Vitiligo Fact File and Discussion

Re: Vitiligo Fact File Thread

I never doubted Mike. I've had classmates and co-workers with Vitiligo and to see the ignorance of how some people reacted to them was pathetic at best. There is too much information about it available now for people NOT to know, but to some I guess ignorance is bliss.
 
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The Blog Article:

The Autopsy...The Truth


No doubt, we will all be inundated with media spinning their stories about the upcoming murder trial of Michael Jackson’s doctor, Conrad Murray, in the upcoming months and beyond. We are going to hear how Michael was a "junkie", a drug addict, who caused his own death.

What if I told you that that’s a lie? How do I know? I’ve read the full autopsy report. It was grueling. It’s all there….the truth. I don’t agree with it being published as it should be something private. I didn’t realize how much so until I read it. My goal was seeking and proving truth for Michael, which the autopsy report definitely does, though I think that in hindsight, it is a gross invasion of Michael’s privacy and I feel guilt now at having even looked at it. But I cannot turn back the clock and change that, so I will try to bring good and bring out truth, from what I saw.

Would it surprise you to learn that Michael was telling us the truth all along? I’ve known that all along, as have others, but there are still many who never really listened to him when he was trying to give us the truth as media and tabloids were on a witch hunt to destroy him and his image.

Truth matters.

Would you believe me if I told you that Michael Jackson…

Did indeed have vitiligo (confirmed in the autopsy) and did not “bleach” his skin to become white, and that despite your hearing how he was a "junkie", that the only meds they found in him were regular prescription medications he was on, the drugs used to try to resuscitate him and the propofol? It’s all in the official autopsy report. I also share some of that with you in this article, so please keep reading.

The truth is, blaming Michael Jackson for his own death is just another lie being spread by the media. Why? Because sensational stories that have drama, intrigue, lies and negative news, SELL! News and stories about do-gooders don’t attract major attention (which is why most of you never heard about Michael’s non-stop charity and helping people and the lives of so many children that he saved). The ugly, sensationalist stories make the newspapers and television media outlets money. The more people watching or buying, the more advertisers they get. The more advertisers, the more money they make. It’s a business, pure and simple.

I felt a need to write this because, with all of the garbage you are going to hear in the coming months, I thought you might want to hear some real, honest truth, straight from the hip. I’ve talked with people, I’ve researched, and I read the autopsy report from top to bottom.

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The truth of the matter is that, indeed, Michael Joseph Jackson was telling us the truth, about himself, and his life. We just weren’t listening! The FBI files prove it, the autopsy report proves it (though I don’t agree with the FBI files and the final autopsy report being made public as again, it’s is a gross invasion of his privacy.)

The media has been out to try to show that Michael was reckless in his behavior, purposely taking hundreds of pills daily and injecting himself with, or being injected with, all kinds of drugs.

Getting truth out there was always the catalyst for this website. But you have to spend a little time on here, to really read and view. If you haven’t already and have believed the lies, you will be blown away by the truth and how different it is from what you have heard.

So few of us seek truth. We don’t have time, we say. But, we have time to watch 24 hour news channels, read the paper, surf the internet, spend all day on Facebook and watch our reality shows every night. We have time to believe all of the garbage that is thrown at us daily and regurgitated as truth, and we then have time to tell everybody we know this convoluted version of “truth”, essentially, continuing to spread the disease.

A man’s life was taken (long before this murder). His life was stolen from him because of all of the lies that were spread about him…by the tabloids, the media, and by everyone who spread those rumors and lies they heard and read as a way to entertain themselves and their friends. After all, it can’t hurt to make fun of someone else, to defame someone’s character, to call someone a freak, to tear another human being apart. That’s what we tell ourselves. What have we become as a society! This could easily have been you or me. It could happen to anyone. So if you don’t care because it doesn’t relate to you, it DOES! You are not immune.

Michael was a man of dignity. He was humble. He was kind. He loved and gave of his heart and soul in his talent and in how he lived out his life helping others. The world gave back to him by trying to steal away his dignity, his privacy, his very life.

