history of tanning

History of Tanning and Melanotan 2

The cultural meaning of tanned skin has changed considerably. Once associated with outdoor labour in parts of Europe, tanning later became connected with leisure, travel, fashion and fitness. Melanotan 2 entered this history through experimental peptide research, but its modern online use developed separately from authorised medicine.

Before the Modern Suntan

Ideas about desirable skin tone have differed across cultures and historical periods. There has never been one universal beauty standard applying to every population.

In parts of pre-industrial Europe, pale skin became associated with wealth and social status. Agricultural workers and other outdoor labourers were more likely to develop visible sun exposure, while wealthier people could spend more time indoors or protect themselves with clothing, hats, gloves and parasols.

Cosmetics and clothing were also used to maintain a fashionable pale appearance. These practices reflected social class, occupation and prevailing European beauty ideals rather than any medical understanding of skin health.

How Tanning Became Associated With Leisure

Industrialisation gradually changed the symbolism of sun exposure.

As more work moved into factories and offices, pale skin was no longer necessarily evidence that someone belonged to a wealthy leisure class. International travel, beach holidays and outdoor recreation became increasingly visible signs of disposable income.

By the early twentieth century, a suntan could therefore suggest that someone had enough leisure time to travel or relax outdoors.

Did Coco Chanel Invent the Suntan?

Coco Chanel is often credited with helping to popularise tanning during the 1920s. Accounts commonly describe her returning from the Mediterranean with visibly bronzed skin, after which the look appeared in fashion coverage and became associated with modern luxury.

It is more accurate to describe Chanel as an influential figure within a broader cultural shift rather than the sole inventor of sunbathing.

Changing clothing styles, greater participation in outdoor recreation, expanding seaside tourism and fashion photography all contributed to the new image of tanned skin.

The Growth of Sunbathing and Tanning Culture

During the middle and later decades of the twentieth century, tanning became strongly connected with holidays, youth culture, sport and physical attractiveness.

Swimwear exposed more skin, international package holidays became accessible to more people and advertising frequently presented bronzed skin as evidence of health, relaxation and prosperity.

These cultural associations developed before the risks of cumulative ultraviolet exposure were widely understood by the public.

The Rise of Indoor Tanning

Commercial tanning salons expanded during the later twentieth century. Sunbeds made it possible to pursue a tan throughout the year and in countries where strong natural sunlight was seasonal.

Sunbeds expose the skin to concentrated ultraviolet radiation. As evidence concerning UV damage developed, public-health messaging increasingly addressed the relationship between sunbeds, premature skin ageing, sunburn and skin cancer.

The NHS states that there is no safe or healthy way to obtain a UV tan and advises against using sunbeds.

The Development of Sunless Tanning

Concern about ultraviolet exposure helped create demand for products that could change the appearance of the skin without producing a UV tan.

Topical fake tans generally use dihydroxyacetone, commonly abbreviated to DHA. DHA reacts with substances in the outermost layer of the skin to create a temporary darker appearance.

This is different from biological melanogenesis. A topical fake tan colours the surface layer of the skin, while melanogenesis involves production of melanin by melanocytes.

Cancer Research UK describes reputable topical fake-tan products as a safer way to achieve a tanned appearance than sunbathing or using sunbeds. A fake tan still does not provide reliable protection from UV radiation.

Scientific Interest in Melanin Production

Researchers have long investigated the biological signals involved in pigmentation.

Alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, usually abbreviated to α-MSH, is part of the melanocortin system. Its activity at the MC1 receptor is associated with melanin production.

Natural α-MSH is broken down relatively quickly in the body. Researchers therefore developed synthetic analogues intended to remain active for longer and to help investigate melanocortin biology.

The Development of Melanotan Compounds

Research into synthetic α-MSH analogues produced compounds that became known as Melanotan I and Melanotan II.

Although their names are similar, they are different compounds and should not be treated as interchangeable.

Melanotan II is a shorter cyclic peptide that interacts with several melanocortin receptors. This wider receptor activity became important because early studies recorded effects extending beyond skin pigmentation.

Read our introductory guide explaining what Melanotan 2 is and how it interacts with melanocortin receptors.

The First Human Melanotan 2 Study

A small Phase I pilot study published in 1996 examined Melanotan 2 in three healthy male volunteers.

The researchers administered MT2 experimentally by subcutaneous injection. Two participants developed measurable and visible increases in pigmentation.

The study also recorded nausea, tiredness and a stretching and yawning response associated with spontaneous erections.

This demonstrated that Melanotan 2 was biologically active in humans, but the study was far too small to establish comprehensive safety, a cosmetic treatment protocol or predictable results for the general population.

How Unexpected Effects Changed the Research

The sexual effects observed during early MT2 research led researchers to investigate melanocortin pathways involved in sexual arousal.

Small later studies examined MT2 in men with erectile dysfunction. These trials recorded erections and changes in sexual desire, together with effects such as nausea and yawning.

