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Research use only · common protocol

Melanotan II 10 mg vial dosage

A 10 mg Melanotan II vial mixed with 1 mL of bacteriostatic water gives 10 mg/mL, so 550 mcg is 5.5 units (0.06 mL) on a U-100 insulin syringe. At 550 mcg a dose, one vial holds 18 doses.

Email me this plan, with a reminder before the vial's 28-day mark →

The common Melanotan II protocol is 100-1000 mcg, daily loading dose of 100-1000 mcg for several weeks, then 250-1000 mcg 1-3 times a week for maintenance - common practice, not a dose established in trials. Evidence, side effects and legal status are on the full Melanotan II dosing page.

Melanotan II 10 mg vial at a glance

Vial
10 mg of Melanotan II per vial
Common dose
100-1000 mcg
How often
daily loading dose of 100-1000 mcg for several weeks, then 250-1000 mcg 1-3 times a week for maintenance
Mixing example
1 mL bacteriostatic water = 10 mg/mL; 1 unit = 100 mcg
Doses per vial
100 at 100 mcg · 18 at 550 mcg · 10 at 1 mg
Cycle
4-8 weeks, then 4-6 weeks off

What Melanotan II is

Class:
Synthetic cyclic heptapeptide
Also called:
Melanotan-II, MT-II, Melanotan
Used for:
Marketed to consumers as a tanning aid, sold unapproved and outside any FDA-cleared indication.
Human evidence:
Limited human data. The published human record is dominated by case reports of serious adverse events rather than controlled efficacy or safety trials, per the reader-facing guide at /melanotan/, which cites a priapism case report and a renal-infarction case report.
US status:
Research use only. Not an FDA-approved drug or cosmetic for tanning. Melanotan II was nominated to FDA's Category 2 bulk-substances safety-risk list and, per the April 22, 2026 update to that page, moved into the table of nominations withdrawn by the nominators, alongside FDA's original safety-risk language, which the page retains. It is not on the 503A Bulks List and is not presently eligible for lawful 503A compounding. Selling and marketing it for human tanning use can violate federal law.

The full picture, with every study: Melanotan II guide.

Units per dose: Melanotan II 10 mg vial

Water addedConcentration1 unit =100 mcg550 mcg1 mg
1 mL10 mg/mL100 mcg1 unit5.5 units10 units
2 mL5 mg/mL50 mcg2 units11 units20 units
5 mL2 mg/mL20 mcg5 units27.5 units50 units

U-100 insulin syringe (100 units = 1 mL), to the nearest half unit. Water volumes are examples. Other numbers: dosage calculator.

Every dose from 100 mcg to 1 mg, in units

With 1 mL of water in a 10 mg vial (10 mg/mL). Every dose across the common range, so you can read off any dose. The sources give a range, not a week-by-week schedule.

DoseDraw on a U-100 syringeVolumeDoses per vial
100 mcg1 unit0.01 mL100
200 mcg2 units0.02 mL50
400 mcg4 units0.04 mL25
600 mcg6 units0.06 mL16
800 mcg8 units0.08 mL12
1 mg10 units0.1 mL10

How many doses a 10 mg vial holds

DoseDoses per vialWeeks per vial
100 mcg10014.3-100
550 mcg182.6-18
1 mg101.4-10

Weeks per vial at the common frequency (daily loading dose of 100-1000 mcg for several weeks, then 250-1000 mcg 1-3 times a week for maintenance). Doses per vial do not depend on how much water you add.

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Your email stays with me at Peptide Decode: I never share or sell it (privacy policy). The plan repeats this page's arithmetic for the dose you pick; it is not medical advice. Unsubscribe from any email.

The common Melanotan II protocol

Dose100-1000 mcg per injection
How oftendaily loading dose of 100-1000 mcg for several weeks, then 250-1000 mcg 1-3 times a week for maintenance
RouteSubcutaneous injection
Cycle4-8 weeks
Break4-6 weeks
Sources agree?Yes, the sources give the same protocol

Common practice from the vendors and clinics that publish it, not a dose tested in trials. Where it comes from: [1], [2], [3]. I do not give week-by-week titration: none of these sources states one.

