Re: Frequent Tanning May Signify Mental Disorder

August 16, 2004

Well , they dont need medications.. just let them use self tanning lotion..

and then they dont get the skin cancer.. and then some therapy to help with self

esteem..

Frequent Tanning May Signify Mental Disorder

http://content.health.msn.com/content/article/92/101460.htm?printing=true

Frequent Tanning May Signify Mental Disorder

Some People With Body Dysmorphic Disorder Tan to Hide Perceived Defects

By Mann

Reviewed By , MD

on Wednesday, August 04, 2004

WebMD Medical News

Aug. 5, 2004 -- Certain excessive tanners -- sometimes referred to as

" tanarexics " -- may be suffering from body dysmorphic disorder, a condition

involving excessive preoccupation with a minor or an imagined defect.

Unlike mirror checking, combing hair, shaving, removing or cutting hair,

and/or applying makeup, excessive tanning has not previously been described

as a feature of body dysmorphic disorder, say researchers from Brown Medical

School in Providence, R.I. They presented their research at the annual

summer meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology in New York City.

In the study of 11 frequent tanners with body dysmorphic disorder, the No. 1

reason they tanned was to conceal perceived physical defects. In fact, the

majority thought that their main defect was their light-colored skin and as

a result, they used tanning to deepen their skin tone. Others used tanning

to camouflage specific perceived defects.

" In general for anyone who is tanning excessively, there is an increased

risk of developing skin cancer, " researcher Hunter-Yates, MD,

dermatology resident at Brown Medical School's department of dermatology,

tells WebMD. " Younger people also increase their risk of photoaging with sun

exposure, " she says. Photoaging is premature aging of the skin, including

wrinkles.

Excessive tanners with body dysmorphic disorder " have an actual psychiatric

disorder and it's important to address this, " Hunter-Yates tells WebMD.

" Getting them to see a psychiatrist is really the key, " she says. Some

research shows that counseling and/or medications to control anxiety and

depression may help treat body dysmorphic disorder.

Of the 11 frequent tanners, 27% were female with an average age of 31 and

18% were married. People in the study also engaged in other body dysmorphic

disorder behaviors such as constant mirror checking and grooming and many

also had anxiety.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Md., body

dysmorphic disorder can be chronic and may lead to repeated hospitalizations

and suicide. It can also result in decreased social, academic, and

occupational functioning.

The Britney Effect

Libby Buscemi, MD, a New York City dermatologist, certainly sees her share

of excessive tanners. When she asks people why they tan, they typically say

such things as " I feel better, look better, and look thinner when I am tan, "

she tells WebMD.

There is also a cultural aspect to it, she says. " Back when people worked on

the farm, it was not considered attractive to be tan because it meant you

were a laborer, " she says. But times are changing; today you see mega stars

like Simpson and Britney Spears sporting tans.

" One major misconception is that tanners think getting their skin checked

before or after they sit in the sun means they will be OK, but damage shows

up years and years later, " Buscemi warns.

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SOURCES: Hunter-Yates, MD, dermatology resident,department of

dermatology, Brown Medical School, Providence, R.I. Libby Buscemi, MD,

dermatologist, New York City.

August 16, 2004