In 2012, Patricia Krentcil gained notoriety following her accusation of endangering children. Her second moniker, “Tan Mom,” may be more familiar to readers because she was completely devoted to visiting the tanning salon and spending time in the booth five days a week.
Eventually, Patricia nearly lost her life to the contentious condition known as tanerexia, which is characterized by an inability to recognize or accept one’s own hue. She is doing lot better now, even though she continues to visit the salon.
“Tan Mom” has endured a lot in the past ten years. This is how she looks like right now! Continue reading to see…
It’s rarely a smart habit to become obsessed with anything, whether it’s eating, shopping, TV shows, or anything else. Of course, some things are more harmful to your health than others, but ultimately, you need to know the kind of long-term effects an obsession may have on your life.
It’s always a good idea to see someone if you ever feel that something is taking over your life or that you are putting your fixation above other significant aspects of your daily life. Try reaching out to a friend or going to counseling for support.
Tan Mom, Patricia Krentcil
Patricia Krentcil became well-known on the internet due to her preoccupation. She began tanning when she was younger, and it soon became a significant aspect of her life. After Patricia went on trial in 2012 for bringing her daughter to the tanning parlor, she went viral online. Though her name was now public knowledge, she was never found guilty.
Although she now tans in a healthier way, her experience in the tanning booth had a significant impact on her appearance and way of life.
When Patricia was barely 23 years old, her fixation with tanning started. The owner of City Tropics tanning salon in Nutley, New Jersey, stated that the woman from New Jersey was coming in an average of five times a week for a maximum of twelve minutes per session. She was on a $100 monthly unlimited plan.
“I’ve been tanning my whole life, going to the beach, tanning salons and so forth,” she said.
Now, her popularity on the internet didn’t initially stem from the fact that she was tanning. Her visage went viral on the internet in 2012, but for a completely different cause.
Krentcil was charged with child endangerment in May of 2012. Police alleged that she had burned her 6-year-old daughter after placing her in a stand-up tanning booth, as CBS New York reported.
Charged after brining daughter tanning
However, Patricia said that everything was a major misunderstanding. She insisted that she would never go to the salon with her daughter, Anna.
Krentcil responded, “No not at all, not at all, not whatsoever.”
However, Krentcil was detained and accused of endangering children by the Nutley Police Department. The toddler received a minor burn, according to the authorities, who said that she had brought Anna to the tanning salon with her.
ABC reported that a person under the age of 14 was not allowed to use a tanning establishment in New Jersey. Salon visits by teenagers over 14 were permitted, but only with parental permission.
When a school nurse happened to ask Anna how she had gotten burned, the debate in her case started when the kid replied, “I go tanning with mommy.” Patricia asserted, however, that after playing outside in their backyard, Anna had been burned.
“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!”
Patricia then gained the moniker “Tan Mom” in the press. Patricia’s face appeared in newspapers and on news programs across the globe after the purported incident went viral on the internet.
“They just don’t realize just how much color they have”
Furthermore, it clarified the contentious phenomena known as tanorexia, which is characterized by an obsession and dependence on tanning.
New York dermatologist Doris Day told ABC News, “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.”
“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.”
Patricia’s case, according to medical professionals, was quite severe. It was actually one of the most bizarre situations dermatologist Dr. Joshua Zeichner has ever encountered.
Zeichner told the NY Daily News, “In all my years of treating patients as a dermatologist, I have never encountered anything like this.”
“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.”
“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
The Skin Care Foundation states that the risk of developing melanoma is four times higher for people who use indoor tanning equipment. Furthermore, the foundation claims that sunbeds emit 12 to 15 times as much UV radiation as the sun.
Patricia, according to Dr. Zeichner, has body dysmorphic disorder, a condition in which a person is continuously dissatisfied with the way they look.
“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.”
Despite being freed on a $25,000 bond, Patricia could have spent a maximum of 10 years in jail if found guilty.
In 2012, Patricia insisted that her daughter “never went in.” “It was beautiful out, and they went into the kiddie pool. She’s a redhead. She got sunburnt.”
She further maintained that tanning is a personal, harmless pastime of hers that only has an impact on her.
“I didn’t do anything wrong. Is there something wrong about getting your nails done or somebody who smokes too much or somebody who overeats?” Krentcil asked.
“If this was such a problem, why wasn’t this said years ago?”
Cleared of charges – moved to Florida
Patricia was found not to have endangered any children in February of 2013. According to the prosecution, a grand jury declined to indict her.
Despite being officially cleared, moms around the nation persisted in denouncing her parenting style. In response, Patricia referred to them as ugly and overweight.
The mother reportedly told the Daily Mail, “There’s somebody out there for my whole life that doesn’t like me because they are jealous, fat and they’re ugly.”
“Look in the mirror and look at yourself instead of looking at me. I’m sorry I’m tan. I like to be tan. It just feels good. But I really that think these moms … need to step off and step away.”
The mother of five went viral, but her notoriety quickly turned into a nightmare. She was followed about by paparazzi and the media, and she was made fun of on Saturday Night Live by Kim Kardashian and a sketch.
It became too much in the end. After she began to drink, the family made the decision to move to Tampa, Florida in order to start over.
Furthermore, Patricia Krentcil said that following the incident, her then-teenage children, Austin, 15, Alec, 17, and Ashley, 18, were “badgered at school.”
“Tan Mom” desired to profit from her notoriety.
Following the dismissal of the charges, Patricia “Tan Mom” Krentcil made the decision to share her own narrative a year later.
She stated to In Touch magazine that she intended to “portray everything that’s happened” in a movie. She wanted to take advantage of her sudden celebrity since she had thousands of dollars in legal expenses to pay and because her husband Rich was unemployed.
In addition to the movie, Patricia wanted to write a book and launch her own line of tanning lotions called “Real Tan Mom Healthy Glow.” She further stated that she had been inundated with modeling assignments in Paris, London, and New York.
“‘It’s not even near being over,” she remarked in reference to her celebrity moment. “Everyone wants me. I have a lot of other opportunities, so I’m just trying to figure out where to move my family.”
Afterwards, “Tan Mom” nearly passed away in June 2019.
Patricia’s friend Adam Barta said in a statement to US Weekly that she was suffering from complications from pneumonia and was in severe condition. To be with her, the entire family moved to Florida.
“Currently, she is still on life support (via the intubator) and in a medically induced sleep until her heart are lungs are strong enough to handle functioning on their own,” Barta told US Weekly.
“The fluid is draining from her lungs and she is improving today but she is definitely not out of the woods.”
‘Tan Mom’ today
“They are feeding her very strong antibiotics to kill the infection as well so her system is taking quite a hit. I personally believe last night was the most critical turning point, and she made it so she will only continue to get better. The current plan is to try to extubate and revive her tomorrow or Tuesday, provided she maintains this trajectory,” he added.
Later on, it was discovered that Patricia had experienced a cardiac arrest and had been diagnosed with pancreatitis, pneumonia, and a lung infection.
Patricia was fortunate enough to survive, and she appears to be doing better than ever now. Although the scars from her tanning days are clearly visible, she appears cheerful and smiling in photos from her Instagram account.
She discussed her background with the New York Post in April 2021, stating that she doesn’t think much about the event with her daughter and the tanning parlor. Rather from attempting to conceal herself, she now accepts her identity as “Tan Mom.”