The "Barbie Drug" Has a Dark Side

In just a few weeks, you’ll be on a white sand beach with a margarita, or at the playground with your kids, or moving your workouts outside. Point is: Summer is here. And your plan is to be sun safe with SPF 50+, a big ol' hat, and a fake tan. You turn to Reddit for self-tanner recommendations, and discover something called the "Barbie Drug," or more technically, Melanotan II.

Thread after thread promises the injection provides a natural-looking sun-free bronze, without the smell and maintenance of a self-tanner or the mess and price of a good spray tan. It lasts longer than faux-tanning alternatives on the market, and you only need roughly $100 (and some patience) for the realistic-looking tan to develop.

TikTok shop retailers and Instagram stores with thousands of followers even report a suppressed appetite and boosted sexual drive. One peptide-influencing account with over 15,000 followers writes: “Now that it’s nearly summertime, I’ve added back in one of my fave peptide, Melanotan 2! It helps with so many things like fat metabolism, appetite regulation, libido, and more. I love it for sun protection and enhanced tanning.”

The before and after photos are damn convincing, so you do a quick search, and click the first semi-legitimate peptide retailer that pops up. Multiple vials of the injection arrive at your doorstep—but no instructions, so you go back to the chat boards for recommendations.

Two weeks into your injections, your skin is bronzed. You look great, but you certainly don’t feel it. Nausea has kicked in, you're vomiting in the middle of the work day, your moles are getting suspiciously darker, and there’s some new hyperpigmentation that popped up on the right side of your face. You wonder if this is all normal.

It's not.

Melanotan II is a synthetic peptide—in a similar vein to semiglutide, like Ozempic, or energy-boosting NAD+—that is designed to stimulate your body’s natural melanin production, explains Yana Deklhah, M.D., and board-certified functional medicine doctor and peptide specialist. But according to board-certified dermatologist Pooja Rambhia, M.D.: "It's not FDA-approved, and its use raises significant safety concerns."

Nausea, facial flushing, spontaneous erections, diarrhea, headaches, and loss of appetite top the Super Fun list of reported side effects. Reddit threads and TikTok’s mention “fatigue, almost a flu-like feeling,” intense pain at the injection site, rapid heart rate, and poor circulation in the hands and feet, all of which—so the internet says—occur within “10 minutes” of taking the peptide and remain the most intense for one to two hours. Some case reports even hint that the unregulated substance has an addictive quality, fueling tanorexia.

Dermatologists aren't just concerned that Melanotan II is being used to tan—but that it's being touted as a sunscreen alternative. “No legitimate clinical trials support using unregulated Melanotan II products for sunburn prevention,” Dr. Rambhia says. In theory, it may help prevent sunburn to a very small degree (you’re tanner, so you’re less likely to burn), explains Jamie Gabel PA-C, Clinical Director for Advitam at Shafer Clinic in New York City, but it does not protect you in the way that sunscreen would. “A deep Melanotan II tan may provide you with the equivalent of SPF two to four,” he says. This is absolutely nowhere near the recommended 30+ SPF protection.

It also accelerates skin aging, DNA damage, and, most notably, an increased skin cancer risk. “Using Melanotan II won’t just make your skin tone darker—it will make your freckles darker, it will make your moles darker, and will bring out more moles,” says Rahi Sarbaziha, M.D., a board-certified integrative medicine doctor and founder of The Aesthetic Room in Beverly Hills. “There are more and more case reports that it’s dangerous if you’re predisposed to melanoma [as it can promote skin cancer progression].” Because Melanotan II works by stimulating melanocytes, doctors believe that it theoretically stimulates these cells too much and possibly divides uncontrollably and forms a melanoma tumor, explains Gabel.

Despite not being approved for sale and multiple warnings from the FDA, Melanotan II’s underground network, which spans from Australia to Denmark to the United States, persists. Efforts to shut down online retailers have proved largely unsuccessful. And now, social media is giving a Melanotan II microphone to users with no medical background and an agenda to peddle a dangerous narrative. Concerningly, these posts continue to go viral with thousands of views and hundreds of likes—targeting tan-hungry users with algorithm-fueled ease.

We’ve been conditioned for years and years to believe that being tan makes you glowier, hotter, and more attractive. But as methods for achieving a bronzed glow become more extreme—with unregulated injections like Melanotan II rising to the forefront—it’s even more important to rely on the science we know. Sun protection and self-tanners work, so let’s skip over the sketchy Reddit threads.