This line of research eventually contributed to the study of other melanocortin compounds. It did not result in Melanotan 2 becoming an authorised tanning or erectile-dysfunction medicine.

Our article on Melanotan 2 and sexual arousal research examines these studies in greater detail.

Melanotan I, Afamelanotide and Melanotan II

Melanotan I became associated with the compound now known as afamelanotide.

Afamelanotide is the active substance in Scenesse, an authorised implant used under specialist medical supervision for adults with erythropoietic protoporphyria, a rare condition involving severe light sensitivity.

This authorisation does not apply to cosmetic tanning and does not authorise Melanotan 2.

Products sold online using the Melanotan I, Melanotan II or MT2 names should not be assumed to be equivalent to the authorised afamelanotide implant.

How MT2 Moved From Research Into Online Tanning Culture

Despite not becoming an authorised cosmetic medicine, Melanotan 2 began appearing in bodybuilding communities, tanning forums and online marketplaces.

Its development outside ordinary regulated medicine meant that online information increasingly came from personal experiences, informal instructions and commercial promotion rather than controlled clinical evidence.

Users discussed tanning alongside reported effects involving appetite, sexual arousal, freckles, moles and hair pigmentation.

A qualitative study examining UK and Irish online discussions identified misinformation, unregulated preparation, sunbed exposure, side effects and potentially contaminated products among the concerns associated with MT2 use.

The Influence of Fitness and Social Media

Fitness and bodybuilding cultures have long used tanning to make muscle definition more visible under strong lighting.

Social media expanded this aesthetic beyond competitive bodybuilding. Edited photographs, filters, influencer content and year-round transformation posts helped connect a tanned appearance with fitness, travel and perceived attractiveness.

MT2 subsequently appeared in looksmaxxing and appearance-optimisation discussions alongside grooming, skincare, fitness and cosmetic procedures.

Our guide to looksmaxxing and MT2 explores this more recent cultural development.

Why MT2 Should Not Be Described as a Safer Tan

The claim that MT2 provides a tan without risking the skin is not supported by the available evidence.

A darker appearance does not make ultraviolet exposure safe. UV radiation can still damage skin cells and increase the risk of skin cancer, even when the skin appears tanned.

It is also inaccurate to claim that MT2 is a proven way to reduce UV exposure. Personal behaviour differs, and some online accounts describe combining MT2 with additional sunlight or sunbed use.

Melanotan 2 has not undergone the regulatory assessment required to establish safety and effectiveness as a cosmetic tanning medicine.

The Growth of Nasal Tanning Products

More recently, MT2 nasal sprays have been promoted as an alternative to injection.

A nasal format avoids needle-specific risks, but this does not prove that it is safe or effective. Controlled human evidence has not established the absorption, delivered dose or tanning performance of retail intranasal MT2 products.

Read our comparison of MT2 nasal sprays and injections for a detailed review of the evidence and route-specific uncertainties.

The Current UK Regulatory Position

Melanotan 2 does not hold UK marketing authorisation for cosmetic tanning or general human use.

An authorised medicine is assessed for quality, manufacturing consistency, safety and effectiveness. Online availability, customer reviews and popularity do not replace this regulatory process.

Independent analysis can provide information about a particular submitted sample. It does not make an unlicensed product an approved medicine or establish clinical safety.

What Laboratory Analysis Can Show

Depending on the methods used, laboratory analysis may report:

  • The identity of a submitted sample
  • Measured content
  • Reported purity
  • The date of analysis
  • The laboratory responsible

It does not automatically establish sterility, clinical effectiveness, long-term safety, nasal absorption or the composition of every future sample.

Pure MT2 publishes its available independent laboratory documentation so the reported findings and limitations can be reviewed directly.

Tanning Culture Today

Modern tanning culture now includes several distinct approaches:

  • Natural sunlight
  • Sunbeds
  • Topical fake-tanning products
  • Professional cosmetic spray tans
  • Unlicensed melanocortin products discussed online

These approaches work differently and do not carry equivalent evidence or risks.

Topical cosmetic tanning changes the appearance of the outer skin. UV tanning involves radiation exposure. Melanotan 2 interacts with biological pigmentation pathways but remains unlicensed and incompletely studied.

From Status Symbol to Scientific and Regulatory Debate

The history of tanning reflects changes in class, fashion, travel, technology and public understanding of UV damage.

Melanotan 2 forms one recent chapter in this history. It began as an experimental melanocortin compound, demonstrated biological activity in very small human studies and later entered an unregulated online tanning market.

Describing this history accurately requires separating cultural popularity from scientific evidence and regulatory approval.

MT2 should not be presented as a medically proven, safe or UV-free tanning solution. Equally, individual reports and case studies should be described with their limitations rather than treated as proof of every claimed outcome.

This article is provided for general information only. It does not provide medical advice, usage instructions or a recommendation to use Melanotan products.

Sources and Further Reading

Last reviewed: 22 September 2026.

Shopping Basket