Patricia Krentcil went viral in 2012 after being charged with child endangerment. Readers may in fact know her better by another name, “Tan Mom,” as she was obsessed with going to the tanning salon and spending time in the booth five days a week.

Eventually, the controversial phenomenon called tanerexia – where one doesn’t realize or accept just how much color they have – almost took Patricia’s life. Now, she’s doing much better, though she still goes to the salon.

Being obsessed with anything – be it food, shopping, watching television series, or anything else – is rarely a good habit to develop. Some things are, of course, worse for your health than others, but in the end, it’s essential to be aware what sort of impact an obsession can have on one’s life in the long run.

If you ever feel like something is beginning to take over your life, or that you are prioritizing an obsession over other important things in your everyday life, it’s probably a good idea to see someone. Try talking to a friend, or seeking help through counseling.

Patricia Krentcil – ‘Tan Mom’
For Patricia Krentcil, her obsession took her to viral fame. When she was younger, she started to engage in tanning, and it quickly became a big part of her life. In 2012, Patricia became a phenomenon on the internet after she stood trial for taking her daughter with her to the tanning salon. She was never convicted, but her name was now out there.

Today, she takes a healthier approach to tanning, but her time in the tanning booth has greatly affected her life and appearance.

Patricia’s tanning obsession began when she was just 23 years old. The New Jersey woman was – according to the owner of City Tropics tanning salon in Nutley, New Jersey – averaging five visits a week for a maximum session of 12 minutes. She had an unlimited monthly plan of $100.

“I’ve been tanning my whole life, going to the beach, tanning salons and so forth,” she said.

Now, it wasn’t the fact that she was tanning that first made her an internet sensation. In 2012, her face was all over the internet for a whole different reason.

In May 2012, Krentcil faced criminal charges of child endangerment. As reported by CBS New York, police said she had put her 6-year-old daughter in a stand-up tanning booth, leaving the child with burns.

Charged after brining daughter tanning
Patricia, though, said it all was a big misunderstanding. She insisted she would never bring her daughter, Anna, to the salon.

“No not at all, not at all, not whatsoever,” Krentcil said.

But the Nutley Police Department arrested and charged Krentcil with child endangerment. Authorities alleged that she had taken Anna with her to the tanning salon, and that the child had suffered a slight burn.

According to ABC, New Jersey law didn’t permit anyone younger than 14 to use a tanning facility. Teens older than 14 were allowed to go to salons, but only with parental consent.

In Anna’s case, the controversy began when a school nurse happened to ask Anna how she had gotten burned, to which the girl answered: “I go tanning with mommy.” Patricia, though, claimed that Anna had been burned after playing outside in their backyard.

“There’s not room… I would never permit it… It didn’t happen,” Krentcil said.

“She’s 6 years old. Yes, she does go tanning with mommy, but not in the booth,” she added. “The whole thing’s preposterous!”

At that point, Patricia got the nickname “Tan Mom” in the media. The alleged incident went viral online, and Patricia’s face was shown on news broadcasts and in newspapers all over the world.

“They just don’t realize just how much color they have”
Not only that, but it shed light on the controversial phenomenon called tanorexia, a condition where a person becomes dependent and obsessed with tanning.

“When you look at this, this is somebody who has a problem which most likely has a condition called tanerexia, where they just don’t realize just how much color they have,” New York dermatologist Doris Day told ABC News.

“There’s really no excuse to take a young child to a tanning salon,” she added.

“We often consider going to a tanning salon the equivalent of smoking for the skin and the younger you start, those effects are cumulative.”

Health experts agreed that Patricia’s case was very extreme. In fact, it was one of the wildest cases Dermatologist Dr. Joshua Zeichner had seen.

“In all my years of treating patients as a dermatologist, I have never encountered anything like this,” Zeichner told the NY Daily News.

“Going to a tanning salon 20 times a month, frankly, is insane, especially with all of the public education and awareness campaigns on the dangers of tanning beds and skin cancers.”

Tan Mom, Patricia Krentcil
Instagram/realtanmom
“It may be she has an [obsession with] tanning, which actually now has a name – tanorexia. She may need help to treat not only the damage to her skin but also what is going on with her psychologically,” he added.

‘Tan Mom’ faced up to 10 years in prison

According to the Skin Care Foundation, those who use indoor tanning equipment are four times more likely to develop melanoma. In addition, according to the foundation, sunbeds give off 12 to 15 times more UV radiation than the sun.

Dr. Zeichner said that Patricia suffers from body dysmorphic disorder, wherein one is constantly left unhappy with their own appearance.

“Patients like this are constantly having elective cosmetic procedures – either surgeries, laser treatments or Botox and fillers,” he explained. “Which also includes those who are addicted to tan skin.”

Even though “Tan Mom” was released on $25,000 bail, Patricia faced up to 10 years in prison if she was convicted.

“She never went in,” Patricia maintained of her daughter in 2012. “It was beautiful out, and they went into the kiddie pool. She’s a redhead. She got sunburnt.”

She also insisted that tanning was her own, harmless activity, and that it doesn’t affect anyone but herself.