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Here is a perfect example of just one of the millions of lies Michael had to endure, day in and day out, courtesy of those who proclaim to be reporting “truth”:

"…there was a news program talking about him being in Europe with some little boy. I was sitting next to the guy while the news is making this crap up. He just looked at me and said “this is what I have to deal with.”

Rob Hoffman
A sound engineer that worked with Michael

www.gearslutz.com

Some things that the autopsy report revealed:

*Confirmation that Michael Joseph Jackson did INDEED suffer from the devastating skin disease, Vitiligo

A disease, many times hereditary (it is in the Jackson family) which causes your skin to lose pigment and become ghostly white, in patches.

So for all of those who kept spreading the rumors with absolutely no proof, saying that Michael wanted to be white, that he bleached his skin…shame on you! Too many bought the lie, hook, line and sinker, or, simply didn’t care about the truth. This lie was then spread, regardless of its inaccuracy and regardless of how much it hurt another human being….and was done so without any proof and with nothing more than hearsay to back up the claims. Again, it is so important to seek truth. You can be a voice that stops the craziness and the lies. Anyone can lie on anyone else and if you get someone to believe it, it spreads, and before long, people start believing it because they are hearing it so often. It’s no different than bullying.

*Michael Was Not Riddled with needle marks, nor were hundreds of medications found in his system...

But you are going to be, and have heard, the opposite. The media wants you to believe that Michael's body was wasted away from the effects of drug addiction, that he had needle marks everywhere. This is NOT true.

Why should you believe me? I’ve read the reports. I’ve spoken to people who knew Michael well and for many, many years. Michael, at one time, did have a prescription drug addiction to painkillers. This was after his scalp was burned during the filming of a Pepsi commercial, causing excruciating pain. He was put on painkillers to help him deal with the pain. He admitted his addiction at the time and sought help. Everyday people become hooked on prescription pain killers all of the time. I personally know some of them. Michael got treatment for that. Michael was ALWAYS against drugs.

Michael is being labeled as a "junkie" and "just another drug addict" by the media as well as by several unsavory journalists...and they are using these words in a manner with which to convey that Michael was demanding and irresponsible, previously reporting that he was taking hundreds of pills daily, and that his body was riddled with needle marks. According to the findings on the autopsy, this information is false. This is the kind of false reporting and outright lies and spinning a story to sensationalize it, that needs to stop!

Michael suffered from severe insomnia, not to mention the incredible stress of being someone who dealt with incredible pressure in his life, Life as the most well-known performer of all time, as well as being lied on constantly, the aftermath of the false accusations against him, and several auto-immune diseases.

The truth is, Michael was on prescription medications. Everyday prescriptions that millions of others are on.

Just put yourself in his shoes for a second. People (the tabloids, media, public) were constantly lying on him, calling him a freak, making him out to be something that he wasn’t. Many people betrayed him and to this day, still try to pass themselves off as experts on him or friends of his. There are many who watch these people on television, and believe their lies. This is just another example of something that wasn’t true, being sensationalized. He was falsely accused of vicious, vile and disgusting things. Everything he said and did was misquoted and a spin put on it to try to make it seem something other than what it was.

Just to look at things from the opposite point of view for a second: Even if he were to have had a prescription drug addiction (which I can neither prove nor disprove), a treating physician (or physicians) would/should not ethically prescribe more of these drugs to someone with a problem. No matter the amount of money. Prescription drug addiction many times comes from the nature of the drug and not the person taking it. Many drugs are addicting, even in people who won’t so much as normally take an aspirin.

So even if he had become addicted to these prescriptions (and this is a subject up for debate), knowing that Michael had suffered from prescription drug addication in the past, he should not have been given these drugs and if needed, should have been monitored very closely. Being addicted to prescription drugs can happen to anyone. It does not make someone a bad person or, as the media so disrespectfully titles it, a "junkie". It's the nature of the drug itself. Many of these drugs are highly addictive. I cannot answer if Michael was indeed addicted to these prescriptions or not, but I can say that the way that the media is portraying him, as someone who caused his own death and was reckless, is wrong and inaccurate.