Supplies for one cycle with 10 mg vials

Counted for the low and high ends of the common protocol, mixing each vial with 1 mL of water. One new syringe per injection.

PlanInjections10 mg vialsInsulin syringesBacteriostatic waterAlcohol swabs
100 mcg, 1×/week, 4 weeks4141 mL (1 × 10 mL bottle)10 (1 × 100-pack)
1 mg, 7×/week, 8 weeks566566 mL (1 × 10 mL bottle)124 (2 × 100-pack)

Arithmetic on the protocol and this vial size. Swabs: two per vial mixed (both stoppers) and two per injection (vial stopper and skin). An opened multi-dose vial has a use-by date (see storage), which on a slow schedule can matter more than the dose count. Plan your own numbers with the protocol builder.

How to mix a 10 mg Melanotan II vial

For this vial: 1 mL of bacteriostatic water makes 10 mg/mL, so 550 mcg is 5.5 units (0.06 mL) on a U-100 insulin syringe. Pick a different volume from the units table if you want bigger or smaller draws; the number of doses stays the same.

  1. Wipe the rubber stoppers of both the peptide vial and the bacteriostatic water vial with an alcohol swab and let the alcohol dry. [4][5]
  2. With a new sterile needle and syringe, draw up the amount of bacteriostatic water you have chosen for the dilution. [4][5][6]
  3. Inject the water into the peptide vial by aiming the stream against the inside glass wall, which helps prevent foaming. [7]
  4. Swirl or roll the vial gently until the powder has fully dissolved; do not shake it. Do not inject the solution if it is cloudy or has particles in it. [4][5][7]
  5. Label the vial with the date and time it was mixed, the amount of water added and how long it can be used after mixing. [4]
  6. Store the mixed vial in the refrigerator at 2-8°C (36-46°F) and do not freeze it. [7]

Step by step with pictures: how to reconstitute peptides. About the water itself: bacteriostatic water.

Storing Melanotan II vials

  • Freeze-dried (lyophilized) peptide keeps far longer than peptide in solution; peptide suppliers advise storing the powder at -20°C away from bright light. [8]
  • Protect peptide vials from heat and light. [8][9]
  • Avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles; a prescription peptide label also says not to freeze a vial once it has been mixed. [7][8]
  • Once a multi-dose vial, such as bacteriostatic water, has been opened (needle-punctured), date it and discard it within 28 days unless its manufacturer states another date. [10][11]

More detail: peptide storage and shelf life.

Injecting safely

  • Clean the injection site with an alcohol swab and let the skin dry completely before injecting. [12][13]
  • Pinch up a fold of skin and fat (not muscle) and insert the needle at a 45- to 90-degree angle: 90 degrees where there is enough fatty tissue, 45 degrees where there is little. [12][13][14]
  • Pulling back on the plunger (aspiration) is not necessary for a subcutaneous injection, because the chance of the needle being in a blood vessel is small. [12]
  • Inject slowly, at roughly 10 seconds per mL. [12]
  • Common sites are the belly, the thigh and the upper arm; rotate sites, keeping each injection at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the last. [7][12][13]

Hygiene and warning signs

  • Use a new sterile needle and syringe for every injection and every time you enter a vial; never reuse them. [6][10][13]
  • Never share needles, syringes or pens with anyone, even if the needle is changed; unsafe injection practices spread hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV. [6][9][10]
  • Put used needles and syringes in a sharps disposal container straight away (FDA-cleared if possible), never loose in the trash, recycling or toilet, and dispose of the container following your community's guidelines. [15][16]
  • Contact a health care provider if the injection site shows signs of infection, such as redness, swelling, red streaks or a fever. [13]

Where to inject: subcutaneous injection sites.

How Melanotan II works

  • Melanotan II is a synthetic cyclic peptide of seven amino acids, closed by a lactam bridge. It is a shortened, modified analogue of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH), the body's own pigment-stimulating hormone, and was far more potent at stimulating pigment in laboratory tests. [17]
  • It activates melanocortin receptors without selectivity. In people this shows up as darker skin, spontaneous erections and sexual arousal. [18]
  • Bremelanotide (PT-141), the ingredient in the approved drug Vyleesi, is a variation of melanotan II designed specifically for sexual stimulation. [19]

What the Melanotan II research found

Human evidence: limited human data. Each result says what was studied.

