Before we start, I want to clarify something. I'm not going speculate or judge about Michael's appearance in this thread. I have one theory, that I want to share, which can really help somebody to see, that Michael actually wasn't victim of plastic surgeries. He was a victim of 2 serious skin disorders and still managed to take advatage from his condition. No man on this planet, who could ever do that. No man, but Michael! True King Of Pop! 
Let's start from the beginning…
1979
According to many reports, Michael broke his nose after falling off a stage during a rehearsal sometime around 1979, therefore leading to his first rhinoplasty. The accident itself has never been disputed, meaning it did indeed happen. Now, what Jackson’s critics have tried to say is that he essentially used this accident as an “excuse” to start “having the plastic surgery he always wanted,” and to that I say that’s yet another ridiculous criticism. Let’s keep it real - Michael Jackson was a celebrity who had been famous since around ten-years-old. The year 1979 put him at 20 going on 21-years-old, meaning if he had “wanted a nose job so badly,” that he’d had the means to do so for years and hadn’t acted on it.
We all know storiy about Michael, being bullied by his father, who insulted and harassed MJ for his big nose. Therefore many assumed, that Michael started to hate his nose and become insecure about his appearance. But even if those insecurities remained and really affected him in mental way, Jackson could have skirted his way around not legally being 18 and had a nose job done the way many celebrities have. He did not. Jackson officially turned 18 in August 1976 so he could have had it legally done then. He did not. He also could have had the procedure done when he turned 19 in 1977 and 20 in 1978. He did not. This alone dispels the notion that he was “looking for an excuse to change his nose,” because he had the means to do so for years and didn’t act on it.
It makes perfect sense when you think about it. Michael Jackson was an artist serious about his craft first and foremost, and having a nose job presents the possibility of your singing voice being permanently altered or even ruined completely. That said, what hadn’t been realized upon that first procedure after Jackson’s nose was broken in 1979, was that he was actually in the early stages of lupus. While he didn’t officially receive that diagnosis until 1983, we know that autoimmune diseases have a way of lying dormant and/or slowly progressing over the course of time. As a result, the procedure in 1979 resulted in Jackson’s nose not healing properly along with giving him breathing issues, which in turn led to a series of corrective work.
1993
During the 1993 allegations, Santa Barbara District Attorney Tom Sneddon hired a doctor named Richard Strick to perform a court ordered examination of Jackson and review his medical records in December 1993. We’ll be discussing this more in-depth later on as this examination was a larger part of the 1993 allegations, but for now we’re going to cover what he concluded in regards to Jackson’s cosmetic procedures. As per the court order, Strick was able to gain access to Jackson’s records from his doctors, dermatologist and plastic surgeon. It’s important to note that in this particular instance, Dr. Strick came from the prosecution’s side, so there was no reason to downplay or lie.
After a full examination of Jackson’s records, Strick concluded that the primary reason for the nose jobs were indeed medical as they were for reconstructive reasons due to skin healing problems and scarring associated with discoid lupus.
Below is an excerpt from an interview conducted with Dr. Strick via Fox News in October 2009,:
Dr. Strick:
"Michael had a disease, vitiligo, in which the pigment is lost, and attempts had been made to bring that pigment back which had been unsuccessful. So he tried to bleach it out so it would be one colour. Lupus is also an autoimmune disease and he also had skin involvement, which had destroyed part of the skin of his nose and his nasal surgeries and all were really reconstructive, to try and look normal. The first surgery from 1979 was to try and reconstruct from some scar tissue and obstruction that had happened with the skin there. It didn’t work out very well and all subsequent attempts were to make it right. I think he was trying to look like a normal guy as best as he could"
So there we have strait confirmation from a doctor who was on the prosecution’s side, and what he said in 2009 is exactly what he concluded in 1993 upon evaluating Jackson’s records - the work that was done afterwards was reconstructive work in the attempt to not only deal with the damage done to his nose by lupus which itself had destroyed the tissue in his nose area, but to help with the breathing obstruction he suffered as a result.
So now we can all agree on one undeniable fact. Lupus played a huge role in Mike's life. It had a direct impact not only on health, but also on the condition of the skin as well. I suggest to continue with exploring the topic of lupus more detail. I made some researches about lupus and how it can affect your skin (especially face features) and I found some really interesting facts. Lupus typically shows up with next symptoms:
With lupus, desease such as vasculitis can develop. It's inflammation of the small blood vessels that supply the skin. When these vessels become inflamed and blocked, the skin begins to suffer from a lack of oxygen and nutrients. If the process is severe, the tissues can undergo necrosis— they die. In that case, the skin turns black, becomes dead tissue, and may start to peel off or "fall away" in pieces. The nose is especially vulnerable because the tip of the nose already has poor blood supply under normal conditions, and inflammation makes the situation even worse. Additionally, if a bacterial infection joins in, the destruction become much much faster.
