Melanotan – Colour me brown

It is a dangerous beginning to talk about the colour of skin in a public sphere. But, there is much to be said about having a tan; it is essential when wearing a flowing white maxi in the summer, it is best when natural, and most importantly, it is the basecoat to skin cancer. So, given the unavoidable media coverage of Australia’s ‘Anti-sun exposure’ campaign, it is surprising that Melanotan would be making such an obvious debut as of late.

Melanotan, also known as the ‘Barbie Drug’, is a substance developed in America to mimic the action of melanin in our bodies. It is a man-made synthetic hormone injected in to the skin, generally around the stomach region, which boosts the skins natural ability to darken. Melanin is a natural substance found in all humans and it influences our colouring. People with more natural melanin have darker skin and those without so much melanin will have a paler skin tone. It is produced naturally but production is also stimulated by exposure to the sun.

It’s not a hobby for a genius, lying in the sun all day, but it’s a tragedy of the commons. Tanorexia has been floating through this country for years and just when we were on a return to bourgeois snobbery, where a paler palette was the sign of beauty and class, we are reeled back in by the grips of the commercial market that is lifestyle drugs. We all need our Vitamin D and for most people, the sheer act of being in the sun is a pleasure that does not need explaining, but this takes tanning out of bounds and straight off the cliff. While using Melanotan, just like if you eat a bunch of carrots or apply one of those glorious supermarket-tanning creams that’ll leave a sour smell for days, your skin will turn an eerie yellow if you don’t spend some serious hang time in the sun. Many recent users of the drug have also noted a type of patching that occurs where their skin will become noticeably darker in certain areas rather than others.

Ironically, Melanotan was originally produced as a potential weapon against skin cancer but is still undergoing clinical trials, not yet cleared for release in the Australian market. The short-term side effects of the drug may include depression, suppressed appetite, nausea, high blood pressure, facial flushing and panic attacks. Researchers are unsure of the long-term effects but one of the main concerns among health professionals is that the central ingredient activates melanocytes in the skin, which are the cells that become cancerous in malignant melanoma. Sun cancer is one of the leading causes of death in Australia and it is no wonder, particularly with its commercial viability, that the drug has not yet reached the market.

With Realism in the air, closely nuzzled by her pal Summer, it truly is nice to have a tan at this time of year. A beautiful bronze glow that compels you to regret the day you ever thought Edward Cullen could keep you warm at night, but there are those people so white they are almost translucent. And as cute and exotic as all this needle jabbing sounds, isn’t it better to be see-through than not seen at all.

– Brittany Waller

(Image Credit)