Tan Mom Patricia Krentcil Looks Different After Turning Her Life Around Following Excessive Tanning That Almost Took Her Life

Jun 16, 2023

Many people enjoy having a sun-kissed glow. This can be achieved through a multitude of ways, from enjoying some time in the sunshine outside or artificially by the use of indoor tanning tools. Indoor tanning involves ultraviolet radiation that produces a cosmetic tan. Machines that help with this are usually found in gyms, spas, hotels, sporting facilities, and, of course, tanning salons.

But what happens when you take your love for looking glowy and tan too far?

Patricia Krentcil rose to fame in 2012 and has been the center of attention ever since. Publicly known as the “Tan Mom,” the public figure is popular due to her excessive tanning as well as a very public case that shocked the nation.

In May 2012, the online sensation received negative feedback from the internet after she was accused of bringing her then-5-year-old child named Anna into a tanning bed. Ultimately, authorities and child services got involved with the case, and the Tan Mom was later arrested and charged with child endangerment.

Krentcil’s love for tanning has been evident over the years, as people from her past claimed that she was into indoor tanning during her younger years as well. But it’s clear that this has come with a price at times. On top of all of the hardships Krentcil has been through because of her excessive habit, she has also endured other challenges in her life.

However, the mom’s life appears to be heading in a new direction nowadays. While she was once recognized for her incredibly, over-tanned appearance, Krentcil has proven that it’s never too late to change your ways.

According to the Skin Cancer Organization, tanning indoors or outdoors both are both risky as it could have adverse effects on people who are getting it. The organization declared, “There is no such thing as a safe or healthy tan.”

In addition to damaging skin cells and the risk of getting DNA injury, tanning also increases the risk of getting a basal cell carcinoma, melanoma, and squamous cell carcinoma.

According to the organization, there is a 75% “increased risk of developing life-threatening melanoma from just one indoor tanning session before age 35.”

The Skin Cancer Organization also shared that one in five Americans will develop skin cancer by the time they are 70 years old. Worldwide, there are even more skin cancer cases from indoor tanning compared to lung cancer cases from smoking.

While many people enjoy tanning for the aesthetics, there are actually downsides to tanning that can make you look worse than what you were expecting. The Skin Cancer Organization shared how tanning changes and ages your skin. Skin can, at times, appear to look weathered or leathery, and there is usually an acceleration in developing wrinkles and dark spots on the skin as well.

Despite all of the risks that come with tanning, many people still try to soak up the sun’s rays or use artificial light through indoor tanning methods, including people like Patricia Krentcil.

Krentcil first rose to fame during the early 2010s due to her excessive tanning habits. Not only that, but it appeared that the mom had tried sharing her love for tanning with her 5-year-old daughter.

It all began when a nurse at her daughter’s school noticed that she had a rash, and the girl allegedly revealed that she had been going to a tanning salon with her mother.

ABC News reported that authorities later got involved, and child services intervened in the case after her check-up at the school clinic.

According to the owner of City Tropics, the tanning salon where Krentcil had been getting her regular tanning services, the Tan Mom paid around $100 every month in order to achieve the sun-kissed skin that she wanted to achieve.

Regarding how many times she gets into the tanning booth, the owner, who only identified himself as Anthony, said Krentcil went to their establishment five days every week and used the machine for a maximum of 12 minutes.

Yahoo! reported that the Tan Mom was later arrested and charged with child endangerment, but she only spent a week in jail before her charges were acquitted. She had always defended herself from the press, saying she had never exposed Anna to the tanning bed or any harmful UV rays.

According to the New York Post, the charges came after she took her daughter into a tanning booth with her. In the state of New Jersey, children under the age of 14 are banned from using tanning salons, which means Krentcil broke the rules. 

Afterward, Krentcil’s daughter's legs had noticeable burns on them. Thus, Krentcil was arrested in April 2012. However, A grand jury declined to indict her in 2013, and she was still able to spend time with her daughter because she didn’t lose custody.

After she had originally been released on a $25,000 bail, Krentcil said, "I never once in my life let me daughter, especially at that age, go into a tanning booth. I'm very tan and I've been tanning my whole life."

Regarding Krentcil’s tanning habits, Dr. Joshua Zeichner, the director of cosmetic and clinical research at Mount Sinai Medical Center’s dermatology department, wrote in a Daily News piece that it was his first time encountering such a case in all of his years working as a dermatologist. 

Based on his professional opinion, the medical expert said going to a tanning salon multiple times a month is “insane,” even though there have been warnings regarding the dangers of tanning beds.

Zeichner further discussed that the Tan Mom could possibly be addicted to tanning, which is a condition he called “tanorexia.” In addition to getting help to treat the adverse effects on her skin, the doctor noted that experts should also take a look at the psychological aspect because people like her are possibly suffering from “body dysmorphic disorders.” 

He described the condition as something that dissatisfies a person when they look in the mirror, which in some cases, leads them to get “elective cosmetic procedures.”

