Facts and Myths attacked the effectiveness of tanning pills.

Tanning pills have proven to be the hardest sunless tanning myth to kill. Tanning pills or nutritional supplements that "promote" tanning proliferate, and ads for them are everywhere.

- The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act passed by the United States Congress in 1994 allows the marketing of products as a "dietary supplement" without the approval of any government agency, as long as the labeling includes a disclaimer saying that it has not been evaluated by the FDA and the product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. If a query about safety arises, the burden of proof is on the FDA, not the manufacturer.

- There are only two things that matter in the production of melanin: your genetics and your degree of exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Nutrition just does not play a part for the normal, well nourished individual; if you are an American, you are more likely to be over nourished.

Making this clear, go over the facts of tanning - melanogenesis, describe three medical conditions that negatively effect tanning, summarize four drugs that can affect melanogenesis, and, finally, analyze three typical tanning pills.

Why Tanning Pills Don't Work

1. The facts of melanogenesis
  * Diseases and disorders that affect melanogenesis
 - Albinism
 - Phenylketonuria
 - Vitiligo
 - Drugs that affect melanogenesis [in brief]
 - Melanotan
 -  MelanX
 - Psoralens
 - pTpT
2. A close look at three tanning pills
  * EluSun
  * Mayan Secrets
  * Deep Tan
3. Conclusion: Tanning pills don't work
4. Sources