The meds they found in their toxicology reports are standard prescription drugs. What wasn’t found in his system? No alcohol, marijuana, barbiturates, cocaine, no morphine or other opiates, only the prescription meds he was on, the drugs used to try to resuscitate him, and the propofol. Should he have been given propofol? No, absolutely not. But he was for whatever reason. What about the other medications? These were prescribed by doctors that should have been monitoring them due to the inherent addictive qualities of the medications themselves.

Michael was also ruled to be a 50 year old man in fairly good health, other than the auto-immune diseases he suffered, so none of his vital organs showed any kind of damage.

Michael suffered from severe insomnia. Michael was not a "junkie" who had a body riddled with needle marks. This is a gross exaggeration of truth and the exploitation of "hearsay", spread as truth to the public. This is important because truth is important. If this were you or a member of your family, you would want the facts set straight.

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The official cause of death? Acute propofol intoxication that was ruled as a homicide.

Dr. Murray was a cardiologist and should have known these side effects and also, the effect of both drugs together. It is also very obvious that this was a severe overdose of propofol and that the level of the Lorazepam was significant (according to Murray’s testimony, he continued to give more and more of certain drugs). He said himself that he administered them to Michael.

The autopsy also reports that it would have been nearly impossible and highly unlikely that Michael could have administered propofol to himself, which some have claimed.

The issue with propofol will come up. Some will say that Michael asked for it and knew the risks. I don’t know the answer to that as I can’t ask him, but I will say that any competent physician would NEVER administer a drug like propofol outside of an operating room and certainly not to treat insomnia and as you see above, the level given to Michael would have ALWAYS required intubation and being on a ventilator. The doctor determines the dose and this dose was obviously a serious overdose, not to mention that this drug was not to be used outside of an operating room with an anesthesiologist present. Something is definitely not right there. The autopsy shows a very healthy, though somewhat thin for his height, 50 year old man who did not die of natural causes.

What killed him? Besides a lethal dose of anesthesia and a benzodiazepine combo…The tabloid rumors, the media’s lies, the public buying into what we’re being sold (we are being sold a bill of goods after all), and instead of showing love, acceptance and appreciation for a man who wanted nothing more than to share the talent that God had given him and to heal the world, we lied on him and laughed at him and blindly believed the people who betrayed him and falsely accused him.

This case alone has been a travesty. When Michael was falsely accused of child molestation, 77 sherriff’s raided his home. 77!!! They don’t even do that for a mass murderer! He was brought in, handcuffed, manhandled and treated very poorly. Dr. Conrad Murray, on the other hand, accused of killing a man, walks in to the courtroom without handcuffs, gets a slap on the wrist, walks back out without cuffs and is only being charged with involuntary manslaughter, when the charge with evidence, should be Murder 1 or Murder 2.
The truth is…the world celebrates evil. Jesus Christ walked this earth and was ridiculed as well. When he came up against Pontius Pilate, the crowd shouted for Barabas, a known criminal, to be released and Jesus was crucified. Times haven’t changed much, have they?

We need to remember that Michael Joseph Jackson was a HUMAN BEING. Not some enigma. Michael was a celebrity because of his talent, he was the King of Pop because of his accomplishments, but he was a human being and a kind, gentle, humble caring soul first and foremost. He was human just like the rest of us. No matter what you’ve heard to the contrary, this is who he was. Michael was a son, a father, a dear friend to many and to some who I have had the priveledge and pleasure of getting to know. They saw a Michael that few ever got to see. He was there the whole time, but most could not see past the celebrity, the stardom, the wardrobe or the dance moves. If you looked deeper, beyond the celebrity, you would see a piece of yourself in Michael that you could easily relate to. Michael shared with the world, his soul.

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Don’t you think it’s high time that you got rid of the stereotypes and the jealousy, stopped believing the lies, and got to know who Michael Joseph Jackson really was and is? Because in that knowledge, lies real power. Why? If we were to allow each person to just be genuine, the world would be different. Michael Jackson was genuine. If we are genuine and are true to ourselves, we no longer have to impress others with rumors or gossip, we don’t have to make up for what we think we lack (when we are being our true selves, we lack nothing…just as each flower is beautiful in its own right), and we then give freedom to others to be genuine themselves and to be their best. Michael always strived to be his best.

