28. January 2009 05:24
Skin specialists in Britain have issued a warning with regard to the 'Tan jab' Melanotan - they say they have found it is linked to rapidly changing moles.
Melanotan I and Melanotan II are unlicensed medicines which work by increasing the levels of melanin, the body's natural pigment that protects us from the sun, resulting in a suntan.
The products are yet to be tested by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MRHA) in Britain but both are nevertheless being advertised and sold illegally as an injectable tan on the internet and in some tanning salons and body building gyms.
The experts warn that the "tan jab" can cause rapid changes in the appearance of moles, after dealing with two patients attending their dermatology clinic in Manchester.
The two patients had rapidly changing moles and a conspicuous tan, despite their fair skin - both were sunbed users and both had injected Melanotan I and II, bought from the internet, shortly before their moles changed.
One, a woman of 42, reported two moles on her sole which had increased in size and darkened over a few weeks - the other, a woman of 30, reported recent darkening of several moles on her back.
The MRHA recently raised concerns about the health risks of counterfeit drugs and the dermatologists say these cases serve to highlight a further area of concern - changes in the appearance of existing moles.
Dr. Ewan A Langan and his colleagues consultant dermatologist Dr. Denise Ramlogan, consultant dermatopathologist Dr. Lynne A Jamieson, and professor of experimental dermatology Dr. Lesley E Rhodes, warn that unregulated use of Melanotan may lead to an increase in the number of patients seeking medical advice about changing moles and may even confuse the diagnosis - they suggest healthcare professionals look out for unexpected tanning as a clue to such use.
The warning appears in the British Medical Journal.
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