Health alert over sunbed worshippers who are now injecting themselves with illegal tanning drug
By
Fiona Macrae
Last updated at 9:11 PM on 17th November 2008
Sun-lovers starved of the real thing are putting their health at risk by injecting themselves with an illegal tanning drug.
The medicines watchdog has warned against using Melanotan as lack of research meant not enough was known about possible side-effects.
The drug can cost up to £250 but has never been licensed for use in Britain or any other country.
The MHRA is warning sun seekers to avoid an unlicensed product called Melanotan, designed to increase the body's levels of melanin
It works by tricking the skin with a man-made version of the hormone which triggers melanin, the dark pigment needed for a tan.
Melanotan can also boost libido and cut appetite, leading to it being nicknamed the 'Barbie drug' or 'paradise pill'.
There were predictions it would become more popular than Viagra. However, Melanotan never passed the necessary safety checks and trials.
There was also no firm proof that it worked.
But this has not stopped it being sold illegally over the internet and by gyms and beauty salons.
Users inject themselves daily until their skin has reached their desired colour (file picture)
Issuing its warning, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency said that not enough was known about the drug, sold under the names Melanotan I and Melanotan II.
In addition, people injecting themselves run the risk of contracting HIV or other viruses from dirty needles.
David Carter, head of the MHRA unit for 'borderline' drugs, said: 'We are warning people not to use this product.
'Don't be fooled into thinking Melanotan offers a shortcut to a safer and more even tan.
'The safety of these products is unknown and they are unlicensed in the UK. The side-effects could be extremely serious.
'If you have used either of those products, do not use them again. If you have concerns, you should seek advice from your doctor.'
The watchdog is particularly concerned that users see the drug as an alternative to sunbeds.
It is feared that warnings about skin cancer have misled sun-lovers into thinking the injections are a safer way to tan.
MHRA spokesman Florence Palmer said: 'The problem is that we have no idea what the side-effects could be, either short-term or long-term.
'It may give you a nice tan at the moment but we don't know what kind of long-term effects it could have.
'It is better for us to warn people before we end up with serious hospital cases.'
Although it is not illegal to buy the drug, it is illegal to sell it.
The MHRA has issued warnings to 18 British-based websites selling the drug. Any which carry on marketing it could face prosecution.
Melanotan is sold as a powder, which should be dissolved in sterile water, or ready mixed.
Users inject themselves daily until their skin has reached their desired colour. After this, weekly boosters keep the tan topped up.
A BBC investigation found growing numbers of people are visiting needle exchanges to get clean needles to inject the drug.
A sister drug is being developed in Australia to treat skin problems.
'It makes me feel good'
No plans to stop: Beautician Stacey Boardman injected herself with Melanotan once a day for ten days and says she thinks its safer than sunbeds
Beautician Stacey Boardman injects herself with Melanotan to give her skin a healthy glow.
The 27-year-old, who trained as a nurse, believes it to be safer than sunbeds and quicker than fake tan.
The mother-of-one first bought it over the internet three months ago. After injecting herself in the stomach once a day for ten days, she now does it once a week.
'I think it's safer than a sunbed,' she said. 'It actually prevents ageing.
'The best protection against skin cancer is a natural tan.
'It's hard to find time to fit in getting a spray tan. I feel better about myself when I have a nice glow.'
Despite the MHRA's warning, Miss Boardman, the owner of a beauty parlour in Rochdale, Lancashire, has no plans to stop.
She said her own internet research had failed to find any problems and she feels 'fit and healthy'.
'Now I have seen the difference it makes, I'll carry on using it unless I hear something different,' she added.
Early studies carried out on Melanotan led to its chemical formula being published, allowing copycat batches to be produced, most likely in China.
Trials in the U.S. were halted amid concerns the drug was causing dangerous rises in blood pressure.
Some users also complained of nausea and flushing while others noticed new moles or freckles or that existing ones got darker.
Lack of testing meant it was never licensed in any country.
