'Self-browning' tan implant could mean end for sunbeds

FAKE tan could now be provided by a "self-browning" implant that makes the body tan itself, it was revealed yesterday.

Melanotan has been shown to darken the skin and reduce sun damage. It is now set to leave the sunbed and the spray-on tan in the shade.

Scientists say melanotan mimics the hormone that increases the production of melanin, the pigment that naturally darkens the skin.

It has even been labelled the "paradise pill" after earlier studies reported increased sex drive and reduced appetite.

The pill’s manufacturers, Epitan, which is listed on London’s Alternative Investment Market, claims that the product is medical, not cosmetic, as it is created to protect against skin cancer, which kills 1,600 people in the UK every year.

However, Iain Kirkwood, Epitan’s chief executive, admitted that the company was looking to compete in the artificial tanning market. He told a Sunday newspaper: "We can drive the tanning salons out of business."

It is anticipated that the implants could be on the market as soon as 2007, initially on prescription for those at high-risk of contracting skin cancer.