(Keep in mind, that Michael got through one of the most horrible accidents in his life in 1984, this is very important, cause it connets with everything I'm discussing in this thread)
However, all this damage can be fixed via reconstructive surgery, but if not only the skin, but also the cartilage is damaged, more complex operations are required.
Sometimes the cartilage structure is rebuilt using cartilage taken from the ear, rib, or nasal septum.
In practice, it’s usually not just one surgery, but several stages — first, the lost tissues are saved and reconstructed, and then gradually the form and aesthetics are improved.
Important! Everything depends on how much tissue has been lost and the overall health condition.
(For example, if lupus is active, surgery can be risky and healing may be slow.)
The lips are actually one of the common areas where lupus manifests. The vermilion border of the lips (the area where the skin transitions into the lip) can become inflamed, cracked, and flaky. It becomes bright red, dry, and painful. Ulcers can develop — ranging from small cracks to deeper open sores. Sometimes discoid lupus can affect the lips — in that case, thick red or whitish plaques with scaling appear on the vermilion border. They can leave behind scars after healing. In systemic lupus, ulcers can also form inside the mouth (on the inner side of the lips, cheeks, gums, and even the palate) — often painless but persistent. The lips can also become sensitive to sunlight, just like facial skin — exposure to UV light can worsen the inflammation. In very severe cases, when lip inflammation is very aggressive, necrosis (tissue death) is also possible, especially if there’s vasculitis or a secondary infection. But this is still considered rare.
In general. The lips are a "target" for lupus, especially when the skin overall is affected.
In more severe cases lips can shrink. If there is long-standing inflammation on the lips, the skin and mucous membranes heal by forming scars. Scars can contract the tissues — the lip becomes thinner, pulled inward, and loses volume. If the inflammation has severely damaged the deeper tissue layers, the loss of volume can be even more pronounced. This especially affects the vermilion border of the lips. It can become narrow, uneven, and sunken. Sometimes the changes can even involve the corners of the mouth.
If lupus affects the nerves, facial muscle dysfunction can occur — such as weakness, twitching, or spasms. In addition, secondary anxiety and stress can develop against the background of lupus, and this can lead to functional spasms of the facial muscles (especially around the mouth, cheeks, and eyes).
Now, having all the information listed above about lupus, we can make several conclusions:
A. Lupus can damage the cellular structure of the skin, eventually deforming it and causing characteristic changes in its condition.
B. The nose and lips are among the most vulnerable areas in lupus and can become severely deformed depending on the severity of the disease.
C. Lupus can also affect muscle function, including the facial muscles.
D. All of this worsens with a weakened immune system, as well as with bacterial or chemical infections.
I don't know about you, but for me, this information is more than enough to believe that, in reality, all of Michael’s surgeries were purely reconstructive, not cosmetic (plastic).
Let’s take a look at Michael’s situation. He had two skin conditions: vitiligo and lupus. In 1979, Michael suffered a nose injury and, because of that, underwent his first reconstructive surgery. Over time, it turned out that the operation had not been entirely successful, most likely due to the presence of lupus. Michael started having breathing problems. Another surgery followed, and as you understand, during these procedures, Michael lost all the parts of his nose that were affected by lupus. Obviously, his nose became smaller. This continued through the late '80s, when Michael’s nose reached its minimum size. But the disease didn’t go away. Until the end of his life, Michael constantly had to somehow deal with his condition.
Could Michael, during these surgeries, at the same time change shape of his nose however he wanted?
In the early stages — that is around 1979–1983 — yes, quite possibly.
But was this the main reason he underwent surgeries?
No, the main reason was lupus and the related problems it caused with his nose.
And if we dig deeper, this theory actually explains many things that previously seemed quite strange. For example, why Michael constantly hid his nose during the 1990s and 2000s (with his hands, masks, bandages). People loved to come up with all sorts of nonsense, like: "Ugh, another failed surgery!" or "He covered his mouth with his hands during the MSG 2001 performance — must have had another surgery and damaged his lip!" But no one even thinked, that the real reason could have simply been his desease, which was the reason Michael was afraid to show his face.