When we use our God-given talents and abilities, we CAN change things. We can make a difference in the world. That is what Michael did and what he stood for. He wanted to heal the world. To make it a better place. And yet, the public is intent on reading all of the untrue garbage they can on him (and others) so they can ridicule him only to feel better about themselves. The lies are absorbed like water into a sponge, yet, their impact is as deadly as an atomic bomb. The truth goes missing.

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The reality is, the truth is right in front of your eyes. But you won’t find it on your nightly news, your 24 hour news channels, your newspaper, celebrity magazines or the tabloids. As a society, we are having the wool pulled over our eyes and just eagerly believing all that we are being fed. Are you going to keep on believing the lies that you have heard and will continue to hear about Michael (as well as all of the other garbage you hear about everybody else), or are you going to grasp the truth and be enlightened? Are you going to keep reading and clicking on the garbage, or are you going to steer clear of it and as an additional benefit, have a clear mind? Are you finally ready for truth? The choice is yours.


By Deborah L. Kunesh

If you want more proof, go to http://www.reflectionsonthedance.com/factsversusfiction.html

The Source:
http://www.reflectionsonthedance.com/AutopsyRevealsTheTruth.html
 
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Sandi hammons Slams Claim
“Michael Jackson Didn’t Want to be Black”


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Permanent cosmetic pioneer, Sandi Hammons, and her company, Premier Pigments, the manufacturer of the permanent makeup worn by the late Michael Jackson, are speaking out against widespread assertions that “Michael Jackson didn’t want to be black.”


Arlington, TX (PRWEB Reprinted) July 7, 2009 - Permanent cosmetic pioneer and celebrity permanent makeup artist, Sandi Hammons, and her company, Premier Pigments, the manufacturer of the permanent makeup worn by the late Michael Jackson, are speaking out against widespread assertions that “Michael Jackson didn’t want to be black.”


“That is so far from the truth,” says Hammons. “Anyone making those assertions obviously doesn’t understand the disease Michael suffered from or the treatment options available to him.”

Michael Jackson was diagnosed in 1986 with vitiligo, a chronic skin disease that causes loss of pigment resulting in irregular pale patches of skin. Jackson openly discussed the disease in an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 1993 following accusations that he wanted to be white. His attempt to “set the record straight” was primarily ignored and rumors that “he didn’t want to be black” continued to plague him throughout much of his adult life. Most recently, the allegation was reportedly made by Quincy Jones, the record producer who collaborated with Michael Jackson on Thriller, Bad and Off the Wall. US Magazine reported Jones as saying that Jackson’s obsession with his appearance got to be “ridiculous. Chemical peels and all of it. And I don’t understand it,” he reportedly said. “But he obviously didn’t want to be black.”

Jones added he wasn’t sure why Jackson had such a deep-seated issue with the way he looked. “I’m just a musician and a record producer. I’m not a psychiatrist,” he said. “I don’t understand all that stuff. ”Sandi Hammons: “Few people understand the psychological trauma associated with the disease of vitiligo, including the physicians who treat it”. For the past twenty-five years, she has consulted with physicians and thousands of individuals who suffer from vitiligo. “There are even some medical professionals who still consider the disease to be nothing more than a cosmetic nuisance,” said Hammons, “But the truth is, many people diagnosed with the disease suffer greatly. A deep sense of shame and hopelessness (including depression and suicidal thoughts) along with a preoccupation with appearance and available treatments are really not uncommon. Vitiligo is especially traumatic for darker skinned individuals, as the contrast between pigmented and depigmented skin can be quite drastic.”

Jackson was widely criticized for his use of bleaching medications and chemical peels. “What people don’t understand is that there are few, if any, treatments that are effective, especially for widespread cases like Michael’s.”

There are three common types of treatment for vitiligo: 1. Repigmentation as in the case of PUVA and UV lights (Typically ineffective on widespread cases) 2. Micropigmentation (i.e. cosmetic tattooing - recommended on small areas that accept cosmetic pigment) 3. Depigmentation, as in the case of using bleaching creams to remove smaller pigmented areas (typically recommended for widespread cases similar to Jackson’s).

