Melanotan as a "Healthier" Tan: What Gary Brecka Claims and What the Evidence Says

In this clip from The Megyn Kelly Show, human biologist and podcaster Gary Brecka pitches an injectable peptide called melanotan as a natural way to get tan without self-tanner. Megyn Kelly says her producer keeps warning her off self-tanner, and Brecka responds that melanotan activates the pigment cells in the skin, produces an even tan, and speeds up tanning in the sun. He calls it "sci-fi" and promises a follow-up show in 45 days so viewers can watch the results. The pitch skips the part that matters most: melanotan is not approved by the FDA for any use, and published case reports link it to melanoma and other harms.

What Brecka Claims in the Clip

Brecka's argument is short and confident. He says there is "a peptide called melanotannin" that will tan skin "naturally," that it "will activate melanocytes in your skin systemically" for "an even tan," and that sun exposure while on it will "accelerate your tan" so you get "the darkest you you've ever" been. He tells Kelly to "look it up," says "people are taking this and it's making them tan," and adds that it "has a bunch of other positive effects in the body." He frames the whole thing as a live experiment, offering a 45-day follow-up and telling Kelly she will "look Italian."

The name he uses, "melanotannin," is a mispronunciation. The actual substance is melanotan, a synthetic analog of a hormone that stimulates melanin production. Two versions exist, melanotan I and melanotan II, and both are sold through unregulated channels rather than pharmacies.

What the Visuals Show

The video is a split-screen podcast recording. Megyn Kelly sits in the top panel in a yellow top against a red Megyn Kelly Show backdrop, and Brecka appears in the bottom panel in a black quilted vest in front of framed botanical prints. On-screen graphics are limited to the show's logo and the SiriusXM branding in the lower corners. There are no captions, citations, or safety disclaimers anywhere in the frame. The format is casual conversation, which is worth noting because a health claim delivered this way carries none of the context a medical source would include.

Evidence Check: Does Melanotan Work as Described?

The mechanism Brecka describes is real in the narrow sense that melanotan stimulates melanocytes and increases skin pigmentation. That is why people use it. The problem is everything he leaves out.

Melanotan has never been approved by the FDA for any use. The FDA treats it as an unapproved new drug and has placed melanotan II in Category 2 of its 503A bulk drug substances review, the tier reserved for substances that may present significant safety risks. It is sold online as a research chemical or injectable, so purity, dose, and contents are unverified.

The claim of "a bunch of other positive effects in the body" is not supported by controlled human trials. Documented effects instead skew toward side effects: nausea, facial flushing, prolonged erections, yawning, and darkening of existing moles.

Safety Context: The Melanoma Concern

The most serious issue is the one the clip never raises. Because melanotan drives melanocyte activity, dermatologists worry it can change moles in ways that mask or promote skin cancer. Published case reports describe patients who developed melanoma or melanoma in situ during or shortly after melanotan use, along with eruptive dysplastic nevi, which are new or rapidly changing moles that can be precursors to melanoma. A 2026 case report also documented pigmentation changes in the oral mucosa following melanotan II injections.

Case reports do not prove that melanotan causes melanoma, and the number of documented cases is small. They do establish a real safety signal that a viewer weighing this against a bottle of self-tanner deserves to hear. The Skin Cancer Foundation explicitly warns against injectable and intranasal tanning drugs and points people toward topical sunless tanners instead. Brecka's framing inverts the risk: he presents the injectable peptide as the healthier option and self-tanner as the thing to avoid.

Key Takeaways

Brecka pitches melanotan as a natural, healthier alternative to self-tanner that produces an even tan and accelerates tanning in the sun.
The substance is not FDA-approved for any use and sits in the FDA's Category 2 list of bulk drug substances that may present significant safety risks.
It is sold through unregulated online channels, so purity and dose are unverified.
Published case reports link melanotan to melanoma, melanoma in situ, and eruptive dysplastic nevi, though a direct causal relationship is not proven.
Common documented side effects include nausea, flushing, prolonged erections, and darkening of moles.
The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends topical sunless tanners over any injectable or intranasal tanning drug.

Resources

The Skin Cancer Foundation Issues Warning Regarding Melanotan II - A dermatology nonprofit's direct warning against injectable tanning drugs, listing melanoma and systemic toxicity among the risks.
Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety Risks (FDA) - FDA guidance on the Category 2 designation that applies to melanotan II.
Eruptive melanocytic naevi following melanotan injection (PubMed) - A peer-reviewed case report of new and changing moles after melanotan use.
Changes in Oral Mucosa Associated with Melanotan II Injections: A Case Report (PMC) - A 2026 case report documenting oral pigmentation changes after melanotan II self-injection.