As a final conclusion:
I believe the main reason behind all of Michael’s surgeries (it's not important how many there were of them) was lupus, and that these were reconstructive surgeries, not plastic ones. Yes, I know he mentioned in his book that he had a chin dimple and he was open about that. But that's just a small cleft nothing more.
Of course, many will now say "But he himself admitted twice that he had at least two plastic surgeries!" Guys, he lied. And he had every reason and every right to do so.
Just put yourself in Michael’s place. You’re a global superstar. Millions of people around the world adore you. Then suddenly your skin starts to lose pigment and turns white. You try to even out it with makeup. Over time, makeup no longer helps, and you are forced to open up to the whole world and admit that you have vitiligo.
It was incredibly difficult for you, but you did it. And people accepted you.
But at the same time, you have another skin disorder, lupus, which was slowly destroying your skin, nose, and lips. Just imagine what would have happened if Michael had openly admitted how this disease was affecting his face. Yes, tabloids would have torn him apart instantly. I can already imagine the headlines: "The Walking Rotting Nose", "A Monster Among Us" and so on.
That’s exactly why Michael came up with the so-called story that he had "only 2 plastic surgeries." Implying, that these were plastic surgeries and made just because he wanted to have better looking nose. He was afraid that the world would not accept him with his desease. He was afraid, that people wil start to be scared of him. And Michael wanted to be loved more than anything. It was really important for him. That's why I no longer believe those stories about how Michael was supposedly obsessed with his appearance, how he allegedly hated his big nose since childhood because of his father, and eventually decided to have a bunch of surgeries to change himself, trying to make his nose look like Peter Pan's. I believe all of that is made-up nonsense.
Michael just had two skin disorders that tried to destroy his appearance. But Michael didn’t give up. He managed to adapt, overcome his condition, and in the end... he won.
Let's start from the beginning…
1979
According to many reports, Michael broke his nose after falling off a stage during a rehearsal sometime around 1979, therefore leading to his first rhinoplasty. The accident itself has never been disputed, meaning it did indeed happen. Now, what Jackson’s critics have tried to say is that he essentially used this accident as an “excuse” to start “having the plastic surgery he always wanted,” and to that I say that’s yet another ridiculous criticism. Let’s keep it real - Michael Jackson was a celebrity who had been famous since around ten-years-old. The year 1979 put him at 20 going on 21-years-old, meaning if he had “wanted a nose job so badly,” that he’d had the means to do so for years and hadn’t acted on it.
We all know storiy about Michael, being bullied by his father, who insulted and harassed MJ for his big nose. Therefore many assumed, that Michael started to hate his nose and become insecure about his appearance. But even if those insecurities remained and really affected him in mental way, Jackson could have skirted his way around not legally being 18 and had a nose job done the way many celebrities have. He did not. Jackson officially turned 18 in August 1976 so he could have had it legally done then. He did not. He also could have had the procedure done when he turned 19 in 1977 and 20 in 1978. He did not. This alone dispels the notion that he was “looking for an excuse to change his nose,” because he had the means to do so for years and didn’t act on it.
It makes perfect sense when you think about it. Michael Jackson was an artist serious about his craft first and foremost, and having a nose job presents the possibility of your singing voice being permanently altered or even ruined completely. That said, what hadn’t been realized upon that first procedure after Jackson’s nose was broken in 1979, was that he was actually in the early stages of lupus. While he didn’t officially receive that diagnosis until 1983, we know that autoimmune diseases have a way of lying dormant and/or slowly progressing over the course of time. As a result, the procedure in 1979 resulted in Jackson’s nose not healing properly along with giving him breathing issues, which in turn led to a series of corrective work.
1993
During the 1993 allegations, Santa Barbara District Attorney Tom Sneddon hired a doctor named Richard Strick to perform a court ordered examination of Jackson and review his medical records in December 1993. We’ll be discussing this more in-depth later on as this examination was a larger part of the 1993 allegations, but for now we’re going to cover what he concluded in regards to Jackson’s cosmetic procedures. As per the court order, Strick was able to gain access to Jackson’s records from his doctors, dermatologist and plastic surgeon. It’s important to note that in this particular instance, Dr. Strick came from the prosecution’s side, so there was no reason to downplay or lie.
After a full examination of Jackson’s records, Strick concluded that the primary reason for the nose jobs were indeed medical as they were for reconstructive reasons due to skin healing problems and scarring associated with discoid lupus.
