Week 1
Loading window in community reports; color usually has not appeared yet.
Protocol / Research Dosing Guide
Melanotan I Dosage Guide: Loading, Maintenance and Reconstitution
An evidence-organized Melanotan I reference separating the FDA-approved afamelanotide implant from the injectable community schedules reported for research vials.
Last reviewed September 16, 202616 minute readResearch information only
Level 5 — Approved as an implant in one rare indicationInjectable vials are not approvedCommunity schedules are extrapolated
Melanotan I Quick Start
Melanotan I is afamelanotide, the active ingredient in an approved implant for erythropoietic protoporphyria. It prefers the MC1R receptor, which is why its reported effect is pigmentation and photoprotection rather than the broad nausea, appetite and arousal profile of Melanotan II. The injectable vials sold as research peptides are not the approved product, and the community schedules are extrapolated from clinical data rather than tested.
Why researchers care
Melanin production and photoprotection
Class
Afamelanotide, a linear 13-amino-acid alpha-MSH analogue with MC1R preference
Route reported
Approved as a subcutaneous implant; research vials are injected subcutaneously
Cycle length
Community loading of about 7 days, then weekly or twice-weekly maintenance
Regulatory status
Afamelanotide is FDA approved as a 16 mg implant for erythropoietic protoporphyria; research vials are not approved
Loading supplier information
Melanotan I Dosing Protocol and Schedule
The supplied guide reports a loading phase of roughly 50 mcg (one unit at the standard 10 mg in 2 mL dilution) once daily for about seven days or until color appears, then maintenance at 250 mcg twice weekly, or once weekly with more sun exposure. It also reports 15–30 minutes of daily UV exposure as part of the community pattern.
| Phase or study | Amount | Frequency / evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Loading / tolerance phase | About 50 mcg once daily for roughly 7 days | Community reported |
| Maintenance | 250 mcg twice weekly | Community reported |
| Light maintenance | 250 mcg once weekly with regular sun exposure | Community reported |
| Advanced loading figure cited | 500 mcg twice weekly | Community reported |
| Approved implant | 16 mg subcutaneous implant every 60 days | Regulatory |
| Rest period | Reported as seasonal use; no validated rest interval | Not established |
The approved product is an implant with continuous release, which is not comparable to an injected vial. Community figures are far below the implant's weekly equivalent and were not set by any dose-finding trial for injection.
Melanotan I Supplies Needed
Neutral research-material planning only. This does not establish an appropriate amount or route.
Research planning item
Exact labeled 10 mg vial
Research planning item
Bacteriostatic water at a measured volume
Research planning item
U-100 insulin syringes, 29–31 gauge
Research planning item
Alcohol prep swabs
Research planning item
Sharps container
Research planning item
Refrigeration for the prepared vial
Research planning item
A phone camera and notes app for baseline mole photographs
Melanotan I Reconstitution Calculator
Vial-format concentration math
Concentration
5 mg/mL
Draw volume
0.05 mL
U-100 units
5
Mathematical draws
40
Arithmetic only. The entered amount is not a recommendation and does not establish suitability.
Best Time to Take Melanotan I: Morning or Night?
Morning or evening?
Morning administration is the pattern most commonly reported; no study compared times of day.
Daily or spaced?
Reported as daily during the loading window, then once or twice weekly.
With food?
Not applicable to an injected product.
Missed amount?
No validated replacement procedure exists. Pigment builds slowly, so reported practice is to resume the schedule.
Melanotan I Route Comparison
| Format | What is reported | Evidence limit |
|---|---|---|
| Subcutaneous injection | Abdomen or flank, roughly 0.05 mL per injection at the standard dilution | Community practice, not an approved route for this product |
| Subcutaneous implant | 16 mg every 60 days in the approved indication | Clinician placed; not available as community practice |
| Oral | Degraded by stomach acid | Not viable |
| Nasal or topical | No established protocols; the molecule is large for skin penetration | No exposure data |
Routes and amounts are not interchangeable unless a verified study explicitly establishes a conversion.
