The Science Behind Having Red Hair 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 II (Tan Jabs): Why They're Not Worth The Risk Mt2 Ginger TikTok Natural red hair color is primarily caused by variants in the MC1R (melanocortin 1 receptor) gene, which regulates melanin production in the body. These variants favor the production of reddish yellow pheomelanin over Melanotan Turned My Beard Black