Melanotan – tan, tested and ready?
The “Barbie Drug” is in the news again! Oh, you haven’t heard? Melanotan – a drug that University of Arizona tested for tanning purposes a few years ago, activates the melanin production in the skin. Human skin gets a gold tan; animal fur grows dark, even black. But other reports claim that the drug suppresses the appetite for eating while increasing the appetite for sex! Much debate still ensues regarding the drug’s aphrodisiac effect, but new clinical trials have begun in the US for skin disorders.
Not to be confused with melatonin, which is a sleep hormone, Melanotan increases melanin production in the skin making it darken, so users get a golden glow. They may also get some unwanted side effects, which reportedly include depression, nausea, loss of appetite, high blood pressure and panic attacks. (That tan will look great with a straight jacket in classic white.) And, since the drug activates melanocytes in the skin, there is the chance it could cause cancer. Melanotan is popular in the UK where it is legal to buy but not to sell and is only available for injection (this is a clue, people.) I, for one, would like to show off my tan lines without worrying about track marks.
And with the range of quality self-tanning products out there from Jergens ($7.99) to Clarins ($42), it seems like there are plenty of smarter, safer ways to go.
Is a tan even important anymore? Are we all going Goth? What’s your favorite fake tan product?
- KPIX, in San Francisco recently reported on the topic.
Here’s an international site for true believers.
Wired Science weighs in, too.