Below is an excerpt from an interview conducted with Dr. Strick via Fox News in October 2009,:
Dr. Strick:
"Michael had a disease, vitiligo, in which the pigment is lost, and attempts had been made to bring that pigment back which had been unsuccessful. So he tried to bleach it out so it would be one colour. Lupus is also an autoimmune disease and he also had skin involvement, which had destroyed part of the skin of his nose and his nasal surgeries and all were really reconstructive, to try and look normal. The first surgery from 1979 was to try and reconstruct from some scar tissue and obstruction that had happened with the skin there. It didn’t work out very well and all subsequent attempts were to make it right. I think he was trying to look like a normal guy as best as he could"
So there we have strait confirmation from a doctor who was on the prosecution’s side, and what he said in 2009 is exactly what he concluded in 1993 upon evaluating Jackson’s records - the work that was done afterwards was reconstructive work in the attempt to not only deal with the damage done to his nose by lupus which itself had destroyed the tissue in his nose area, but to help with the breathing obstruction he suffered as a result.
So now we can all agree on one undeniable fact. Lupus played a huge role in Mike's life. It had a direct impact not only on health, but also on the condition of the skin as well. I suggest to continue with exploring the topic of lupus more detail. I made some researches about lupus and how it can affect your skin (especially face features) and I found some really interesting facts. Lupus typically shows up with next symptoms:
- Butterfly rash: A red rash that spreads across the cheeks and over the bridge of the nose, shaped like a butterfly. It’s often triggered or worsened by sunlight.
- Photosensitivity: The skin becomes very sensitive to UV light. Even short exposure to sunlight can cause redness, rash, irritation, or flares.
- Discoid rash: Thick, scaly, red patches (called discoid lesions) that can scar. These are often seen on the face, scalp, and ears.
- Generalized skin rashes: Red spots, bumps, or blisters can appear anywhere on the body, especially after sun exposure.
- Hair loss: Inflammation of the scalp can cause hair thinning or patches of baldness (sometimes permanent if there’s scarring).
- Changes around the nails: Redness, swelling, and tiny blood vessel damage around the nail beds can occur.
- If the inflammation is very strong and prolonged, the skin can scar, thin out, and develop ulcers.
- Sometimes a secondary infection joins then the ulcers can become filled with pus, and the skin can start to look like it is "rotting".
- In severe forms of vasculitis (blood vessel damage caused by lupus), necrosis can occur — patches of skin die off due to lack of blood supply. This also looks very alarming: the skin turns black and can fall off in pieces.
With lupus, desease such as vasculitis can develop. It's inflammation of the small blood vessels that supply the skin. When these vessels become inflamed and blocked, the skin begins to suffer from a lack of oxygen and nutrients. If the process is severe, the tissues can undergo necrosis— they die. In that case, the skin turns black, becomes dead tissue, and may start to peel off or "fall away" in pieces. The nose is especially vulnerable because the tip of the nose already has poor blood supply under normal conditions, and inflammation makes the situation even worse. Additionally, if a bacterial infection joins in, the destruction become much much faster.
(Keep in mind, that Michael got through one of the most horrible accidents in his life in 1984, this is very important, cause it connets with everything I'm discussing in this thread)
However, all this damage can be fixed via reconstructive surgery, but if not only the skin, but also the cartilage is damaged, more complex operations are required.
Sometimes the cartilage structure is rebuilt using cartilage taken from the ear, rib, or nasal septum.
In practice, it’s usually not just one surgery, but several stages — first, the lost tissues are saved and reconstructed, and then gradually the form and aesthetics are improved.
Important! Everything depends on how much tissue has been lost and the overall health condition.
(For example, if lupus is active, surgery can be risky and healing may be slow.)
The lips are actually one of the common areas where lupus manifests. The vermilion border of the lips (the area where the skin transitions into the lip) can become inflamed, cracked, and flaky. It becomes bright red, dry, and painful. Ulcers can develop — ranging from small cracks to deeper open sores. Sometimes discoid lupus can affect the lips — in that case, thick red or whitish plaques with scaling appear on the vermilion border. They can leave behind scars after healing. In systemic lupus, ulcers can also form inside the mouth (on the inner side of the lips, cheeks, gums, and even the palate) — often painless but persistent. The lips can also become sensitive to sunlight, just like facial skin — exposure to UV light can worsen the inflammation. In very severe cases, when lip inflammation is very aggressive, necrosis (tissue death) is also possible, especially if there’s vasculitis or a secondary infection. But this is still considered rare.
