Jan 21, 2009 21:41 GMT  ·  By

Whenever in need for a quick tan, women who don’t want to go through the fuss and mess of tanning beds or spray tans have now just the thing they need. It implies an injection into the fleshy part of the abdomen, and is guaranteed to create an even, golden tan in about a week. It is also an illegal and highly unsafe procedure, given that the drug in question has not even been thoroughly tested, not to mention approved for sale. It is called Melanotan or the Barbie Drug and, most worryingly, it can be purchased for small amounts on the Internet.

A piece by the Daily Mail reveals that, in the UK alone, there are countless women who don’t know or don’t care about the potential side-effects this drug may have in the long run. Initially developed in the US to fight skin cancer, it is now being used because it tricks the body into developing more melanin, wherefrom the tan. Ironically enough, among its already known side-effects, it is also believed to cause skin cancer because, as the Mail says, it “activates melanocytes in the skin. These are the cells that become cancerous in malignant melanoma, so doctors fear users could in fact bring on skin cancer in the long term.”

Among the known side-effects of Melanotan use, scientists include nausea, loss of appetite, depression, headaches, high blood pressure, dizziness, panic attacks and flushed face. Yet, regardless of that, there are millions of women worldwide who use it because it provides a “quick fix” and a tan that all their friends are jealous of. What’s even worse, doctors say, is that that they use it after hearing about it from friends or on the Internet, thus paving the way for a new trend known as “tanorexia,” which refers to women who admittedly cannot live without tanning artificially with Malanotan.

A simple Google search reveals that anyone can buy Melanotan and, most importantly, without even being told what is exactly that they are injecting into their bodies. Websites that sell the drug carefully avoid the law by placing disclaimers in which they are not to be held responsible for the side-effects that may appear. Moreover, the few side-effects that are known are made to sound as “bonuses,” throwing all caution out the window, as well as concerns for the safety of the customers.

“Melanotan II is an analog of the peptide hormone alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (?-MSH), this hormone provides a therapeutic tan with the ability to lower the risk of skin cancer,” one such website claims, while also stressing that it has a beneficial effect on the customer’s love life as well. Another lists as benefits of Melanotan (which can be I or II, with no clear distinction between them) the “Minimal or no undesirable side effects. Decrease body fat mass and reduce food intake. Induces skin tanning at low doses. Potent self-tanner applications.”

Women, doctors say, are caught in the middle, with most of them choosing to ignore whatever warnings may come their way. “Lots of women I know use these jabs, and some of my friends have used them for over a year. I don’t know what the fuss is about.” one of them says, as quoted by the Daily Mail. Specialists, though, warn that it may take years for the effects of Melanotan to become apparent.