Vitiligo affects 1% to 2% of the population. It is estimated that over 50 million people suffer from this little known and often misunderstood disease. The precise cause of the disease is complex and not fully understood. There is some evidence suggesting that it is caused by a combination of autoimmune, genetic and environmental factors. “Stress is definitely a contributing factor,” said Hammons. “Changing skin colors add even more stress, particularly if vitiligo develops on visible areas of the body, such as the face, hands, arms, feet, or on the genitals.”

In some cultures there is a stigma attached to having vitiligo. Those affected with the condition are sometimes thought to be evil or diseased and are sometimes shunned by others in the community. People with vitiligo may feel depressed because of this stigma or because their appearance has changed dramatically.

Hammons has great compassion for Jackson and his battle with the disease. “To deal with the psychological impact of this disease is significant; to deal with the very public and cruel opinions of others must have been overwhelming.”

“Trauma drives addiction,” adds Hammons. “In my opinion, those who judged him unknowingly contributed to his preoccupation with appearance, his eventual addiction to cosmetic surgery and prescription drugs, and ultimately his early death. We all need to have more compassion for those who suffer from this baffling and misunderstood disease.”

Source: http://sandihammons.com/News/PP-Slams-Claim-MJ-Didnt-Want-to-be-Black.html
 
Re: Vitiligo Fact File Thread

? ? Open Your Mind ? ?​


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Re: Vitiligo Fact File Thread

This Girl Removes Her Makeup With A Wet Towel, Revealing Her Real Beauty


Cheri kicks off Dermablend Professional's Camo Confession campaign by sharing her story and how she has used Dermablend to stand out for who she is and not for her vitiligo.
 
Re: Vitiligo Fact File Thread

This Girl Removes Her Makeup With A Wet Towel, Revealing Her Real Beauty


Cheri kicks off Dermablend Professional's Camo Confession campaign by sharing her story and how she has used Dermablend to stand out for who she is and not for her vitiligo.

Gosh !!! What a beautiful woman , she makes me feel brave and to have courage :) she's amazing :) amazing !!!! I've been looking through this thread , like this beautiful lady said everyone has something , why do people have to judge ? It's people like this lady that bridges the gap between people judging and people understanding she's amazing :) :)
 
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Re: Vitiligo Fact File Thread

I may have something called, sun vile or sun vial vitiligo, where it comes from sunburns.
 
Wasn't really sure where to put this, I know there's been some posts about her appearance on ANTM, but there have been some wonderful articles about her lately. I think MJ's ability to break down barriers through his appearance (including his struggles with vitiligo) is definitely part of his legacy, so I decided to put it here.

Wonderful to see people embracing the beauty in Vitiligo (if you were cynical, I suppose you might say the fashion industry has its own shallow reasons for that, but I think it still shows some sort of progress, regardless). To me, its the physical evidence that the colour of your skin has absolutely nothing to do with who you are as a person, and that 'race' doesn't really exist.. "...in complete darkness we are all the same..."

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/fashion-and-beauty/fashion/will-model-chantelle-brown-young-help-redefine-our-notions-of-beauty/article20786745/

Will model Chantelle Brown-Young redefine what it means to be beautiful?
ISABEL SLONE

“Many people have a story or a background, but mine is painted on my body,” Chantelle Brown-Young says in the home-video plea she filmed earlier this year in order to appear on the current season of America’s Next Top Model. Although the 20-year-old Toronto native boasts all the trappings of a cover girl – lithe limbs, a gorgeous face – one aspect of her look is totally unexpected: Her dark skin is covered in white patches, almost like reverse Rorschach ink blots.

Brown-Young, who also goes by the handles Winnie Harlow and Chantelle Winnie, has vitiligo, a mysterious autoimmune disease that sees the body attack its own skin-pigment cells. She is also on the verge of a modelling breakthrough, her look reflecting both the changing definition of what is beautiful and the evolution of the fashion industry.

“Diversity is the future of fashion,” says Ben Barry, an assistant professor at Ryerson University’s fashion school. Barry, who shuttered his own modelling agency in December, believes that Brown-Young is hitting the industry at the perfect time.

