# Michael Jackson has vitiligo? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 20, 2005, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-has-vitiligo/313268 "2005-07-20T10:21:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ryo\_hazuki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bcef8e/32.png) [@ryo\_hazuki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryo_hazuki)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-has-vitiligo/313268/1 "2005-07-20T10:21:43Z")
My first question is: Why is it so hard for people not to beleive that african-american singer Michael Jackson suffers from a skin depigmentation condition known as vitiligo? ---
**Author:** ![ryo\_hazuki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bcef8e/32.png) [@ryo\_hazuki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryo_hazuki)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-has-vitiligo/313268/2 "2005-07-20T10:23:45Z")
:smack: Sorry, what I meant to so say was: Why is it so hard for people to beleive that african-american singer Michael Jackson suffers from a skin depigmentation condition known as vitiligo? ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-has-vitiligo/313268/3 "2005-07-20T10:25:41Z")
While the pigmentation could be a disease, I don’t know of the illness that causes your nose to decrease width until the bone structure collapses. Simply, with all of the obvious platic surgerying he has had done to himself–which he denies–there is no reason to believe that his pigmentation isn’t more of the same. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-has-vitiligo/313268/4 "2005-07-20T10:29:11Z")
I think it’s a combination of three things: - His symptoms would be atypical for vitiligo, which normally only causes pale-coloured irregular blotches. - He’s rather well known for having undergone other cosmetic alterations - He’s a _freak_ - everybody loves to despise/distrust a freak. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/96bed5/32.png) [@Cat\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Jones)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-has-vitiligo/313268/5 "2005-07-20T10:51:48Z")
Essentially **Mangetout**'s first point. IANAD but i know the main characteristic of vitiligo is patches or spots. There’s a guy of African origin in our neighbourhood and he has distinct pale patches on his face and hands where there is a _lack_ of pigmentation. Micheal Jackson’s skin seems to have turned a uniform coffe cream colour which dosn’t fit with the idea of Vitiligo. [Here are](http://www.avrf.org/MainPages/childrens_corner.html) [some pictures](http://www.mrcophth.com/dermatology/vitil.htm). And a [useful page](http://www.niams.nih.gov/hi/topics/vitiligo/vitiligo.htm) with descriptions of the symptoms so you can compare them with MJ’s appearance for yourself. ---
**Author:** ![FisherQueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@FisherQueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FisherQueen)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-has-vitiligo/313268/6 "2005-07-20T10:58:07Z")
I don’t have a problem with believing he has vitiligo. I think that the massive adjustments he’s made to his face to eliminate all signs of blackness- thinning his lips, removing his nose- indicate a creepy-ass racism that gives me the shudders. Do most people with vitiligo respond with such dramatic skin bleaching? Plus, he’s crazy as a treeful of squirrels, and I’m pretty sure he hurts boys because he’s so crazy he thinks he’s helping them. If he were standing here right now, I’d ask him to leave before I called the cops. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-has-vitiligo/313268/7 "2005-07-20T12:35:41Z")
One thing I’ve always wondered: Is it even _possible_ to “bleach” one’s skin, as it were? Is there any medical procedure that can lighten the pigmentation of the skin? That’s the main reason I think it’s the disease, or some varient thereof. ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-has-vitiligo/313268/8 "2005-07-20T14:38:17Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > Is it even _possible_ to “bleach” one’s skin, as it were? Is there any medical procedure that can lighten the pigmentation of the skin? That’s the main reason I think it’s the disease, or some varient thereof. [This](http://schools.tdsb.on.ca/jarvisci/jargonline/bleach.html) is from a student run newspaper: > [@](#): > > These products don’t literally bleach the melanin in the skin; they merely disrupt its production, which in turn leads to the gradual loss of skin pigments. Thus, no new melanin is formed and existing melanin is destroyed. In addition, because of the chemical agents contained in bleaching creams, the top layer of the skin, known as the epidermis, is destroyed as well. With the top layer gone, the dermis is exposed. Without its protective layer the dermis is exposed to the external environment. It cannot compensate for the absence of the top layer, nor can it handle daily climate conditions. Finally, since the protective layer is gone, harmful organisms such as bacteria can enter the body through the skin. Therefore, there is a higher risk of irritations and possibly skin cancer. [This one](http://www.prn2.usm.my/mainsite/bulletin/nst/1998/nst12.html) is a more scientific look, and seems to come from the National Poison Center of Malaysia. Try Googling “hydroquinone” and you will find lots of places selling creams that they claim will lighten the skin. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-has-vitiligo/313268/9 "2005-07-20T14:42:48Z")
> [@Cat Jones](#): > > [Here are](http://www.avrf.org/MainPages/childrens_corner.html) [some pictures](http://www.mrcophth.com/dermatology/vitil.htm). And a [useful page](http://www.niams.nih.gov/hi/topics/vitiligo/vitiligo.htm) with descriptions of the symptoms so you can compare them with MJ’s appearance for yourself. The kid Justin in you first link looks pretty homogenous in his colouring. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-has-vitiligo/313268/10 "2005-07-20T14:44:21Z")
> [@Cat Jones](#): > > IANAD but i know the main characteristic of vitiligo is patches or spots. Basically correct. However, one form of “treatment” in cases where a large percentage of the skin is involved is to medicaly depigment the remainder for a more uniform appearance. And before anyone thinks I am defending Jackson in any way, I think the MFer is a child molesting psycho who belongs either in a prison or a hospital. Cite: as one of the 1 to 2 percent of people with vitiligo, I have researched the disease a bit. Here is a recent thread with links that may help: > **[Vitiligo experiences anyone?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=326220)** > > A few months ago I was driving and happened to notice that the backs of my hands looked weird. Within a few days, I had loss of pigment over the backs of both hands. My MD sent me to a dermatologist, who diagnosed vitiligo. Since then I have been... ---
