# Photos of MJ's skin disorder (new to me!) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 2, 2009, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photos-of-mjs-skin-disorder-new-to-me/501720 "2009-07-02T17:09:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![sjc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@sjc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sjc)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2009, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photos-of-mjs-skin-disorder-new-to-me/501720/21 "2009-07-03T19:19:58Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > What I don’t understand is why Mr. Jackson’s makeup artist was so bad. [Lee Thomas](http://www.eurweb.com/images/lee_thomas(2007-in-mirror-vitiligo-med-wide-small).jpg), a FOX news reporter, suffers vitiligo with very extreme differences between his patches and old skin tone, yet it wasn’t noticed for years, [even though many of the patches are on his face](http://www.smh.com.au/news/science/black-tv-anchor-turning-white-on-air/2007/12/18/1197740254314.html). He simply covered it up with quality makeup in the darker tone. There was a quote in that article: “When was the last time you saw someone with vitiligo handling your food? It is the public’s image that it is some leprosy-type of disease,” he says. “A lot of folks feel this disease has trapped them and kept them away from their life goals.” Oddly enough, I think the last time I saw someone with vitiligo (who I knew of) was behind the register at a restaurant in an airport. He looked like he was from southeast asia, and he had patches of white mixed in with the quite dark skin of his face. ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2009, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photos-of-mjs-skin-disorder-new-to-me/501720/22 "2009-07-04T14:41:35Z")
My brother has vitiligo… and he’s considering bleaching to make his skin even. He has a hard time even getting the time of day from girls because, I think at least in part, the patches of white on his tan skin look weird. He’s got a few female friends, but he’s never had a girlfriend and it’s eating at his self esteem. I can only imagine what someone in the public eye would be going through. ---
**Author:** ![supergoose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@supergoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/supergoose)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2009, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photos-of-mjs-skin-disorder-new-to-me/501720/23 "2009-07-04T19:49:56Z")
> [@Serenata67](#): > > My brother has vitiligo… and he’s considering bleaching to make his skin even. He has a hard time even getting the time of day from girls because, I think at least in part, the patches of white on his tan skin look weird. He’s got a few female friends, but he’s never had a girlfriend and it’s eating at his self esteem. I can only imagine what someone in the public eye would be going through. Aw. If it would work well, I’d say he should go for it. Self-esteem is a precious commodity. (Yeah, I know, self-esteem should come from within, but let’s face it, appearance plays a large role for many of us.) ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2009, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photos-of-mjs-skin-disorder-new-to-me/501720/24 "2009-07-04T20:08:30Z")
PapSett, that is quite fascinating. ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photos-of-mjs-skin-disorder-new-to-me/501720/25 "2009-07-06T00:07:23Z")
> [@supergoose](#): > > Aw. If it would work well, I’d say he should go for it. Self-esteem is a precious commodity. (Yeah, I know, self-esteem should come from within, but let’s face it, appearance plays a large role for many of us.) He’s looking into it, but it’s not a cheap thing… and he’s in school. I’m hoping he’ll find a girl who isn’t shallow and can look past it. He deserves the best. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photos-of-mjs-skin-disorder-new-to-me/501720.md?page=1)