Melanotan I Half-Life and Dosing Frequency
| Measure | Finding | Evidence limit |
|---|---|---|
| Reported plasma half-life | Roughly 0.8–1.7 hours as reported in comparative material | Short relative to the implant's release profile |
| Why the implant differs | Continuous release from an implant is not reproduced by intermittent injection | Route specific |
| Pigment persistence | Melanin density builds over the first weeks and fades without maintenance and UV | Biological, not pharmacokinetic |
| Frequency logic | Weekly or twice-weekly maintenance is a community convention | Not established by trial |
Melanotan I Dosage Chart
| Route | Amount | Frequency | Source | Human validation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subcutaneous | 50 mcg (1 unit at 5 mg/mL) | Once daily during loading | Community report | No |
| Subcutaneous | 250 mcg (5 units at 5 mg/mL) | Twice weekly | Community report | No |
| Subcutaneous | 500 mcg (10 units at 5 mg/mL) | Twice weekly | Community report | No |
| Subcutaneous implant | 16 mg | Every 60 days | Regulatory | Yes, in EPP only |
| Subcutaneous | 0.16 mg/kg | Phase II healthy-volunteer study arm | Human trial | Study design only |
Published study values describe those studies. Community-reported values are not validated dosing recommendations.
Melanotan I Reconstitution Guide
Concentration: 5 mg/mL
| Entered amount | Volume | U-100 units |
|---|---|---|
| 0.25 mg | 0.05 mL | 5 units |
| 0.5 mg | 0.1 mL | 10 units |
| 0.75 mg | 0.15 mL | 15 units |
- 1.Confirm the vial quantity, most commonly 10 mg.
- 2.Add 2 mL of bacteriostatic water for 5,000 mcg/mL, or 5 mL for 2,000 mcg/mL.
- 3.Clean the stopper with an alcohol swab.
- 4.Add the liquid slowly down the vial wall.
- 5.Swirl gently until clear; do not shake.
- 6.At 5,000 mcg/mL, one unit on a U-100 syringe is 50 mcg and 250 mcg is 5 units or 0.05 mL.
- 7.Label the vial with the concentration and preparation date.
- 8.Refrigerate, protect from light, and follow the source-reported 28-day window.
Reconstitution does not establish identity, purity, sterility, stability, or an appropriate amount.
How Melanotan I Works
Receptor preference
Afamelanotide preferentially activates MC1R on melanocytes.
Melanotan I Human Trials and FDA Status
Current status · verified September 16, 2026
Afamelanotide is FDA approved as a 16 mg implant for erythropoietic protoporphyria; research vials are not approved
- Afamelanotide is FDA approved as a 16 mg controlled-release subcutaneous implant every 60 days for erythropoietic protoporphyria.
- Phase II work in healthy volunteers reported dose-dependent skin darkening with subcutaneous administration at 0.16 mg/kg.
- Published clinical work supports the implant and the trial arms, not the injectable community schedule.
- No dose-finding trial validates the 50 mcg loading or 250 mcg maintenance figures.
Who Should Avoid Melanotan I?
This is an evidence-gap and precaution list, not an approved prescribing label.
Pregnancy or breastfeeding
No safety data for the research-vial route
A personal or family history of melanoma or atypical moles
Pigment change can complicate skin-cancer monitoring
People who cannot get a baseline skin examination
Mole monitoring is the central safety practice reported
Children or adolescents
No established protocol
Anyone treating the effect as sun protection
False confidence can lead to UV overexposure
Known sensitivity to peptide products or preservatives
Allergy risk
Melanotan I Side Effects, Risks and Safety
Injection-site rednessReported
Important limitation: Typically lasting 30–60 minutes.
Mole or freckle darkeningReported
Important limitation: Gradual; can complicate skin-cancer monitoring.
Mild fatigue on injection daysReported
Important limitation: Uncommon.
Mild nauseaReported
Important limitation: Described as much less than with Melanotan II.
UV overexposure riskBehavioral
Important limitation: Pigment is not a substitute for sun protection.
Long-term injectable safetyUnknown
Important limitation: No safety dataset for the research-vial schedule.
Melanotan I Timeline and Monitoring
Weeks 1–2
Melanin density builds; first pigment change is commonly reported alongside UV exposure.
After loading
Reported shift to weekly or twice-weekly maintenance to hold pigment.
Monitoring
Baseline and repeat mole photographs, and a dermatologist examination before starting, are the central reported safety steps.