He might be right. Bolstered by her participation in (and subsequent elimination from) ANTM, she has walked down the runway during September’s London Fashion Week, been signed to front a major ad campaign and amassed a strong social-media base – more than 258,000 Instagram followers and counting. Such praise wasn’t always so forthcoming.

Growing up, Brown-Young recalls, she was bullied and called names such as “zebra” and “cow” and didn’t consider herself beautiful. “There’s no Barbie with vitiligo,” she says in a phone interview from L.A. What was once demeaned and ridiculed, though, is now considered striking: Brown-Young bears a slight resemblance to Rihanna and the white portions of her skin having a near-perfect symmetry. “No matter who you are, you have quirks. I highlight the fact that being different is okay, which speaks to everyone, no matter who you are,” she says.

Brown-Young’s distinctive looks and relentless optimism were perfectly suited to Tyra Banks’s brand of reality television. “We are not looking for duplications,” Banks stated on the season opener of ANTM. “We are looking for originality.” The fashion industry, at least over the past several years, appears to have been seeking the same thing. Montrealer Rick Genest, a.k.a. Zombie Boy, became an unlikely style darling in 2011; covered head-to-toe in tattoos that make him look like a human skeleton, he starred in Mugler ad campaigns and modelled for Jay Z’s label Rocawear. Americans Aimee Mullins (an athlete and double amputee) and Shaun Ross (an albino male model) are also fashion-world hits. But their success is not the norm.

Canadian Stacey McKenzie, who has been modelling since 1995, is one of the world’s best-known unconventional beauties. “I’m not your typical black girl,” says the Jamaican-born veteran, recognizable for her freckled skin, almond-shaped eyes and lush lips. “They can’t categorize me.” According to McKenzie, most models fit into a mould – “the girl-next-door or the avant-garde type” – and those who don’t find it harder to get booked for shows or campaigns. “The client really has to believe in us in order for us to get work,” she says. “We’re not going to be working every week like the typical-looking models would.” While McKenzie has appeared in ad campaigns for Mexx and Benetton, she fought hard to secure such gigs, she says. “They never thought I could do commercial modelling. I’m too unique-looking,” she recalls. “I always had to prove that I could do this job.”

Before being hand-picked by Banks to appear on her show, Brown-Young was actively pursuing a modelling career in Toronto but couldn’t find her niche. “I was turned down by many agencies for castings and pushed more toward alternative fashion,” she says. Going in, Brown-Young knew that vitiligo might complicate her path, but she remained hopeful: “You can trump any barrier as long as you put your mind to it. I didn’t feel like it would stop me from achieving my dreams.”

Myles Sexton, a Toronto jewellery designer who has cast Brown-Young in his past two shows at Fashion Art Toronto, an annual multidisciplinary festival, recognized her allure early. “Vitiligo or not, she’s stunning,” he says. “The fact that she embraces it … it’s almost like it isn’t there.”

To date, Brown-Young has yet to be signed by a modelling agency, but she has landed a major ad campaign with the Spanish label Desigual. In October, she will also appear on the cover of the inaugural issue of The New Era, a quarterly magazine co-founded by Sexton to highlight up-and-coming creative talent (and not to be confused with the identically titled magazine affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints). “When people see Winnie [on the cover], it’s going to open their eyes to the diversity that is in this world,” Sexton says. “We’re trying to promote the fact that there is more than stereotypical beauty.”

When Barry began working in the industry 15 years ago, other agents were often unwilling to take on clients other than ultra-thin, ultra-tall white women. “But if you look at boards at major agencies now, you’ll see more diversity represented, and a lot of new agencies in the past five years have begun specifically to represent diversity.” With a fan base already established and an ad campaign under her belt, Brown-Young, he adds, should have no trouble attracting an agent.

McKenzie, who served as a judge and coach on Canada’s Next Top Model, has a thorough understanding of what the industry values. “I like a girl who has something more than just a pretty face and a great body,” she says. Of Brown-Young, she adds: “She’s got dopeness written all over her.”

Of course, obstacles remain. Although most of the feedback on Brown-Young’s Instagram feed is positive, with other vitiligo sufferers expressing their admiration, the odd troll will scribble something nasty, a throwback to her school days. Brown-Young remains unruffled, though. “If they want to be haters, that’s fine,” she says. “I’m just myself. If you don’t like me, you don’t like me.”