In general. The lips are a "target" for lupus, especially when the skin overall is affected.
In more severe cases lips can shrink. If there is long-standing inflammation on the lips, the skin and mucous membranes heal by forming scars. Scars can contract the tissues — the lip becomes thinner, pulled inward, and loses volume. If the inflammation has severely damaged the deeper tissue layers, the loss of volume can be even more pronounced. This especially affects the vermilion border of the lips. It can become narrow, uneven, and sunken. Sometimes the changes can even involve the corners of the mouth.
If lupus affects the nerves, facial muscle dysfunction can occur — such as weakness, twitching, or spasms. In addition, secondary anxiety and stress can develop against the background of lupus, and this can lead to functional spasms of the facial muscles (especially around the mouth, cheeks, and eyes).
Now, having all the information listed above about lupus, we can make several conclusions:
A. Lupus can damage the cellular structure of the skin, eventually deforming it and causing characteristic changes in its condition.
B. The nose and lips are among the most vulnerable areas in lupus and can become severely deformed depending on the severity of the disease.
C. Lupus can also affect muscle function, including the facial muscles.
D. All of this worsens with a weakened immune system, as well as with bacterial or chemical infections.
I don't know about you, but for me, this information is more than enough to believe that, in reality, all of Michael’s surgeries were purely reconstructive, not cosmetic (plastic).
Let’s take a look at Michael’s situation. He had two skin conditions: vitiligo and lupus. In 1979, Michael suffered a nose injury and, because of that, underwent his first reconstructive surgery. Over time, it turned out that the operation had not been entirely successful, most likely due to the presence of lupus. Michael started having breathing problems. Another surgery followed, and as you understand, during these procedures, Michael lost all the parts of his nose that were affected by lupus. Obviously, his nose became smaller. This continued through the late '80s, when Michael’s nose reached its minimum size. But the disease didn’t go away. Until the end of his life, Michael constantly had to somehow deal with his condition.
Could Michael, during these surgeries, at the same time change shape of his nose however he wanted?
In the early stages — that is around 1979–1983 — yes, quite possibly.
But was this the main reason he underwent surgeries?
No, the main reason was lupus and the related problems it caused with his nose.
And if we dig deeper, this theory actually explains many things that previously seemed quite strange. For example, why Michael constantly hid his nose during the 1990s and 2000s (with his hands, masks, bandages). People loved to come up with all sorts of nonsense, like: "Ugh, another failed surgery!" or "He covered his mouth with his hands during the MSG 2001 performance — must have had another surgery and damaged his lip!" But no one even thinked, that the real reason could have simply been his desease, which was the reason Michael was afraid to show his face.
As a final conclusion:
I believe the main reason behind all of Michael’s surgeries (it's not important how many there were of them) was lupus, and that these were reconstructive surgeries, not plastic ones. Yes, I know he mentioned in his book that he had a chin dimple and he was open about that. But that's just a small cleft nothing more.
Of course, many will now say "But he himself admitted twice that he had at least two plastic surgeries!" Guys, he lied. And he had every reason and every right to do so.
Just put yourself in Michael’s place. You’re a global superstar. Millions of people around the world adore you. Then suddenly your skin starts to lose pigment and turns white. You try to even out it with makeup. Over time, makeup no longer helps, and you are forced to open up to the whole world and admit that you have vitiligo.
It was incredibly difficult for you, but you did it. And people accepted you.
But at the same time, you have another skin disorder, lupus, which was slowly destroying your skin, nose, and lips. Just imagine what would have happened if Michael had openly admitted how this disease was affecting his face. Yes, tabloids would have torn him apart instantly. I can already imagine the headlines: "The Walking Rotting Nose", "A Monster Among Us" and so on.
That’s exactly why Michael came up with the so-called story that he had "only 2 plastic surgeries." Implying, that these were plastic surgeries and made just because he wanted to have better looking nose. He was afraid that the world would not accept him with his desease. He was afraid, that people wil start to be scared of him. And Michael wanted to be loved more than anything. It was really important for him. That's why I no longer believe those stories about how Michael was supposedly obsessed with his appearance, how he allegedly hated his big nose since childhood because of his father, and eventually decided to have a bunch of surgeries to change himself, trying to make his nose look like Peter Pan's. I believe all of that is made-up nonsense.
Michael just had two skin disorders that tried to destroy his appearance. But Michael didn’t give up. He managed to adapt, overcome his condition, and in the end... he won.
.
