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Doctors Warn Against TikTok Nasal Spray Trend
Published
A product doing the rounds on TikTok claims it can give its users 'a tan from within'.
Experts and doctors, however, are warning that the nasal spray is made with unregulated substances and could have unintended health consequences.
The product's main active ingredient is melanotan which stimulates your body to produce melanin - the pigment which determines your skin and hair colour.
Merry Thornton, a certified physician assistant and skin care expert, said there was not enough data or testing behind the products.
"It can also make moles and freckles darker, and at this time, we don't know if the melanocytes could be over-stimulated, leading to melanoma," Thornton said in HuffPost.
"Using melanotan could lead to misdiagnosis of skin cancer, as well."
The product can also lead to spontaneous erections in males, as well as nausea, flushing, changes to blood pressure and headaches.
"Nasal sprays shoot a fine mist into the nasal mucosa, which is rich in vessels and provides a direct route into the bloodstream for medications that can easily cross mucous membranes," Thornton explained.
"This is concerning because systemic absorption increases the risk of side effects."
Some of the producers of the nasal sprays are also encouraging users to increase sun exposure or use tanning beds - both of which increase the risk of premature ageing and skin cancer.
A number of videos and accounts associated with the trend appear to have been removed in the wake of media attention and scrutiny.
One popular TikToker, Hannah Tayy had shared a video saying she'd rather 'die hot than live ugly'.
"So if this is going to take 10 years off my life, I don't care.
"I don't want to be old anyway. Old people are ugly."
UK-based doctor Gabriella Birley told Femail the medical community holds serious fears about the long-term side effects of the products.
"Nasal tanning sprays are not licensed in the UK which means that they have not undergone the stringent safety, quality and effectiveness testing that all medicines have to undergo before they can be licensed for use," she said.
"Because they have not undergone this level of testing, there are serious concerns amongst medical professionals about the potentially serious side effects of the product meaning that it is, therefore, unsafe to use."
