Your body already makes a hormone that tells your skin to tan. Melanotan 2 is a synthetic peptide engineered to mimic that hormone but in a version that's more potent and Melanotan 2 is an unregulated, unsafe substance often advertised as a self tanning aid., Use of Melanotan 2 has been linked to serious side effects including loss of vision, moles, stroke, muscle Fat loss can be triggered through the brain in animal model, researchers find UF Health Burning for a Tan: Why Sunbeds and Melanotan Aren't Worth the Risk Young Scot Changes in Oral Mucosa Associated with Melanotan II Injections: A Case Report