Melanotan, an illegal drug to tan more than Barbie Malibu, which triumphs on 'TikTok'

Imagine for a moment a drug that tans, increases sexual potency and reduces appetite. An unimportant detail when we talk about TikTok, the lawless city where anything goes.

Melanotan is sweeping social networks and this is all you need to know about the new trend that they have called Barbie Malibu.

What is melanotan?

Melanotan is a cousin of the hormone that stimulates melanocytes, those cells that produce melanin and make us tan.. The most common pharmaceutical form is subcutaneous injection, but since we are generally not very fond of needles, other formats such as pills, creams, and especially nasal sprays are popular on TikTok..

Just like in good movies, we are already in the second part and after Melanotan-I came Melanotan-II, which also works as a sexual stimulant.

What are the risks of using Melanotan?

The melanocyte is a sensitive cell that reacts very quickly when we stress it (either through sunlight, ultraviolet radiation booths or this drug).. And if we overstimulate it, the risk of it becoming a cancer cell increases.

Health authorities warn of other possible side effects such as darkening of the skin, increase in moles and freckles, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, flushing of the face and even spontaneous erections.. The thing is already appealing to us less.

For this and other reasons, it is currently not authorized and doing what they propose to us on TikTok directly is not legal.. The Melanotan that you can buy online can be anything but Melanotan.

Safe tan exists and it's called DHA.

For those who, for aesthetic reasons, are still part of the “morenito team”, we have good news. For years we have had safe and highly successful options to achieve a tanned skin tone without having to play roulette. And I say very successful because when these products began to become popular in pharmacies years ago, when applying them one ran the risk of ending up looking like Naranjito but fortunately R&D has done its job and now the color they offer is truly natural.

Dihydroxyacetone (DHA) is a type of sugar that can be synthesized from different sources but mainly comes from sugar cane.. Its mechanism of action, the Maillard reaction, is very popular and we are used to seeing it every day, for example, when making toast.

The Maillard reaction is a chemical process that takes place when, to put it simply, proteins and carbohydrates meet and “get married.”. If this happens, as a consequence of true love, the typical toasting that we see in bread is produced thanks to compounds called “melanoidins”.

Important!

1. This reaction only takes place in the epidermis and does not stimulate the production of melanin, which is the natural pigment that develops when we are exposed to the sun.. It is as if the top layer of the skin was “painted”.

2. The tan caused by DHA does not provide protection from the sun and it is still essential to use sunscreens.

What should I do to not end up like a Dalmatian?

Before applying it, it is essential to exfoliate at least 24 hours before and hydrate the skin well so that the surface is uniform..

The tan is maintained for about a week until the skin is renewed and the dead tan cells are shed.. Applying these products is a really simple procedure, but if you don't follow some basic art rules you can end up with “hives”.. When in doubt, your pharmacy will be able to advise you on all the steps you must follow.

In any case, if you don't trust your skills, there are beauty centers where they also offer this professional self-tanning service with sugar cane.. In a few minutes and for a price of around €40 you can get out of there with your “brown turned up” comfortably and safely.