  • Human studyIn a 1996 pilot phase 1 study of 3 healthy men given melanotan II injections on alternate days for 2 weeks, 2 had measurably darker skin on the face, upper body and buttock a week after dosing ended. [17]
  • Human studyIn the same study, the men had spontaneous erections on and off for 1 to 5 hours after doses, which seemed to coincide with a stretching and yawning response. [17]
  • Human studyIn a 1998 double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study of 10 men with erectile dysfunction of no known physical cause, 8 developed clinically apparent erections on melanotan II. Tip rigidity above 80% lasted a mean 38.0 minutes, against 3.0 minutes on placebo. [20]
  • Human studyIn a 2000 double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study of 10 men with erectile dysfunction and physical risk factors, men reported erections after 12 of 19 melanotan II injections against 1 of 21 placebo doses, and sexual desire was higher after melanotan II. [21]

Melanotan II side effects and risks

Melanotan II has never been through a regulator-reviewed safety programme. Published human data come from a few very small studies in men and from case reports.

  • Human studyIn the small early studies in men, nausea, stretching and yawning, and reduced appetite were more common than on placebo. Severe nausea followed 4 of 19 injections in one study, and one man had grade II sleepiness and fatigue at the highest dose tested. [17][20][21]
  • Human studyA 2019 case report describes low-flow priapism after a melanotan injection into the abdomen. It needed drainage and a phenylephrine injection into the penis, and erectile function had not recovered 4 weeks later. [22]
  • Human studyA 2012 case report describes a 39-year-old man who injected 6 mg of internet-bought melanotan II, confirmed by mass spectrometry. He developed a racing heart (peak 146 beats per minute), tremor, sweating and anxiety, then rhabdomyolysis (creatine kinase peaking at 17,773 IU/L) and reduced kidney function, and spent 3 days in intensive care. [19]
  • Human studyA 2020 case report and literature review describes a renal infarction (loss of blood supply to part of a kidney) that the authors judged most likely caused by melanotan II. [18]
  • Human studyA 2017 review reports growing numbers of case reports of changes in existing moles and new, sometimes dysplastic, moles in melanotan users, plus four reports of melanoma arising from existing moles during or shortly after use. The review notes there is no conclusive evidence of a causal link. One 2014 report describes melanoma in a 20-year-old woman three months after a 3-4 week course of melanotan II combined with sunbed use. [23][24]

Other things to know

  • Published case literature associates melanotan use with priapism.
  • Published case literature discusses renal infarction in connection with melanotan II.
  • No established human half-life; this record does not publish a dosing figure.
  • Not an FDA-approved tanning product; marketing it for that use is not a benign cosmetic claim.

Reported side effects and what the studies measured: Melanotan II side effects.

Where this vial size comes from

Melanotan II is sold as a 10 mg vial by the pages below, each checked on the date shown. I list them as evidence that this size exists, not as a recommendation to buy from them.

  • SwissChemsvendorLists it as: "Melanotan II, 10mg"; Total Compound Content: 10 mg per vial · checked 2026-09-28
  • BioEdge Research LabsvendorLists it as: "Vial Size: 3 mL sterile vial"; "Fill: 10mg" · checked 2026-09-28

The doses come from the sourced common protocol on the Melanotan II dosing page, and every number on this page is arithmetic on those doses and this vial size.

Where to buy Melanotan II for research

Sold for research use only. Listed by Next Level Pharm and BioEdge Research Labs; compare them on my vendors page or see the listing on the Melanotan II page.

Questions

How much water do I add to a 10 mg Melanotan II vial?
There is no single correct amount: water changes how many units a dose is, not how many doses the vial holds. With 1 mL the vial is 10 mg/mL and 550 mcg is 5.5 units (0.06 mL) on a U-100 insulin syringe. The units table gives 1, 2, 5 mL.
How many doses are in a 10 mg Melanotan II vial?
100 doses at 100 mcg, 18 doses at 550 mcg, 10 doses at 1 mg.
How long does a 10 mg Melanotan II vial last?
At 550 mcg a dose and daily loading dose of 100-1000 mcg for several weeks, about 2.6-18 weeks. How long a mixed vial keeps is a separate limit; see storage below.
How many 10 mg vials do I need for a cycle?
1 vial at 100 mcg 1 time a week for 4 weeks; 6 vials at 1 mg 7 times a week for 8 weeks.
What does 1 unit equal in a 10 mg Melanotan II vial?
100 mcg with 1 mL, 50 mcg with 2 mL, 20 mcg with 5 mL of bacteriostatic water, on a U-100 syringe.

