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 (MT) II Melanocortin Receptor TargetMol Burn notice: Gen Z and the terrifying rise of extreme tanning Health & wellbeing The Guardian Health expert says Melanotan II darkens skin moles and can make melanoma hard to detect Herald Sun Tanning Holos Medical Spa Nearly a quarter of people in Northern Ireland are regularly using sunbeds Melanoma Focus