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 Love Island generation' skin cancer fear BBC News What are 'melanotan' injections? Explaining the controversial tanning drug Dazed Imagine just wanting to be jacked and tan and you end up like this? Melanotan II is a peptide that increases the melanin in your skin and can give men a boner that Man's tanning injection disaster: 'Doctor's called me an idiot' news.com.au Australia's leading news site for latest headlines Melanotan II A Sun Kissed Look, and a Confident You.