shorttrini said:

It has a lot to do with makeup too

I've brought this example up before so here it is again:

This was Michael on the Bad tour:
One day:

another day:




[img][/img]

SoulAlive said:

I heard Sisquo had it too

trueiopian said:

"Re-pigmentation" doesn't work on most victims of vitiligo. It's rarely successful from what I've heard.

If you're really interested about learning more about this disease check out this reporter's book. He's done many interviews discussing his battle with vitiligo.

TV Reporter Tells The Story Of His Battle With Vitiligo

Lee Thomas, a black television reporter from Detroit, is turning white before his viewers' eyes. Literally. The veteran reporter has vitiligo, and has recently written about his struggle with the skin disease in a memoir called Turning White: A Memoir of Change.

"I'm a black man turning white on television and people can see it," says Thomas, an anchor and entertainment reporter for the local Fox Broadcasting Company affiliate. "If you've watched me over the years, you've seen my hands completely change from brown to white."

It's not fatal, but experts say vitiligo robs people of self-confidence, evokes ridicule and unpleasant stares, and pushes some into unforced seclusion.

The 40-year-old Thomas says that's not where the disorder needs to be…

http://www.turningwhite.com/

IN HIS THOUGHT-PROVOKING MEMOIR, Turning White, Emmy Award-winning TV broadcaster Lee Thomas shares the physical and mental battle he is waging with vitiligo — a skin disorder that is literally turning him white. At age 25, Thomas had a dream job in a dream city — a feature/entertainment reporter for the ABC network’s flagship TV station in New York. Then he discovered a few white spots on his scalp, the small beginnings of a disease that has spread to half his face — a fact he covers with makeup when on camera. As someone in the public eye, vitiligo has transformed not only Thomas’ color, but his life. “Even people who have known me for years avoid eye contact when they see my face without makeup for the first time,” he writes. Recently, Thomas turned the spotlight on himself during a special report for WJBK FOX 2 Detroit, where he is currently an entertainment reporter.

Lee inspiring story has touched people from South Africa to Sacramento. The book has lead this award winning broadcaster around the country speaking at national conferences, businesses and literary events touching people with his empowering and motivational story.

LEE THOMAS is a playwright, journalist, and four-time Emmy Award-winning television broadcaster. Currently residing in Detroit, he is an anchor/entertainment reporter and regularly goes to Hollywood to chat with the stars.

Thomas has a B.A. in Speech Communications from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. He can be seen daily on Fox 2 News Morning in Detroit.

SCNDLS said:

It never looks "authenic"

bboy87 said:

I saw a recent interview with this reporter and he talked about the re-pigmentation not working for him. And his hands look just like Michael's to me.
[Edited 1/28/09 11:41am]

I can tell U one thing. It is a tough thing 2 deal with.

I have it. Not all over, but it tends 2 affect the face, hands, and genital areas.

Since the latter area on me is primarily brown, the white blotches R a bit shocking, so when I meet a new lover, I always have 2 wonder what it's gonna be like when she finds out that I'm like the United Colors of Benetton down there.

Vitiligo is NOT a disease... it isn't related 2 health in the way of a disease. It is most commonly accepted that it is genetic, and a reaction occurs where the body's immune system is overactive, and mistakenly attacks the pigment cells 4 no logical reason.

Another note, this time on repigmentation. It doesn't work, nor is it recommended.

Also, using darker makeup 2 conceal the lighter spots doesn't work so well, so when makeup is the option, it is generally a lighter shade.

I'm not saying anything about MJ, 'cause who knows what the real deal is with him. It very well could be Vitiligo with him though.

Giovanni777 said:

Thanks for sharing hun.

shorttrini said:

There is a process called depigmentation, which is like a permanent kind of bleaching and you don't have to have vitiligo to undergo it. Once you undergo depigmentation you can never get your natural complexion back in the exactly the same way it use to be. However, you can still be left with blotches of brown skin all over your body like someone with full-blown vitiligo.

Michael became lighter too gradually and evenly, and that is the main reason why I don't believe the vitiligo story, but I could be wrong, but it's too much of a coincidence that he is the only person in his family that has this disease and has also had the most plastic surgery too.
[Edited 1/28/09 12:17pm]

Giovanni777 said:

WOW, so it's NOT a disease... well there goes that "MJ has a skin disease" thing then... he has a skin condition, lol.

SCNDLS said:

Well, if anyone can show us a convincing picture of Michael like the above, then the vitiligo story may just wash. But fans can never post a convincing picture of Michael when he was prominetly brown with big white blotches all over his hands and face, because they just don't exist. There are pictures of MJ with severe acne out there but no pictures of him with the initial stages of vitiligo.

bboy87 said:

These pictures are from different years.

bboy87 said:

Look at his skin on the last picture...I think that is due to excessive skin bleaching

whatsgoingon said:

Of course there's not a picture of that if he wears makeup ALL the time, like most entertainers do when they step outside their home. I believe that MJ has complex issues about his appearance and the vitiligo was the final straw in his mind. With or without it he would've been obsessive about his appearance anyway. A lot of things are true about celebs or people in general regardless of whether there's photographic evidence. I've known people that had vitiligo but it was YEARS before I found out because they used makeup all the time, so I had no idea, not that it was any of my damn business. They told me about it when THEY were ready to. So it is quite possible to conceal it especially if you have a complex about it.

midnightmover said:

They'll from 1986-1987

SCNDLS said:

You've undermined your own argument. Your friends were able to hide it, which means presumably they stayed the same colour by using make up that matched their original skin tone. No-one has ever been able to explain why Mike didn't just do that. Why did he get gradually lighter?

bboy87 said:

The second one is from 1988 when he returned to Japan. The first one is from his trip there a year earlier. Those of us who were around at the time remember how he suddenly got another shade lighter in 1988.

midnightmover said:

You're assuming shit cuz I didn't say they didn't change shades, you ASSumed that. Black folks, like everybody else, can change color from one day to the next depending on the season and sun exposure. So, someone getting lighter wouldn't indicate anything in particular to me. I myself keep at least THREE different shades of makeup because even though I'm dark, my face can fluctuate 3 makeup shades. So, someone appearing lighter is NOT that big a deal to me cuz my friends and I do that all time.