Her future, though, seems limitless. “I just hope Jean Paul Gaultier sees her and she becomes his new muse,” Sexton says. “I think she could be the next big supermodel if she wants to.”

(Check out the full article for more photos)

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http://instagram.com/p/sfnPyZHunU/?modal=true

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http://instagram.com/p/s-kecLHuix/
 
The truth behind Michael Jackson's Skin Color. Vitiligo



Michael Jackson- Becoming White


Suppose you have worked hard, driven yourself to reach a pinnacle of success and attained a modicum of fame because of your contribution to an industry loaded with not only lots of talent but fierce competition. Suppose you knew that your staying relevant in that industry demanded that you always be inventing something fresh and new to keep people clamoring after your product. Suppose that to keep yourself contemporary and in demand you had to frequently reinvent yourself along the way.

Michael hid his condition for a long time, trying even to hide it from his makeup artist. He didn’t want to reveal this most private of struggles publicly. Yet his Vitiligo was becoming more and more visible, the changes in his skin tone more and more obvious. Yet Michael, ever the perfectionist, didn’t want to disappoint his audience. Eventually there was no choice but to reveal his condition.

Suppose that you have achieved a level of fame where your name and product are instantly recognized round the world. What If you loved your work and loved your audiences and that creating, for you, is like breathing—you can’t live without it. What if your survival hinged on your voice, your body, your appearance, and your overall appeal? And what if that chosen industry is monitored and scrutinized by a very public medium with the power to make or break you and your future—the press? What if there are few in that peering industry who are kind and supportive and what if most are mean spirited and interested only in “the story”—juicy news with details of scandals, foibles and fodder for failure? What if they are just waiting for you to misstep? What if they are perpetually just poised to pounce?

And given all that pressure to stay present and relevant, what if your body, the machine that drives the whole enterprise starts to have some serious problems? What if your body begins to betray you? To turn on itself? What if your whole reason for being is suddenly in question? What if the future is uncertain? And what if a fickle public with a short attention span and an even shorter memory begins to lose interest because you no longer look good? When your life is in the spotlight? What do you do then?

Would you try to hide your imperfections? Of course. We all do it. We wear body stockings; have breast enhancements; take Viagra; use creams and hormones and soaps and perfumes; die our hair or get perms; use augmented undergarments; wear lifts or high heels; work out at the gym; buy the latest fashions; get tattoos or piercings; have hair extensions; get pedicures and nails done; take vitamins; go on a diet; visit the tanning parlor and a thousand other things to remain attractive and relevant.

So when Michael Jackson was diagnosed with Vitiligo—a disease that turns the skin white, around 1983, why was it so difficult to understand how threatening that would have been to someone who made his living on the stage? How is it that when he explained what was going on with his body, some refused to believe him? A disease that mars your face and body must be very threatening to someone who makes their living on stage. It must raise huge self esteem issues—something not foreign to Michael, for he had acne as a teen. It has to feel like a huge betrayal to have your own body, your own immune system turn against you. You must question and blame yourself initially. You must feel a sense of shame and want to hide your blemished body and marred being.

Might it have been frightening and disheartening as the first black entertainer to do so many pioneering things only to see yourself losing your racial identity? Would it hurt to hear yourself being accused of deliberately betraying and abandoning your race? How could the public not understand how painful that must have been for a man who grew up in a famous black family? A man who grew up with James Brown who, for a whole generation of kids, made it OK to be black teaching them to sing: “I’m black and I’m Proud.”

When someone contracts cancer, we do not blame that victim. We do not berate them for the changes to their bodies. We do not condemn the chemotherapy that is a necessary treatment to keep the disease in remission.

Does anyone ask for a disease that causes the body to change into someone unrecognizable? Does one wish for a disease that progresses and engulfs one’s whole being, that makes a day at the beach impossible, that precludes romping in the sunlight with your children because it’s dangerous, that causes you to live your life under umbrellas because your condition gets worse without them? How does one bear the accusations of “liar” from those who feel you are abandoning your own ethnic origins? How does one stand the label “freak” when the changes in your body are involuntary and require concealment in order to keep up the public persona and superstardom status the world has come to expect? How does one not become bitter, angry, less than human? How does one continue to perform center-stage knowing that the makeup conceals a secret and hides a fear that if revealed could repulse even the most loyal of your public?

