Melanotan 2 is not approved by the FDA or by regulators in the EU, UK, or Australia for any use, and selling it for human consumption is illegal in several of those markets. It is sold only as a research compound. This guide describes what is reported in that unregulated space; it is not medical advice or an endorsement.
They are related melanocortin peptides. Melanotan 2 acts broadly across melanocortin receptors and is used for pigmentation, while PT-141 (bremelanotide) was developed from the same chemistry but selected for sexual-function effects and is FDA approved as Vyleesi for that narrow indication. See our PT-141 dosage guide for how that one is used.