Young people targeted online by sellers of 'dangerous and illegal' tanning products, HPRA warns Irish Independent That quick tan injection is NOT worth the risk., Melanotan peptide injections stimulate pigment cells, and its use has been linked to rapid changes in moles, including the potentially fatal skin PDF) Increasing illegal use of Melanotan: The Barbie drug hype Background Your body already makes a hormone that tells your skin to tan. Melanotan 2 is a synthetic peptide engineered to mimic that hormone but in a version that's more potent and longer lasting than Melanotan & Tanning Injections: Safe or Risky?