“Permatan contains a fundamental product which is stimulating a particular enzyme of tyrosinase in the pigment cells and they’re not legal in New Zealand but because people can purchase them online, it goes around those regulatory mechanisms,” said Reiche.
Louise Reiche. Photo / RNZ
She said Permatan sped up pigmentation, which had the potential for increasing skin cancer risks.
Last year, the Cancer Society shared similar concerns about Permatan and warned against its use.
“This product has not been assessed for quality, safety or undergone rigorous safety tests. Encouraging deliberate sun exposure or tanning bed use can increase risk of skin cancer, and is something we absolutely discourage.”
Nat, who is a 10-year user of Melanotan products, had been using Permatan since November and said using the product was a waste of time.
She said the product caused multiple side effects, including nausea, flushing in the face and disturbed nasal cavities.
“So I was sneezing a lot - everyday at 6am I’d wake up sneezing, and it would wake all my flatmates up too. And then just having a runny nose and feeling like it was going further up than just my nose, like into my head.
“I only used it once a day at nighttime because it also makes you feel sick. So you’d feel nausea ... I didn’t throw up, but yeah, I would feel quite sick.
“You get a really flushed face, and that’s not pretty if you’re going out in public,” Nat said.
RNZ attempted to contact Permatan, but the company had not replied to its questions at the time this story was published.
