Melanotan-1 Dosage Chart: Loading + Maintenance

Melanotan-1 (afamelanotide) is a synthetic analog of alpha-MSH that stimulates melanin production for photoprotection. FDA-approved for erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP) as a subcutaneous implant. Community protocols extrapolate from this clinical data. This is not medical advice.

Research-context information only. Melanotan-1 (afamelanotide) is the active ingredient in an FDA-approved product for erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP); research-peptide and injectable forms are not FDA-approved and are sold for research purposes only. Protocols, doses, and reactions reported below come from clinical trials and community sources. This article reports what has been documented, not what should be done. Consult a licensed physician for personal medical decisions.

Quick Reference: Loading + Maintenance

These figures reflect community-reported protocols, not a recommended schedule. Units assume the standard 10 mg / 2 mL reconstitution (5,000 mcg/mL), where 1 unit on a U-100 insulin syringe = 50 mcg and 250 mcg = 5 units.

UV stimulation — Community protocols and clinical data describe 15–30 minutes of daily UV exposure during loading as necessary for melanin response. MT-1 amplifies UV response rather than independently darkening skin.

Cycling Details

Community protocols have shifted toward starting low and building up rather than front-loading a full dose. The pattern most often described now has two phases:

Loading / tolerance phase: roughly 50 mcg — 1 unit on a U-100 insulin syringe at the standard 10 mg / 2 mL reconstitution — subcutaneously once daily for about 7 days in a row, or until noticeable color begins to appear. Community sources describe this low daily dose as a way to assess tolerance first and build eumelanin gradually, paired with short, gradually increasing daily UV exposure (15-30 minutes).

Maintenance phase: once color develops, protocols describe dropping to 250 mcg (5 units) twice per week — or once per week depending on sun exposure, with more sun meaning less frequent dosing — while continuing regular UV to hold the tan.

This ramp mirrors the natural tanning curve, where melanin density builds over the first couple of weeks before plateauing (Langendonk et al., 2015). Users commonly self-report running it seasonally: several weeks before summer, or a few weeks pre-vacation.

Routes of Administration

Subcutaneous (standard): abdomen or love handle area. Community sources describe rotating sites and using a 29-31 gauge insulin syringe. Volume is typically 0.05 mL per injection, with morning injections most commonly reported.

Subcutaneous implant (clinical only): FDA-approved 16 mg biodegradable implant every 60 days for EPP patients. Not available for community use.

Not effective: Oral (degraded by stomach acid), nasal (no protocols), topical (molecule too large).

Reconstitution Quick Reference

Math: 10,000 mcg / 2 mL = 5,000 mcg/mL. 250 mcg / 5,000 = 0.05 mL = 5 units. Swirl gently, refrigerate, protect from light, use within 28 days.

For step-by-step mixing instructions, the full dilution chart, and storage rules, see the Melanotan-1 reconstitution guide.

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Where These Numbers Come From

Community dosing is extrapolated from FDA-approved clinical data and early trials.

Afamelanotide is FDA-approved for EPP at 16 mg subcutaneous implant every 60 days — roughly 2 mg/day of continuous release (Langendonk et al., 2015). Phase II trials in healthy volunteers used 0.16 mg/kg subcutaneous injections with dose-dependent skin darkening (Barnetson et al., 2006).

The community's 250 mcg twice weekly (0.5 mg/week, ~70 mcg/day equivalent) is conservative compared to clinical data (FDA implant ~14 mg/week), and the newer ~50 mcg/day loading dose is lower still. Community sources report that these lower doses still produce melanogenesis when combined with UV exposure, with fewer reported side effects than clinical-dose levels.

Stacking Protocols

Community sources describe MT-1 and MT-2 as a poor pairing — adding MT-2 increases side effects without proportional benefits, and MT-1's selectivity for MC1R is described as its advantage.

Side Effects & Safety

• Injection site redness — lasting 30-60 minutes, mild
• Mole/freckle darkening — gradual, may complicate skin cancer monitoring
• Mild fatigue — uncommon, on injection days
• Mild nausea — much less than MT-2
• No nausea/vomiting at standard doses (MT-1 doesn't significantly activate MC4R)
• No libido effects — limited CNS penetration unlike MT-2
• No appetite suppression — doesn't affect feeding centers
• Excessive UV caution — false confidence may lead to overexposure

mg to Units Conversion

On a standard 100-unit insulin syringe, each "unit" equals 0.01 mL (so 100 units = 1 mL). Once Melanotan-1 is reconstituted, the conversion from a target dose to syringe units depends on the chosen dilution.

The two reconstitution ratios most often described in community protocols are below.

Reconstitution A: 10 mg vial + 2 mL BAC water (5 mg/mL) — the standard dilution from the Quick Reference above.

Reconstitution B: 10 mg vial + 5 mL BAC water (2 mg/mL) — more BAC water for larger, easier-to-measure draws.

These conversions reflect the dilutions documented in community reconstitution protocols. They report how the math is described, not a recommended dosing schedule.