Reminder of serious health risks with 'Melanotan 2' self tan products Irish Pharmacist Melanotan II synthetic tanning drug molecule, illustration Stock Image F029 9531 Science Photo Library Melanotan Injection What does it do? 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 How Melanotan Peptides Work to Enhance Skin Tone and Promote Tanning Age Well ATL Man warns against 'dangerous' tanning injections after turning so dark he 'looked like Madge from Benidorm' and now has the freckled skin of a 60 year old