Even Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi from the reality TV show “Jersey Shore” commented on the Tan Mom’s avid tanning and child endangerment charges and called her “crazy.” She added, “Everyone knows you are not supposed to take kids there.” The cast of “Jersey Shore” is notorious for their dark tans.

Other celebrities have weighed in on their reasons for not tanning. Rosie Huntington-Whitely said, “I’m English, so I love to get some sun and love a bit of tanned skin, but I can see it now the older the get after I come back from holiday, I can see the effects it has on my skin and it’s not so good after the tan fades.”

Hugh Jackman has also encouraged his supporters to be smart when it comes to sun exposure. “PLEASE USE SUNSCREEN and get regular check-ups,” he said.

Zac Efron, who appeared in the “Baywatch” movie,” echoed Jackman’s thoughts. He said, “Wear sunscreen every day, please. No amount of sun is safe, in my opinion.”

Tan Mom’s story might seem hard to believe at times, which is probably why it sounded like such a strong basis for a movie adaptation. According to a March 2013 article from Radar Online, Krentcil was set to star in a movie about her life, appropriately titled “Tanning Mom — The Movie.”

“I’ll star — it’s going to portray everything that’s happened,” Krentcil explained. She also said that her newfound fame at the time resulted in some modeling offers that came her way. “Everybody wants me,” the mom boasted.

However, based on Krentcil’s IMDb page, it seems like the movie never came to be.

In June 2019, a dark cloud reigned over Krentcil’s life as she was in critical condition from pneumonia.

Her songwriting partner at the time, Adam Barta, told Us Weekly that the viral personality was on “life support” and was in a “medically induced sleep” until she recovered. Barta continued:

“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.”

Krentcil’s children also “relocated temporarily to be by her bedside in Florida.”

In addition, the New York Post also reported that Krentcil also had other conditions like pancreatitis, cardiac arrest, and an infection in her lungs.

Fortunately, Krentcil was able to make a full recovery, but looking back to the devastating incident, the Tan Mom considered it to be “sad.”

“My whole body died — I was proclaimed dead,” she said.

Krentcil may have risen to fame in 2012, but a former classmate of hers claimed that she had been addicted to tanning since she was in high school. The unnamed old friend, who claimed to have spent over two years with Krentcil during her younger years, revealed that Krentcil was “wacky” and “crazy” back then.

The insider described her as someone who has some “strangeness” within her and experimented with substances and tanning. The source remembered that she was on “the tan side” and they would go to the beach, but she clarified that “fake-tanning was never a thing.”

In April 2021 — almost a decade after she was charged with child endangerment for allegedly exposing her daughter to artificial UV rays in a tanning salon — Krentcil spoke about how far she had come in her life since.

“I was dubbed ‘Tan Mom’ all over tabloids, and this turned into the most massive hurricane in the world,” the mom said. “It went global. There are no words to describe what happened to me and my family.”

Krentcil continued, “I was accused of child endangerment. I was vindicated through the courts.” The mom added, “The owner of the tanning salon told the police when they came and asked, ‘Did she bring her daughter into the booth?’ and the owner said, ‘No.’”

Krentcil stated, “I did nothing wrong, period.”

Interestingly enough, the mom did admit that she still tanned twice a week in her own tanning bed.

Fast-forward to May 2022, and the mom said she’s not the person she used to be. “I changed my whole attitude on life. I’ve turned my life around. I don’t get disrespected anymore. I don’t party or do any crazy things,” she said.

Despite the massive fame she amassed since getting the spotlight, Krentcil said she was “a wreck” and was struggling with her finances because her child-endangerment case almost cost her “two houses.”

In addition, she noted that the press took her “whole soul” and “energy,” and the only one she could rely on was her husband. Unfortunately, her other half, Richard, passed away in 2021

Speaking about her relationship with her children, Anna and Addison, the Tan Mom said she’s always been a great mom and will continue striving to become one.

“Anyone in my position at that particular moment would have lost it, and I had the energy to stay strong in my worst hours,” she said.

However, in September 2022, Krentcil shared a photo of herself visiting a spa in Florida. One of the spa’s services is tanning. Krentcil captioned the post, “The most beautiful girls in Boca Raton Florida atGLO 🧖 SPA 🧖‍♀️ Everything you want they are the best people💖❣️❣️ around they treat you with respect anything you need go to the spa is the best🥂❣️💫💫💫”

Still, an Instagram post from January 2023 showed Krentcil where she looked different and appeared to be heading in the right direction, despite enduring some difficult times. While she was once incredibly tan and dark, she appeared to look a bit different. The mom captioned the photo:

“Just got better from the flu and got my hair done. Thank God what a nightmare are having that cold. I hope you’re all doing great. I love you.”

Many people sounded off in the comments commending Krentcil for looking so stunning. People told her she looked “beautiful” and “marvelous” and also said she had a “nice look.” Hopefully, Krentcil will continue to healthily move forward with her life.

Do you think Patricia Krentcil, also known as Tan Mom, went overboard with her tanning? What are your insights about the big change in her life? Let us know your thoughts, and be sure to pass this along to your family and friends!