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Study · Case report or series · n = 1 · 2026

4 results

Changes in Oral Mucosa Associated with Melanotan II Injections: A Case Report.

Bonchev A

Life (Basel, Switzerland)3 Feb 2026

PMID41752902 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC12942211 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.3390/life16020265 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-41752902
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Summary

This case report presents a three-month follow-up of a patient who self-administered Melanotan II injections over a period of 64 days with the goal of achieving a deeper tanning effect. Melanotan II is an unlicensed synthetic peptide analog belonging to the melanocortin hormone family. It acts primarily by activating melanocortin 1 receptors on melanocytes, stimulating eumelanin production and resulting in skin pigmentation independent of sun exposure. Despite its popularity, particularly through promotion on social media, Melanotan II remains unregulated, and its use is associated with a range of potential adverse effects. During the initial intraoral examination, brown pigmentation was observed on the attached gingiva in both the maxillary and mandibular arches. The lesions were almost symmetrically distributed, with a more intense coloration in the anterior region of the lower jaw. Additional pigmented areas with irregular shapes and poorly defined borders were noted on the left and right buccal mucosa. At the one-month follow-up after discontinuation of the injections, the buccal mucosal pigmentation had nearly disappeared. However, at the three-month follow-up, gingival pigmentation persisted, though with visibly reduced intensity. To date, there is a lack of published data specifically addressing the timeline for resolution of oral pigmentation associated with Melanotan II use, making this case a valuable contribution to the limited existing literature on the subject.
CC BYText from Europe PMC. Highlighted sentences are the source of results.

Results from this study4

4 results from studies that gave the peptide. 4 results from people.

  1. 01HumanCase report or seriesSafety outcome

    In a patient who self-injected Melanotan II for 64 days, brown pigmentation was seen on the attached gingiva of both jaws.

    In plain wordsIn one patient who injected Melanotan II, brown patches appeared on the gums.

    Peptide
    Melanotan II
    Outcome
    IncreaseGingival pigmentation during Melanotan II use
    Study

    n = 1

    Outcome group
    Pigmentation · Skin and wound
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · injection · 64 daysAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    During the initial intraoral examination, brown pigmentation was observed on the attached gingiva in both the maxillary and mandibular arches.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    This case report presents a three-month follow-up of a patient who self-administered Melanotan II injections over a period of 64 days with the goal of achieving a deeper tanning effect.
  2. 02HumanCase report or seriesSafety outcome

    In a patient who self-injected Melanotan II for 64 days, pigmented areas with irregular shapes and poorly defined borders were seen on the buccal mucosa.

    In plain wordsIn one patient who injected Melanotan II, irregular dark patches appeared inside the cheeks.

    Peptide
    Melanotan II
    Outcome
    IncreaseBuccal mucosal pigmentation during Melanotan II use
    Study

    n = 1

    Outcome group
    Pigmentation · Skin and wound
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · injection · 64 daysAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Additional pigmented areas with irregular shapes and poorly defined borders were noted on the left and right buccal mucosa.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    This case report presents a three-month follow-up of a patient who self-administered Melanotan II injections over a period of 64 days with the goal of achieving a deeper tanning effect.
  3. 03HumanCase report or seriesSafety outcome

    In the patient, buccal mucosal pigmentation had nearly disappeared one month after the injections stopped.

    In plain wordsIn one patient, the dark patches inside the cheeks had almost gone one month after stopping the injections.

    Peptide
    Melanotan II
    Outcome
    DecreaseBuccal pigmentation one month after stopping
    Study

    n = 1

    Outcome group
    Pigmentation · Skin and wound
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · injection · 64 daysAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    At the one-month follow-up after discontinuation of the injections, the buccal mucosal pigmentation had nearly disappeared.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    This case report presents a three-month follow-up of a patient who self-administered Melanotan II injections over a period of 64 days with the goal of achieving a deeper tanning effect.
  4. 04HumanCase report or seriesSafety outcome

    In the patient, gingival pigmentation persisted at three months after stopping, with visibly reduced intensity.

    In plain wordsIn one patient, the gum pigmentation was still present three months after stopping, but fainter.

    Peptide
    Melanotan II
    Outcome
    DecreaseGingival pigmentation three months after stopping
    Study

    n = 1

    Outcome group
    Pigmentation · Skin and wound
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · injection · 64 daysAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    However, at the three-month follow-up, gingival pigmentation persisted, though with visibly reduced intensity.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    This case report presents a three-month follow-up of a patient who self-administered Melanotan II injections over a period of 64 days with the goal of achieving a deeper tanning effect.

AI wrote and checked these results. AI can make mistakes, so check important results against the source.

Version history

PepBank keeps every version of the data on this study. Status changes from Retraction Watch, Europe PMC and Crossref are listed with their source.

  1. Version 2Current

    10 Oct 2026, 09:43 UTC

    Study results updated

  2. Version 1

    9 Oct 2026, 03:04 UTC

    First added · source update from Europe PMC

Subjects

Terms as the source lists them.

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