Rise in use of 'dangerous' tanning injection Channel 4 News You may have heard about the latest trend tanning nasal sprays and injections. So how does it work and is it safe? Refs: Fjellhaugen Hjuler et al., 2014, Melanoma associated with the use of Fake tanning Melanoma Fund UK 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 Melanotan is not a tan. It's an unregulated peptide with real risk. As a dermatologist, here's the reality: It has been linked to new and changing moles including cases of The Tanning Drug What Patients Should Know