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.
“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.”
“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.
