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Prescription drug Published: RCT evidence Established use

Melanotan I: dosing, reconstitution and evidence

A selective melanocortin-1 receptor agonist, approved as Scenesse for a rare light-sensitivity disorder. More selective than Melanotan II, which is exactly why it has fewer side effects and no libido effect.

Also known as MT-1, MT1, Melanotan 1, Melanotan-1, Afamelanotide, Scenesse

Educational research reference Skin & Cosmetic
Quick reference. Everything you need to run Melanotan I — dosing, frequency, reconstitution math for the vial sizes people actually buy, and what it stacks with. For anything specific to your situation, ask the Guru.

Melanotan I quick start

Route
SubQ
Typical dose
500 mcg – 1 mg daily during loading
Frequency
Daily loading, then 2× weekly
Half-life
About 1 hour, though the pigmentation effect long outlasts it.
Cycle
Load for 1–2 weeks, then maintain. Pause over winter.
Vial sizes sold
10mg or 5mg
These are the numbers people actually run, drawn from the published record and from what the community has settled on over time. Educational reference, not medical advice — a starting point to work from, and one you can adjust as you learn how you respond.

How to run it

How often
Daily loading, then 2× weekly
Cycle length
Load for 1–2 weeks, then maintain. Pause over winter.
Half-life
About 1 hour, though the pigmentation effect long outlasts it.
Route
SubQ
Consistency matters more than perfect timing. Pick a slot in your day you will actually keep, and let DoseIQ handle the rest.

What people actually run

The gentler of the two melanotans. People who cannot tolerate MT-2's nausea and flushing move to this, accepting slower results.

This is accumulated community practice — years of real-world use across a large number of people, converging on numbers that work. It is not a controlled trial, and for most compounds here no such trial exists or is ever likely to. That makes this the most reliable dosing signal available, and it is a good deal better than guessing.

What to expect

Most people tolerate Melanotan I well. Here is what is worth knowing going in, so nothing catches you by surprise.

Considerably better tolerated than Melanotan II — the selectivity means no spontaneous erections and much less nausea. The mole caution still applies in full: it darkens and enlarges existing moles, so get a skin check before starting and stay on top of dermatology. Approved for a specific medical indication, which is not the reason most people buy it. Slower to work than MT-2, which is the trade-off for the easier ride.

Known interactions

Interactions involving Melanotan I's drug class that DoseIQ screens for. Each one cites where it comes from — an FDA label section or the published record — because an interaction warning you can't trace is just noise.

Caution SSRIs + melanocortins (PT-141, MT-2) — central overlap

Both act centrally; the community reports stronger nausea and blunted or altered response on the combination.

What to do: Start at the low end of melanocortin dosing and judge your own response.

Source: Community reports; melanocortin pharmacology

Caution Photosensitizing medication + tanning peptides

Melanotan use usually means deliberate UV exposure — on doxycycline or isotretinoin, that same exposure burns much faster.

What to do: Pause the deliberate sun exposure for the course, or accept much shorter sessions.

Source: FDA labels, doxycycline/isotretinoin (photosensitivity)

DoseIQ screens your whole protocol against these rules automatically — every compound, prescription and supplement you track, cross-checked as you add them. Serious flags are always free.

Reconstitution guide

Melanotan I ships as a lyophilised powder and gets mixed with bacteriostatic water before use. How much water you add sets the concentration, which sets how many syringe units make up each dose. One unit on a U-100 syringe is 0.01 mL — the tables below do the arithmetic for the vial sizes you are most likely to be holding.

10mg vial most common

Water addedConcentration 500mcg
2mL (common) 5 mg/mL0.10 mL
10 units
3mL 3.33 mg/mL0.15 mL
15 units

5mg vial

Water addedConcentration 500mcg
2mL (common) 2.5 mg/mL0.20 mL
20 units
3mL 1.67 mg/mL0.30 mL
30 units
10 mg vial + 2 mL BAC water = 5 mg/mL — a 500 mcg dose = 10 units on a U-100 syringe. 5 mg vial + 1 mL = 5 mg/mL — 500 mcg = 10 units.

Standard steps

  1. Inspect the vialConfirm the label and that the powder cake is intact. Do not use a cracked or compromised vial.
  2. Let it reach room temperatureSitting out for a few minutes reduces condensation inside the vial when the seal is broken.
  3. Disinfect both stoppersWipe the compound vial and the bacteriostatic water vial with a fresh alcohol swab and let them air-dry.
  4. Draw the bacteriostatic waterUse a sterile syringe to draw the volume you have chosen from the reconstitution table.
  5. Add the water down the vial wallInject slowly so it runs down the inside wall rather than spraying directly onto the powder. This limits foaming.
  6. Dissolve gentlySwirl or roll the vial between your hands until the cake dissolves. Never shake — agitation damages peptide bonds. The solution should end up clear.
  7. Label and refrigerateWrite the reconstitution date and concentration on the vial. Store at 2–8°C. Do not freeze.
Running a different vial size or water volume? The DoseIQ calculator works it out for any combination — mcg, mg or IU, on any syringe size.
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This page is an educational research reference and is not medical advice. Dose figures reflect the published record and what the community has converged on — starting points to weigh, not instructions. Consult a qualified healthcare provider before starting any protocol.