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Meet the Experts

Yana Delkhah

Dr. Yana specializes in Primary Care, Integrative, Functional, and Anti-Aging Medicine, helping you achieve true wellness from the inside out.Dr. Yana has over eight years of training at top-notch New York City hospital systems such as New York Presbyterian Hospital and Albert Einstein Medical Center, honing her expertise in emergency medicine, critical care, and as a trauma coordinator.

Pooja Rambhia

Pooja H. Rambhia, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist with specialized fellowship training in cosmetic dermatology and laser surgery. She provides comprehensive cosmetic and medical dermatologic care, specializing in laser treatments, injectables, and facial and body contouring. Dr. Rambhia is dedicated to delivering personalized, natural-looking results while offering safe and effective treatments for all skin types, including skin of color.

A Long Island, NY native, Dr. Rambhia received her Bachelor of Arts in biochemistry and Doctorate of Medicine from Case Western Reserve University through their prestigious BA/MD pre-professional scholars program. During medical school, she completed an additional pre-doctoral fellowship through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) T32 training grant in investigative and molecular dermatology. Her dedication to research was recognized with the American Skin Association medical student grant award for her work on genetic melanoma syndromes.

Dr. Rambhia subsequently completed her internship at The Mount Sinai Hospital and her dermatology residency at Zucker School of Medicine/Northwell Health, where she was selected as Chief Resident in her final year. Upon graduation, she was honored with the Northwell Dermatology Departmental Award for Humanism in Medicine, recognizing her compassionate patient care and commitment to leadership. Following residency, Dr. Rambhia completed the prestigious American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS) Cosmetic and Dermatologic Surgery Fellowship at UnionDerm under the mentorship of Dr. Anne Chapas. During this year-long fellowship, she served as a sub-investigator on several clinical trials exploring treatments for hyperhidrosis, acne, acne scars, melasma, wrinkles, skin laxity, and facial volume loss using novel laser and energy-based device technologies.

Committed to advancing the field of dermatology, Dr. Rambhia has published numerous peer-reviewed articles in leading journals, including the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, Lasers in Surgery and Medicine, Dermatologic Surgery, International Journal of Dermatology, Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, Melanoma Research, and the International Journal of Clinical Oncology. She has presented her research at major national conferences, including the American Academy of Dermatology, the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, and the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery.

In 2022, Dr. Rambhia received the ASLMS Women in Energy-Based Devices Early Career Award for her pioneering work on increasing racial and ethnic diversity in clinical trials for laser treatments of scars. She is an active member of several professional societies, including the American Academy of Dermatology, American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, and the Women’s Dermatologic Society.

Jamie Gabel

Jamie Gabel, MS PA-C, is a highly skilled physician assistant at ⁺advitam^® in Midtown Manhattan, New York. With a focus on metabolic medicine, Jamie offers innovative therapies that help patients overcome the effects of aging and improve their overall well-being.

Jamie’s dedication to education and staying up-to-date with the latest advancements in medicine is evident in his extensive training. He completed his bachelor's degree in athletic training and sports medicine at Hofstra University and went on to obtain his master's degree in physician assistant studies at Touro College in New York.  

He is an active member of several professional organizations, including the American Academy of Physician Assistants, New York Society of Physician Assistants, Dr. Seeds Scientific Research and Performance Institute, American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, and the International Peptide Society.

Jamie has a wealth of experience working with patients from all walks of life. He has worked with the New York Jets in the NFL and the New York Saints, a professional lacrosse team. He has also treated hundreds of tennis professionals and was asked to join as a medical assistant for the Israeli Davis Cup. His travels to over 17 different countries and half of the United States have given him a unique perspective on patient care.

At ⁺advitam^®, Jamie is thrilled to be one of the founding members of the team. With his extensive training in wellness, anti-aging treatment, peptide therapy, and restorative therapies, he is committed to providing patients with personalized attention and care. If you are looking for a physician assistant who can help you improve your quality of life and feel your best, Jamie Gabel, MS PA-C, is here to help. Contact ⁺advitam^® to schedule an appointment today.

Rahi Sarbaziha

Dr. Rahi’s philosophy focuses on achieving optimal beauty and wellness through a balanced approach. We don’t just enhance your features — we help you feel your best from the inside out. With a focus on long-term health and self-care, we strive to provide a transformative experience that leaves you looking and feeling rejuvenated.