The culture of getting tanned skin is rapidly growing among people irrespective of age group. The world has come a long way from tanning in the sun naturally. However, before jumping on board with this trend, it’s critical to understand the risks involved. We’ll look at the process of nasal tanning sprays and their possible dangers and safety issues.
Let’s go through everything from how these sprays increase melanin formation to the risks of breathing uncontrolled ingredients. We’ll also discuss if nasal tanning sprays are a safe way to get a sun-kissed look. By the end, you’ll know enough about nasal tanning sprays to make an informed conclusion regarding their appropriateness for your desired tan.
Nasal Tanning Spray How It Works?
Nasal tanning sprays have gained more and more popularity through the TikTok trends. But a huge audience still wonders what nasal tanning sprays do. How does it work?
Melanotan, also known as a synthetic peptide hormone, is an active ingredient similar to the melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) naturally produced in the body.
Melanotan is prepared in laboratories and widely used in nasal tanning sprays. When this substance enters your body through the nose, it stimulates melanin production. Melanin is a pigment that gives darker colour to your body, and this whole process is called melanogenesis.
Once the melanotan starts reacting within your body, it forms a darker colour on your skin, eventually appearing as a Tan. These nasal tanning sprays are commonly available in the market even though FDA has not approved their use.
These nasal sprays contain a small bottle with the features of spraying directly into the nose and are very simple to use as you need to put the spray bottle on the tip of your nose and push it, and it will release the solution into the nose.
Although the effect of this nasal tanning spray is temporary in your body, if you stop using it, it will decrease the melanin production and eventually fade the tanning effect you got. So it would help if you kept using it every 24 hours for a longer effect. And also it works on all skin types no matter if you have pale skin or dark.
Nasal Tanning Spray Side Effects
Inhaling something from your nose, unregulated and unapproved by the food and drugs authorities, would have consequences either for the short term or the long term. Nasal tanning spray has side effects which can be mild sometimes, but it also has serious health risks.
Some of the mild side effects of using the melanotan nasal sprays are
- Nausea and vomiting
- Skin irritation or inflammation
- Increased heart rate
- Dizziness
- Flushing or redness of the skin
- Increased sensitivity from sunlight
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
Above mentioned are the side effects you could start experiencing within the first 24 hours of the usage, and these are enough for running your productive day.
There are some serious risks involved in using nasal tanning sprays, including.
- Melanoma: A deadly type of Skin cancer
- Retinal Damage: The effect of Melanotan can damage the eye.
- Increased Blood Pressure: It can increase blood pressure, which leads to several dangerous diseases, including heart attack and stroke.
- Priapism in people with penises: a prolonged and painful erection
You can never know what you are inhaling as these melanotan sprays are not authorized to sell publicly by the authorities. So, you should avoid getting into the TikTok trend, as this can be dangerous for your health.
Are Nasal Tanners Safe?
The FDA does not consider nasal tanners safe for public use; after this Tiktok trend, many doctors have shown media appearances requesting people to avoid using these nasal tanners. It shows how dangerous it could be for your health.
As the authorities did not regulate these sprays, you can not check if the ingredients in the spray are actually used or if it is just mentioned on the label. No matter how much the influencers and retailers try to convince you, you can not just go with word of mouth.
There was a study conducted on these nasal tanners to check the quality, and you will be shocked to know that where it was mentioned on the product that it contains 10mg of melanotan, but in actuality, it only contained 4 to 8 percent of melanotan, rest were the impurities.
Even if there are no impurities in the nasal tanners and you are using pure melanotan, that is also unsafe for your health. Inhaling something prohibited by doctors could be a huge risk.
nasal tanning spray before and after
Before using the nasal spray, you must read the instructions on the product properly. If you need help understanding or to clarify the product, wait to use it until you discuss it with someone knowledgeable.
Keep your nostrils clear before using the spray and trim any unnecessary hairs in the nostrils to avoid the un-restness. Shake the spray well before using. Once you have pushed the spray into the nostril, avoid inhaling it and let it absorb naturally.
After using the spray, avoid touching your nostrils again and again and also, don’t use water in the nostrils for at least 2 hours until the nasal tan spray gets settled Completely.
Are Nasal Tanners Illegal?
Melanotan-II is the major ingredient used in nasal spray tanners, which are not regulated by the FDA and are considered unsafe for human health. Selling this hormone is illegal in several countries, including Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
So nasal spray tans are illegal in several countries, and the one who breaks this law can face jail for up to two years. But it is also important to know that In some countries, melanotan and other similar products may be classified as prescription drugs, meaning they are only legal with a valid prescription from a healthcare professional. In other countries, they may be legal for personal use but not for sale or distribution.
How Long Does It Take For Nasal Tanners To Work?
The time for the nasal tanning sprays to work depends on the usage; to understand the period, you must first understand how to use nasal tanners. People already using the nasal spray tanners take it two times a day. In the morning, 4 pushes 2 in each nostril, and in the evening, 4 pushes 2 in each nostril total of 8 pushes a day.
But as a beginner, you can decrease the dosage and make it 4 pushes daily. In the morning, one push in each nostril, and repeat the same in the evening. Using this dosage, you will start getting results in 2 to 4 weeks, and to maintain those nasal tanning spray results, you have to keep using the nasal sprays; otherwise, the color will fade due to less melanin production.
The Bottom Line
Nasal tanning sprays are also types of self-tanners. Still, these are a lot more complicated than the other tanning types. You need to inhale the solution through the nasal spray and it directly or indirectly has side effects on your health.
Moreover, these tanning nasal sprays are not approved nor regulated by the food and drugs authorities, so they are considered illegal to sell directly to customers. After watching this trend, many doctors who have come to the media said that the vital hormone Melanotan II used in the tanning sprays is unsafe for direct inhaling.
It can have some mild consequences if you use it, but there are some serious risks involved in nasal tanning sprays. In these serious side effects, melanoma, a skin cancer type, is top of the list. Another serious issue this could cause is increased blood pressure, which can directly affect your heart and kidneys.
Many other tanning methods are available in the market, such as Tanning drops, Spray Tans and many other self-tanners. One should opt for these tanning methods as they are safe if we compare them to Nasal Spray tanning.