Melanotan I Benefits and Results: What the Evidence Shows
| Claim | Evidence level | What research shows | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photoprotection in erythropoietic protoporphyria | Approved indication | Implant formulation | Does not extend to research vials |
| Skin pigmentation | Human research | Dose-dependent darkening in Phase II volunteers | Requires UV exposure in reported practice |
| Reduced nausea versus Melanotan II | Reported | Attributed to MC1R selectivity | Comparative reporting, not a trial endpoint |
| Sexual or appetite effects | Not established | MC4R activity is limited | Not a documented effect of this compound |
Melanotan I Storage and Handling
Lyophilized vial
Keep cool, dry and out of light per the product label.
Prepared vial
Refrigerated with a 28-day window reported in the source; this is handling practice, not a verified stability study.
Light
Protect the prepared solution from light.
Appearance
Cloudiness, color change or particles mean the vial should not be used.
Melanotan I Troubleshooting
No pigment change after several weeks
Check vial concentration, syringe arithmetic and UV exposure; pigment rarely develops without UV in reported practice.
Draw is too small to measure
Use a larger water volume, for example 5 mL per 10 mg, so the draw lands on visible syringe marks.
A mole looks different
Stop, document the change and see a dermatologist.
Cloudy vial
Do not use it.
Confusing Melanotan I and II figures
They are different molecules with different receptor profiles; the numbers are not interchangeable.
Melanotan I Comparisons
| Compound | Class or mechanism | Evidence | FDA status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melanotan I (afamelanotide) | MC1R-preferring, linear 13-amino-acid | Approved as an implant for EPP | Tanning and photoprotection |
| Melanotan II | Non-selective MC1R/MC3R/MC4R/MC5R | Not approved | Tanning plus sexual and appetite effects, high nausea |
| PT-141 (bremelanotide) | MC3R/MC4R-preferring | Approved for low sexual desire in women | Minimal tanning |
| Combining Melanotan I and II | Reported as a poor pairing | Adds side effects without proportional benefit | Community reporting |
Melanotan I Frequently Asked Questions
What is Melanotan I?
Afamelanotide, a linear alpha-MSH analogue that preferentially activates MC1R.
Is it FDA approved?
Afamelanotide is approved as a 16 mg implant for erythropoietic protoporphyria. Injectable research vials are not approved.
What is the reported community schedule?
About 50 mcg daily for roughly a week, then 250 mcg once or twice weekly.
Is UV exposure part of the reported pattern?
Yes. The source describes 15–30 minutes of daily UV during loading; the compound amplifies the UV response.
How does the reconstitution math work?
10 mg in 2 mL is 5,000 mcg/mL, so 250 mcg is 0.05 mL or 5 units on a U-100 syringe.
How does it differ from Melanotan II?
It is MC1R-preferring, so reported nausea, appetite and arousal effects are much lower.
What is the half-life?
Reported at roughly 0.8–1.7 hours in comparative material.
Does it protect against sunburn?
Pigment is not sun protection, and false confidence leading to overexposure is a documented caution.
What is the main safety practice?
Baseline and repeat mole photographs, plus a dermatologist skin examination before starting.
Is a rest period established?
No. Seasonal use is a community convention only.
Sources and Research
Coverage source
1. Melanotan-1 dosage coverage source
Community loading and maintenance figures, reconstitution math and UV context; not primary evidence.
Open direct sourceHuman research
2. Afamelanotide for erythropoietic protoporphyria (Langendonk et al., NEJM 2015)
Randomized trials underpinning the approved implant.
Open direct sourceHuman research
3. Barnetson et al., [Nle4-D-Phe7]-alpha-MSH: a synthetic analogue of alpha-MSH increases skin pigmentation
Phase II healthy-volunteer study reporting dose-dependent darkening.
Open direct sourceRegulatory
4. FDA approval record for SCENESSE (afamelanotide) implant
Regulatory identity, approved indication and implant dosing interval.
Open direct sourceMissing information flagged for review
- Validated injectable dose for research vials: Not established
- Injectable pharmacokinetics in a published study: Not established
- Validated cycle and rest period: Not established
- Compound-specific prepared-vial stability study: Not established
- Long-term safety of the community schedule: Not established
- Drug interaction data: Not established