how did micheal jakson the got white?

Question

like i hear heard he bleached tell me what he did and explain plz.

Answer 1

He has a skin condition. It's not intentional. Google vitiligo and you'll learn about it.

Answer 2

He had a skin disease called Vitillgo which makes the skin loose pigment in patches, so he did something to even it out (maybe bleaching?) That was proved in the autopsy on that doctors trial. As for lying about surgery, I don't know really - maybe embarassment or something?

Answer 3

Vitiligo

Answer 4

Through skin bleaching and it's not white but whitish.

Answer 5

He probably bleached it. People don't get vitiligo on 100% of their body!

Answer 6

I think its a skin disease Veniligo or something like that. I think I spelled it wrong, but it takes away the color pigment of your skin.

Answer 7

what does that have to do with orientation??

he has vitaligo, and he was burned really bad in 84 with the fireworks for that pepsi commercial...... re-constructive surgery and vitaligo.....

Answer 8

well he has a skin virus,

Answer 9

Vitiligo

In 1993, during his famous interview with talk show host Oprah Winfrey, Michael revealed that the cause of his much talked about change in skin color was due to the skin disorder called Vitiligo. Not much is known to the general public about Vitiligo. So MJFC has compiled a few facts about the disorder which you will find below. The info on this page has mainly been compiled from the web site of the National Vitiligo Foundation.

What Is Vitiligo?

Vitiligo (vit-ill-eye-go) is a pigmentation disorder in which melanocytes (the cells which make pigment) in the skin are destroyed. Patients with Vitiligo develop white spots in the skin that vary in size and location. The disease affects both sexes and all races. The distinctive patches of discoloration are most noticeable in people with darker skin tones. Approximately 1 to 2 percent of the world's population (or 40 to 50 million people) has Vitiligo! About 95% of people who have the disease develop it before their 40th birthday.

What Causes Vitiligo?

The cause of Vitiligo is not known, but doctors and researchers have developed several theories. One theory is that people develop antibodies that destroy the melanocytes in their own bodies. The most credible theory, and the most frequently reported precipitating factor, is a single stressful physical or psychological event such as severe sunburn, surgery, pregnancy, loss of job, bereavement, or some other source of emotional trauma or distress. Some believe that the disease is hereditary, however most people with Vitiligo have no family history of the disorder.

The beginning of Vitiligo and the severity of pigment loss differs with each patient. The disorder is usually progressive and for some people the depigmentation spreads slowly, over many years. For others, the spreading occurs rapidly. There is no way to predict how much pigment a patient will loose. Illness and stress can result in further pigment loss.

Emotional & Psychological Effects

Because Vitiligo causes such dramatically uneven skin color most patients experience emotional and psychological stress--especially if the Vitiligo develops on visible areas of the body, such as the face, hands, arms, feet, or even on the genitals. Many patients often feel embarrassed, ashamed, depressed, or worried about how others will react. Some people with Vitiligo have found that using cosmetics to cover the white patches improves their appearance and helps them to feel better about themselves.

Treatment Options

Unfortunately, there is no known cure for Vitiligo at this time. There are, however, two basic treatment options: Repigmentation - to try to restore the normal pigment; and depigmentation - to try to destroy the remaining pigment cells. For repigmentation, new pigment cells must be produced from already existing ones. The patient is given what's called a psoralen drug and then exposed to ultraviolet light (UV-A). When the drug is activated by the UV-A it increases the availability of color-producing cells at the skin's surface. The patient must take the psoralen drug by mouth about two hours before lying in the sun or under artificial UV-A. A doctor's supervision is required during each step of repigmentation therapy.

People with Vitiligo should always protect their skin against excessive exposure to the sun by wearing protective clothing (such as long sleeves, hats, etc.), staying out of the sun at peak periods except during treatment time, and using sunscreen lotions with a SPF of 15 or higher. Potential damage to the eyes can be prevented by wearing special sunglasses with protective lenses. They should be worn during sunlight exposure and for the remainder of the day after treatment with psoralen drugs.

Depigmentation is warranted when a patient has Vitiligo over more than 50% of the body. A cream containing a drug called monobenzone is used to permanently destroy the pigment cells in unaffected areas of the skin and produce a uniform skin tone. After using the drug, the patient should then avoid direct skin-to-skin contact with other people for at least two hours. Depigmentation is permanent and cannot be reversed. Also, people who undergo this procedure should be advised that it does result in extreme photosensitivity (they will always be abnormally sensitive to the sunlight).


Key Words

Antibodies: protective proteins produced by the body's immune system to fight infectious agents (such as bacteria or viruses) or other "foreign" substances

Depigmentation: loss of color in the skin, mucous membranes, hair, or retina of the eye

Melanin: a yellow, brown, or black pigment that determines skin color. Melanin also acts as a sunscreen and protects the skin from ultraviolet light

Melanocytes: special cells that produce melanin

Pigment: a coloring matter in the cells and tissues of the body

Pigmentation: coloring of the skin, hair, mucous membranes, and retina of the eye



For more information on Vitiligo you can check out the following web sites:

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National Vitiligo Foundation
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National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
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MEDLINEplus
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Vitiligo Support


Article

This is an interesting article refering to Vitiligo which was published in the Canadian newspaper 'Le journal de Montreal'. Please note that this article is the opinion of the writer. The original article, which can be found at the bottom of this page, was kindly supplied by Jess. A translation of the French version was kindly done by Laura Bless.

English version - French version (original)
Black and White
by Pierre Bourgeault

I would like to talk to you about Michael Jackson but I don't really know how to do so. I know, I know, you started to laugh when I mention his name. You think that he is ridiculous and like everyone else you make fun of this black man trying to be a white man.

Nevertheless, what I have to tell you is tragic. I will reveal something that you don't know and that will maybe make you change your mind about him.

Michael Jackson, after some years of absence is trying a come-back that has no guarantee of being successful. Last Friday, in New York, all those who approached him made fun of him saying that he was even whiter than before.

But I know why this is the case. Many years ago, Michael's doctor gave a press conference where he declared that Michael suffered from vitiligo. But as no one knew what he was talking about, we didn't hear anything about it. But I knew what he was talking about. As I myself suffer since birth from this illness that we call vitiligo. His illness doesn't induce pain or death and isn't contagious. But it can have a dramatic side to it that no one will be able to ignore.

To make things simple, vitiligo causes an absence of pigmentation in the skin. That's why I'm whiter than white, and why I've had white hair for a long time. That's why I burn when I'm in the sun for less than five minutes.

Now I don't care but for a long time I was traumatized. The illness progresses. At first, you don't notice it. Then white patches appear on the skin that you try to hide. Then your hair goes white. Then some years later, you are white from head to toe. I covered my whole body for a long time and I dyed my eyebrows, eyelashes and hair for a while. Then when I was old enough to have grey hair I stopped. Michael Jackson suffers from vitiligo. Michael Jackson is black. It was dreadful for me. It's even worse for Michael Jackson. In my situation white became white. He has white patches on a black skin. Awful. Thoughts of suicide probably. Jackson tries all the remedies (there are none), tests all the therapies (none are successful). He goes for plastic surgery (that doesn't change anything). He uses make-up and everyone laughs. He becomes whiter and whiter. And finally he is all white.

He is made fun of and insulted. The black community accuses him of wanting to be white and of betraying his race.

Jackson disappears for some year. Now he is back and they accuse him of being even whiter than before. They make fun, laugh and insult him. But I don't.

I don't need anything and I ask nothing of you. But now that you know, I would be grateful if you laughed a little less when you think of Michael Jackson.