**Author:** ![holmes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e95f7d/32.png) [@holmes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/holmes)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-has-vitiligo/313268/11 "2005-07-20T14:44:39Z")
I remember reading somewhere that Jackson was upset about the patchiness of his skin and used a ‘procedure’ to kill all of his melanin cells and have a unified look. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/96bed5/32.png) [@Cat\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Jones)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-has-vitiligo/313268/12 "2005-07-20T14:49:53Z")
Originally posted by\*\* Adam Yax\*\* > [@](#): > > The kid Justin in you first link looks pretty homogenous in his colouring. So does Gabby until you look at her hairline and neck, I’m guessing the parts of his body with ‘spots’ just aren’t visible - we can’t see his hands for example, he also says > [@](#): > > My parents took me to the dermatologist and they gave me a cream for my spots. It has slowed down the spots-they don’t spread like they used to at all. Some of the color has come back to my skin since I have been using it. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-has-vitiligo/313268/13 "2005-07-20T14:50:16Z")
I have no problem with the idea that he’s got vitiligo. I have a huge problem with his claim that he hasn’t had any work done. What, is your face imploding??? To be fair, most of the changes he had made, up to a couple years ago, just made him look a lot more like his sister, Janet, but that’s just creepy. ---
**Author:** ![drhess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/94ad74/32.png) [@drhess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drhess)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-has-vitiligo/313268/14 "2005-07-20T14:51:46Z")
But does vit. change over time? I don’t recall MJ had signs of it as a kid, unless it was makeup- or clothing- covered. His color seems to have certainly changed beyond what I thought vit. did, but I don’t know much about it. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/96bed5/32.png) [@Cat\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Jones)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-has-vitiligo/313268/15 "2005-07-20T14:53:36Z")
Sorry **vetbridge** , didn’t mean to ingnore your post. Thanks for the link - and hope things are going as ok as can be expected, if not better. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-has-vitiligo/313268/16 "2005-07-20T16:16:50Z")
Also, if he really had vitiligo, wouldn’t it just be easier to fill in the light spots darker? ---
**Author:** ![Ragiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6de8d8/32.png) [@Ragiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ragiel)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-has-vitiligo/313268/17 "2005-07-20T16:35:18Z")
As of now, no way to stimulate melanin production and darken skin patches is available. Suppression of melanin production all over is the only way to achieve an unblotched skin. Makeup, of course, is usually intended to darken the light spots and blend them in. If the patches on face or neck are small, this could be a good alternative. I believe he probably does have vitiligo, and being a performer wishes to take no chances of looking piebald to any passing camera. Logical. It just seems so … convenient. ---
**Author:** ![awldune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@awldune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/awldune)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-has-vitiligo/313268/18 "2005-07-20T16:35:23Z")
Well yeah, if such a thing were possible. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-has-vitiligo/313268/19 "2005-07-20T16:45:57Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Also, if he really had vitiligo, wouldn’t it just be easier to fill in the light spots darker? I think that’s what a lot of people do. I did some research on vitiligo (just out of curiosity) a while back. Darned if I can remember any of my sources though. The upshot was that it was quite common for people with vitiligo, especially black people, to use makeup to match the darker tone. ( [Dermablend](http://www.dermablend.com/productDetails.aspx?prodID=1) is a very popular product.) For obvious reasons, it’s usually easier to darken the light areas than vice versa. While there are procedures that can lighten the darker areas, they tend to have some serious risks. Also, since the vitiligo patches can change over time, or even start to go away, any permanent procedure is likely to backfire. As far as Michael Jackson goes: I have no problem believing that he does have vitiligo. But even if he does, unless he has an extroadinarily severe case, it doesn’t explain why he’s “turned white.” He may have had procedures to lighten the dark patches, or he may just choose to use a light-toned makeup. But the weird thing about Michael Jackson and the vitiligo thing is that if he does in fact have it, why doesn’t he do some public education or charitable work related to the condition? So many celebrities who have found themselves ill or disabled have done a lot to help raise awareness of the condition and money for research on it. He loves to talk about how philanthropic he is, but other than claiming to _have_ the disease, he doesn’t do anything to try and help others with it or find a cure. And he certainly has never publicly revealed any patchy skin. I mean, he doesn’t have to show his un-made-up face or anything if that’s too painful for him, but he could show a forearm or something. Which all makes me think that maybe he doesn’t have it after all. In other words, something doesn’t quite add up. And, IMHO, that’s what makes people so willing to believe that something not-quite-right is going on in any and all other areas of his life. Whatever it is, it just doesn’t add up. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-has-vitiligo/313268/20 "2005-07-20T16:54:15Z")
> [@Green Bean](#): > > But the weird thing about Michael Jackson and the vitiligo thing is that if he does in fact have it, why doesn’t he do some public education or charitable work related to the condition? So many celebrities who have found themselves ill or disabled have done a lot to help raise awareness of the condition and money for research on it. He loves to talk about how philanthropic he is, but other than claiming to _have_ the disease, he doesn’t do anything to try and help others with it or find a cure. And he certainly has never publicly revealed any patchy skin. I mean, he doesn’t have to show his un-made-up face or anything if that’s too painful for him, but he could show a forearm or something. Which all makes me think that maybe he doesn’t have it after all. Speaking as one who has it, in no way do I want Jackson to be the poster child for this disease. We get enough odd stares and rude comments as it is, thank you. For all we know, he did contact whatever association is out there and was turned down. I hope so. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-has-vitiligo/313268.md?page=2)