TikTok influencers slammed for promoting melanotan as a nasal tanning product

The melanotan products are being pushed as a quick way to tan your skin, but they can leave users with increased moles and freckles, vomiting, loss of appetite, involuntary stretching and yawning, and spontaneous erections.

Users in the United Kingdom have reported acne, kidney, brain and heart problems.

Melanotan is not listed on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods, and has not been assessed for quality, safety or efficacy by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).

"A nasal spray a day keeps the paleness away," Georgia Fox (@georgiafox11) told her 91,800 followers on TikTok.

@notchessie said to her 121,900 followers: "nasal tanning spray always has my back when I need a goood [sic] tan".

While, @meabhk told her 14,000 TikTok followers: "Love my tan nasal sprays. Unreal. You need."

The TGA has issued warnings about the use of melanotan, and said buying unapproved products online is extremely dangerous, because quality and safety simply cannot be guaranteed.

"Products purchased over the internet may be counterfeit, they may contain undisclosed ingredients, potentially harmful ingredients or contaminants," the TGA said.

"Despite some websites appearing to be Australian, these products are quite often coming from an overseas source."

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Slater and Gordon public liability lawyer, Lily Boskovski, said young people, especially women, were falling prey to social media influencers promoting the inhaling or snorting of melanotan.

"Melanotan is being pushed as a quick way to tan your skin, but it's actually an incredibly unsafe and unregulated product," she said.

"No one should be risking their health and wellbeing for the perfect tan.

"It pays to question what is being promoted online and to only use a drug if it has been prescribed by a health professional for a specific health condition."

The TGA warned suppliers and advertisers that melanotan products are not approved for marketing or sale in Australia.

It is an offence under the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 to import, export, manufacture, supply or advertise therapeutic goods in Australia that are not entered in the ARTG unless an exception applies.

Note: The TGA advises melanotan and melatonin (used as a sleep aid) are different substances, and the above warnings do not apply to melatonin.