In the EPP trials and the SCENESSE label, the most common effects were implant-site reactions, nausea, headache, fatigue, and skin darkening (increased pigmentation). Most were mild to moderate in the studied implant setting.[1][2]
Reviewed for accuracy · Last reviewed July 8, 2026A specific concern with melanocortin tanning agents is that they can darken and change pre-existing moles and freckles. The approved label recommends a full-body skin examination twice a year to monitor pigmented lesions, and any mole that changes in size, shape, or color warrants medical review.
Rare but serious hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylaxis, have been reported. These safety data come from the approved implant used in EPP; the safety of unregulated injectable tanning use is not characterized by any comparable evidence, so effects there are less predictable, not safer.
Skin monitoring is the main practical step: a twice-yearly full-body skin check, and prompt review of any changing mole. Nausea and headache reported in trials were generally mild to moderate.
This page is an independent educational reference and is not medical advice. The approval described applies only to the SCENESSE implant for erythropoietic protoporphyria, not to tanning use. Talk to a doctor before starting any compound.