Many people who look into melanotan are trying to tan faster, or with less burning, in the sun or in tanning beds. Here's what health agencies say about UV tanning itself.
In 2009, the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) moved UV-emitting tanning devices into Group 1, "carcinogenic to humans," its highest category. Group 1 means there is sufficient evidence that something causes cancer in humans. It doesn't describe how large the risk is.
FDA: The Risks of Tanning explains that UV exposure can cause sunburn, skin damage and skin cancer. It notes studies linking severe sunburn to melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, and explains that melanoma begins in the melanocytes, the cells that produce melanin.
A tan is the skin's response to UV damage that has already happened (see how tanning works). It gives only limited protection against further burning and doesn't make UV exposure safe.
Unregulated melanotan products are often used together with sunbeds or sun exposure. Case reports have described new or changing moles, and melanoma, in people using melanotan (see moles and melanoma). These products don't make UV exposure safe.
Check your skin regularly using the ABCDE mole check.
Published October 25, 2026. Sources are linked in the text. See our Medical Disclaimer.