Source comparison
Loading Phase vs Maintenance Phase Timing Protocols
The time melanotan-1 doses follow a two-phase structure: an initial loading phase to establish melanin density, followed by a maintenance phase to preserve it. Loading Phase (Days 1–14): Daily subcutaneous injections of 0.5–1.0 mg administered at the same time
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- The time melanotan-1 doses follow a two-phase structure: an initial loading phase to establish melanin density, followed by a maintenance phase to preserve it.
- Loading Phase (Days 1–14): Daily subcutaneous injections of 0.5–1.0 mg administered at the same time each day. Consistency matters. Injecting at 8:00 AM one day and 8:00 PM the next creates a 36-hour gap that interrupts receptor saturation. Most protocols specify morning administration to align with circadian melanocortin signalling patterns, though no published evidence demonstrates time-of-day dependency for exogenous MC1R agonists. The critical factor is interval consistency. 24 hours between doses, not "once daily whenever convenient."
- Loading duration depends on baseline skin phototype (Fitzpatrick scale). Individuals with Fitzpatrick Type I–II skin (very fair, burns easily) typically require 10–14 days of daily dosing to achieve visible pigmentation. Type III–IV individuals may see baseline tanning within 7–10 days. Stopping the loading phase early. Say, at day 5 because mild tanning is visible. Results in incomplete melanin maturation and faster pigment fade during maintenance.
- Maintenance Phase (Day 15 onward): Once baseline pigmentation is established, dosing frequency reduces to every 48–72 hours (0.5–1.0 mg per dose). The extended interval works because melanin, once synthesised and deposited in keratinocytes, has a biological turnover rate of 28–40 days through normal epidermal shedding. Maintenance doses don't need to sustain continuous MC1R activation. They only need to trigger periodic melanocyte activity sufficient to replace degraded melanin at the rate of keratinocyte turnover.
- Skipping a maintenance dose by 24 hours (e.g., dosing at 84 hours instead of 60 hours) rarely causes visible pigment loss, but patterns of inconsistent maintenance (dosing every 48 hours one week, every 96 hours the next) result in uneven melanin density and patchy tanning.