Paying through the nose: 'I played Russian roulette by taking nasal tanners'
As part of our investigation into Melanotan II - an illegal tanning drug - we're hearing the horrifying story of how it can land you in a hospital bed
Last updated 5th Sep 2024
An Edinburgh man is sharing his experience of being hospitalised, after becoming addicted to using illegal nasal tanning sprays.
As part of MFR's investigation into unregulated Melanotan II products being sold in the UK, we are hearing about some of the dangerous side effects.
Melanotan II is a synthetic hormone which stimulates the body to produce more melanin when it enters the bloodstream.
When inhaled, the drug causes temporary darkening of the skin - but the drug is unregulated and illegal to sell in the UK, the USA and Australia.
This means it is often made in "underground labs", and can contain up to "100 chemicals in a vial", compared to the one stated on the ingredients list.
READ MORE: Paying through the nose: We reveal health risks from popular nasal tanners
'Tanorexic'
The man, who we have named Alex to protect his identity, began to use Melanotan II products in 2015 - starting with the injectable form of the drug to make his skin browner when using sunbeds.
He later moved on to the nasal spray format in 2019 when they became more readily available to buy on social media.
At 31 years old, Alex was a self-proclaimed 'tanorexic' - feeling he could never be too bronzed.
"I was definitely addicted to it, I'm not going to lie about that, I was 100% addicted to taking it everyday.
"It was the feel-good factor when people told me I looked great or that I had a lovely tan.
"The key word in this is 'tanorexic' - when you lose your tan, you lose your confidence.
"But the price of that confidence was that I was taking a drug, and I didn't even know what was in it."
'You're playing Russian roulette'
Things quickly became sour for Alex after using the Melanotan II nasal sprays - leaving him severely sick.
He said: "I was in hospital for a couple of days with gastroenteritis, I had severe sickness and dehydration and I had to be put on a drip. But I'm not the first and I won't be the last to have these side effects.
"It gave me extreme anxiety because I thought I'd damaged my liver or my kidneys, my stomach was in agony and I was being violently sick.
"These things are not regulated, they're made in underground laboratories and you just don't know what you're getting aside from the melanotan.
"There are numerous question marks around what's in there, because there can be up to 100 extra chemicals in one vial.
"These sort of side effects do happen, and it happens more than we read about. You're playing Russian roulette using nasal tanning sprays."
'The sickness was nothing compared to the mental torture of waiting on a cancer diagnosis'
Despite what happened to him, Alex couldn't give up his addiction to Melanotan II and went back to using the nasal sprays.
He ended up back in front of doctors a short time later - but for a much more sinister reason.
He said: "It was horrendous - but that wasn't even the worst part.
"The worst part was when I was getting moles removed from my body because they had changed due to the melanotan, and I was waiting to hear if I had been diagnosed with cancer.
"The sickness was nothing compared to the anxiety compared to the anxiety, and the mental stress and torture that caused.
"If you want to be scared and think you've got melanoma and not sleep for four days, then go on and take it.
"Let your moles change and and see how you get on psychologically - it caused me so much stress.
"It's not worth it, I'd tell anyone that. Okay, it's great to feel tanned - but do you want to affect your mental health by thinking you have cancer?
Years after stopping using the nasal sprays, Alex has had several moles removed after they posed a skin cancer risk - with doctors citing melanocytic change in the biopsy.
'I ended up passing out'
Alex is not alone in having a poor experience of using nasal tanning sprays - commonly reported symptoms include headache, extreme sickness and diarrhoea, loss of appetite and dizziness.
The drug is also linked to types of skin cancers, changes in existing moles and the development of new ones, organ failure and muscle deterioration.
For 24-year-old Stephanie Brash from West Lothian, her experience of trying nasal tanners was enough to put her off for good.
She said: "They were pretty easy to get. One of my friends told me about them, and I decided to get them because I wanted a deeper tan.
"I got them from a little Facebook page and you just messaged this girl, you PayPal her and then she just sends it out to you.
"I took them at night in case there were side effects because I was a bit worried about that but I didn't notice any side effects until I had my first night out while taking them.
"My mum picked me up and said I looked really unwell - at first I thought I'd just had a bit too much to drink but then it hit me.
"I started throwing up, I couldn't keep my eyes open and I couldn't stop being sick from around 6pm. I just ended up passing out.
"In the morning my pillows and duvet were covered in my own sick, I had to throw everything out."
'I would beg people not to use them'
Stephanie said she couldn't believe the reaction her body had - and she's begging people not to turn to nasal sprays if they're craving a deeper tan.
"I absolutely hate them now.
"With how unwell they made me feel, I'll never ever use them again and I'll let everyone know how awful they made me feel - I could've choked on my own sick."
"I did know they were illegal, but I didn't think they would be that bad.
"For anyone thinking of using them, I would literally beg them not to because of how unwell they made me feel and how dangerous it is.
"If I was alone, what could have happened? And what are the long-term effects?
"I definitely would recommend everyone steer clear of them, it is not worth it."
'It is impossible to tell what you're putting in your body'
Dr Bav Shergill with the British Association of Dermatologists said: "Melanotan products are rightly illegal to sell in this country.
"There are many reports on the dangers of injectable melanotan and we would urge people to be equally mindful of the potential health risks of melanotan nasal sprays.
"Given that these products are not legal to sell in the UK, many people resort to buying them online from abroad.
"As well as the risk of side effects from melanotan products, it is often impossible to be sure of what is in products bought in this way and by extension what it is that you are putting in your body.
"We understand that there is a huge amount of appearance-related pressure on people to develop a tan.
"However, the only safe way to develop a tan is to get it out of a bottle from fake tan products."
You can listen to our podcast to hear all about our exclusive investigation on Melanotan II - it's available here.