References (24 sources)

  1. [1] Peptide Dosing Protocols: 100-250 mcg daily loading escalating to 500-1000 mcg as nausea tolerance improves over ~4-8 weeks, maintenance 500-1000 mcg 1-2x/week or 250-500 mcg 1x/week, 4-6+ week break (other, checked 2026-09-27)
  2. [2] Peptide Initiative: 250 mcg loading for days 1-5, then 500 mcg for 7-14 days, maintenance 500 mcg 2-3x/week, 4-6 week cycle (other, checked 2026-09-27)
  3. [3] Superpower: Cites and summarizes the real published Phase-I human trials: Dorr et al. 1996 (Life Sciences) - 3 healthy male volunteers, SC dose-escalation from 0.01 mg/kg to 0.025-0.03 mg/kg on weekdays over 2 weeks; Wessells et al. 2000 (Int J Impotence Res) - 20 men, 0.025 mg/kg SC in a placebo-controlled crossover. Confirms real controlled human dosing data exists, reported in mg/kg rather than flat mcg. (other, checked 2026-09-27)
  4. [4] OpenStax, Rice University: 12.3 Preparing Unit-Dose Packaged Medications - Clinical Nursing Skills
  5. [5] East Carolina University College of Nursing: Reconstitution of Medication
  6. [6] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Considerations for Blood Glucose Monitoring and Insulin Administration
  7. [7] DailyMed, National Library of Medicine: SEROSTIM (somatropin) for injection - prescribing information and instructions for use
  8. [8] GenScript: Peptide Storage and Handling Guidelines
  9. [9] DailyMed, National Library of Medicine: OZEMPIC (semaglutide) injection - prescribing information
  10. [10] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Preventing Unsafe Injection Practices
  11. [11] Pfizer: Bacteriostatic Water for Injection, USP - prescribing information
  12. [12] OpenStax, Rice University: 12.5 Administering Subcutaneous Injections - Clinical Nursing Skills
  13. [13] MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine: Subcutaneous (SQ) injections
  14. [14] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Chapter 6: Vaccine Administration - Pink Book
  15. [15] US Food and Drug Administration: Best Way to Get Rid of Used Needles and Other Sharps
  16. [16] US Food and Drug Administration: DOs and DON'Ts of Proper Sharps Disposal
  17. [17] Dorr RT, Lines R, Levine N et al. Evaluation of melanotan-II, a superpotent cyclic melanotropic peptide in a pilot phase-I clinical study. Life Sci. 1996;58(20):1777-84.
  18. [18] Peters B, Hadimeri H, Wahlberg R et al. Melanotan II: a possible cause of renal infarction: review of the literature and case report. CEN Case Rep. 2020;9(2):159-161.
  19. [19] Nelson ME, Bryant SM, Aks SE. Melanotan II injection resulting in systemic toxicity and rhabdomyolysis. Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2012;50(10):1169-73.
  20. [20] Wessells H, Fuciarelli K, Hansen J et al. Synthetic melanotropic peptide initiates erections in men with psychogenic erectile dysfunction: double-blind, placebo controlled crossover study. J Urol. 1998;160(2):389-93.
  21. [21] Wessells H, Gralnek D, Dorr R et al. Effect of an alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone analog on penile erection and sexual desire in men with organic erectile dysfunction. Urology. 2000;56(4):641-6.
  22. [22] Dreyer BA, Amer T, Fraser M. Melanotan-induced priapism: a hard-earned tan. BMJ Case Rep. 2019;12(2).
  23. [23] Habbema L, Halk AB, Neumann M et al. Risks of unregulated use of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone analogues: a review. Int J Dermatol. 2017;56(10):975-980.
  24. [24] Hjuler KF, Lorentzen HF. Melanoma associated with the use of melanotan-II. Dermatology. 2014;228(1):34-6.