22nd Jul 09
Concerns rise over growing use of tanning injection
by Paul Russell
Increasing numbers of Britons are reportedly turning to a new beauty treatment, involving the injection of a drug that promises them an all-over tan. Concerns have arisen due to the drug being unlicensed and its potential side effects.
There are reports of people – mostly women – from around the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area contacting pharmacies in search of needles so that they can self-administer Melanotan I or II, drugs which stimulate the production of melanin, to darken the skin’s pigmentation.
Currently, clinical trials of the drug are being conducted in Australia, but side effects have been reported that include headaches, nausea and vomiting. In addition, Melanotan II has been linked to increased libido and the suppression of appetite suppression.
A British Medical Journal report has raised concerns that rapid changes in moles can be caused by the use of the drug, possibly resulting in a missed diagnosis of skin cancer.
Health officials have cited other issues involved with injecting the drug, including the risk of Hepatitis C and HIV infection, depending on the source of the needles used.
At this time the drug cannot be sold legally in the UK, but it is widely available on the Internet.
Mary Clare Madden, who works as a pharmacist at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s Addiction Partnership, sait that she did not know what the possible side-effects of these products are or how serious they could be.
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