The Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) has issued a warning over the serious health risks linked to dangerous and illegal tanning aids that are being targeted at young people online.
The products, which include tanning injections, drops and nasal sprays, contain an unregulated substance called Melanotan II also know as the "Barbie drug".
The substance underwent clinical studies to test its ability to improve pigment cells in people that had absent pigment making materials, but it was subsequently not approved for use and so is illegal to purchase in Ireland.
However, due to advertising on social media there has been a resurgence of people using products that contain Melanotan II, such as injections and nasal sprays.
Speaking on RTÉ's Today with Claire Byrne, Professor Caitriona Ryan, Consultant Dermatologist with the Institute of Dermatologists and Blackrock Clinic, reiterated the concerns expressed by the HPRA.
Professor Ryan said the substance can increase a person's tan and reduce their appetite.
However, she added that there were reports that the substance "can raise people's blood pressure, it can cause kidney failure, it can break down muscle tissue, it can even cause a certain brain disorder called encephalopathy".
She said that the problem with using products that stimulate pigment reducing cells is that they can cause melanomas.
"And we are seeing multiple reports of this as well," she said.
Professor Ryan also urged caution in relation to using both tanning beds and consuming Melanotan II as it is can be dangerous due to the increased risk of melanoma.