SCNDLS said:

You're on shaky ground. You've seen how drastic MJ's colour changes were. He got massively lighter as the years went by. Are you telling me with a straight face that your friends also underwent that degree of lightening? Please be honest.

midnightmover said:

You're the one that keeps taking leaps to shit I'm not even saying so I'ma leave you to it.

I knew of one relative who had vitiligo but his didn't spread the way the news reporter's spread so I guess it depends on what causes some to lose the majority of their skin tone. It may have a lot to do with stressful situations plus acne is a serious problem that can result in having a skin condition like vitiligo or a skin disease like lupus.

SCNDLS said:

No, I'm just trying to get you to talk straight instead of dodging and weaving like you've got something to hide. Dodging simple questions and being vague (in short, playing dumb) is a sure sign that a person's on shaky ground.

Timmy84 said:

Dude, I don't know what books you've been reading, but there is no link whatsoever between acne and vitiligo or lupus.

midnightmover said:

Nah I'm not saying that acne will lead to those illnesses, I guess I should've worded it differently... I meant to say that if you start showing signs of a skin problem after getting rid of bumps or whatever due to acne, it may lead to further skin problems.
[Edited 1/28/09 12:58pm]

midnightmover said:

midnight, he's darker in the second picture

those first 2 pictures were taking the same time this special was being shot:

bboy87 said:

Are you trying to say he wears white make- up now to cover up his actual skin tone?!?!?!?

[quote] Well, if anyone can show us a convincing picture of Michael like the above, then the vitiligo story may just wash. But fans can never post a convincing picture of Michael when he was prominetly brown with big white blotches all over his hands and face, because they just don't exist. There are pictures of MJ with severe acne out there but no pictures of him with the initial stages of vitiligo.

maybe there are no pictures because he was/is embarrased about it and didn't want people to see it. most people with vitiligo talk about how hard is. don't you realize a lot of vitiligo sufferers are made fun of if they go out with no makeup. you can't judge michael just beacuse he didn't release a photo album of his condition, most vitiligo suffers cover it up thats why a lot of people don't even know what it is. Think about 65 million people around the world have vitiligo and yet you very seldom see people with it out in public beacuse those who have it usually hide it. Even lee thomas said he understands why michael hid it . I think Thomas is more qualified to make a judgement on the issue than some of you guys


http://www.youtube.com/wa...tHW7ptF76c

on another note did they even have repigmentation in the 80's?

also for those talking about him getting gradually lighter i am sure many vitiligo sufferers have done this by gradually using lighter makeup I am going to post the entire story a person with vitiligo put in the comments on the floacist website. this person " gradually" got lighter but was really using lighter makeup beacuse she ( like michael) realized it was a waste of time slattering brown make up over too much white skin evey day


from the floacist website

http://floacist.wordpress.../#comments


How about none of your business for the people who figure they dont believe. You not the one that had to go through it so you will base lack of knowledge to assuption.

Ive had vitiligo all my life from age 3 till now 32. Not alot of people new I had vitiligo when I was alot younger even me because it was one or two little spots.
http://www.geocities.com/...egyal2.bmp

When I was about between 10 to 14 was the most horrible years of being a teen. From 13 years old 1990 to 2002 which is 12 years I wore make-up every, every, every day. If anyone popped up at my house unannounced I never, never answered the door. Why because I did not have my make up on.
http://www.geocities.com/...rtrait.JPG

In 2002 I made a change from wearing dark make-up (ebony complex) to wearing a light ivory tone makeup, drastic visual change? Yes.
http://www.geocities.com/...l/cyar.jpg

I went from being at work on Friday as a dark skin woman to being at work on Monday as a light skin woman.

Im no celebrity and people I worked with though I had a proceedure done over the weekend LOL. Nope!!! I just changed makeup because I was pretty much putting dark makeup over to much white skin.

Now I live with over 75% of white skin. Some think Im mixed with something, you know bi-racial etc. At times I may look to some as if I am albino, it depends.
http://www.geocities.com/...zoomer.jpg

I wore long sleeves, pants and could not wait for summer to be over because wearing make up in 100 degree weather is excruciating lol..

I my legs are still blotchy and my arms also have blotches of dark area. My face is completely covered with vitiligo and I look Light skinned to many or of hispanic, puerto-rican decent. But will forever be a black woman of Trinidadian decent.

We know lots of folk may think im lying. But its true to me because its my experience that I would not wish on anyone. No just because you did not have to go through something like this or have the outrageous reasoning of what your choices would be if you had it is idiotic. you cant answer that question unless you went through it. Through elementry school, middle school, high school, college, life, forever and ever, every day, every day.

Have I tried repigmentation? yes. Did i feel it would work for me? no am I trying depigmentation. hell to the yes. why? why the hell wouldnt I? Aren’t you enjoying being one complection? So i would to, even at the risk of experiencing crappy sun burn on a beautiful sunny day.
MOST RECENT PIC
http://www.geocities.com/...GE_034.jpg
BRING IT ON TO ALL THE PHOTOSHOP EXPERTS.. WHATCHA THINK? CAUSE YOU KNOW EVERYTHING RIGHT?

trueiopian said:

Don't expect an answer to this question. These guys don't have a consistent story. They keep throwing up different ones all the time hoping that one might stick.