Vitiligo is a disease that causes its host to lose pigmentation in the skin. Pasty white patches begin to appear and as the disease progresses, more and more skin takes on that pasty hue. Universal Vitiligo, the severe form, which Michael Jackson had, affects more than 80% of the body. The disease erases pigmentation making the skin eventually appear transluscent. In the beginning stages the skin becomes blotchy as the body begins to attack its own melanocyte cells that produce skin color. As the disease progresses, more and more of the body turns white until an African American becomes more white than black. What remains then to treat it, is to even up the skin tones. In the beginning, a black person could use dark makeup to cover the de-pigmented areas. But as more and more of the body is affected, full body makeup becomes impractical. Later, as one becomes more and more white, destroying the remaining pigmentation to even out the color of the skin becomes the one viable option.

Sunlight aggravates the condition and speeds the progression of Vitiligo. Sunscreen becomes imperative. Spending time at the beach or in direct sunlight can cause severe problems. Living under an umbrella to block the sun would at least slow the disease and prevent skin problems or reactions to sunlight. It seems the umbrella created mystery and cast more than a reasonable lack-of-sunlight shadow on Michael Jackson. Metaphor for mysterious? Oh yes, and very effective for it drew attention. And how Michael loved attention; his career, of course, depended on it. But how did it become a metaphor for not just mystery but darkness?


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How did Michael take the risk when he stepped out from the most personal of places—one’s medical record and history and gave a public interview, revealing with great trepidation that there is something wrong with his body? That his immune system is not working properly, that he is struggling with issues of trust of his own body that appears to have betrayed him? That his identity, his appearance and all that he stands for has created for him, an existential crisis because an involuntary disease has made its home in his body—a body that is important for stage presence, for performance, for identity, for status, his work and his life? How does he then reconcile revealing that most intimate of secrets of his life and then be called a liar? What is more intimate than one’s own body? What is more preciously guarded? What is more threatening to a star on stage, than involuntary changes in health and appearance?

Would we have called the cancer patient a liar? Would we have condemned her for seeking treatment for a life threatening illness? Michael deserved our compassion, not ridicule. Where was the understanding for this man who was dealing with an illness that threatened his very life as he knew it and as we knew it? Where was the the message: “you are still beloved?” Still relevant? Still human? Still the Michael we have grown to expect, to love? The Michael that we have made larger than life? The one we expect to dazzle us? The one we expect to be perfect in our eyes? Where was our humanness? Our compassion?

National Vitiligo Foundation: http://nvfi.org/index.php

This entry was written by B. Kaufmann, posted on January 31, 2010.
Source: www.innermichael.com/
 
The American Vitiligo Foundation

I was looking up vitiligo myths, the first website I read mentioned that Michael's battle with vitiligo has helped raise public awareness of the disease. This is good for both MJ and other sufferers, I'd never even heard of vitiligo until I started reading about it because of MJ, awareness of this level because of him can now help other sufferers to be better understood and will hopefully help take the stigma away from the disease.

http://www.avrf.org/treatments-products/vitiligo-treatments.html
 
pain-is-thunder;4045984 said:
Wasn't really sure where to put this, I know there's been some posts about her appearance on ANTM, but there have been some wonderful articles about her lately. I think MJ's ability to break down barriers through his appearance (including his struggles with vitiligo) is definitely part of his legacy, so I decided to put it here.

Wonderful to see people embracing the beauty in Vitiligo (if you were cynical, I suppose you might say the fashion industry has its own shallow reasons for that, but I think it still shows some sort of progress, regardless). To me, its the physical evidence that the colour of your skin has absolutely nothing to do with who you are as a person, and that 'race' doesn't really exist.. "...in complete darkness we are all the same..."



(Check out the full article for more photos)

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http://instagram.com/p/sfnPyZHunU/?modal=true

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http://instagram.com/p/s-kecLHuix/

To add:

Xtarlight and Mpenziwe;4056715 said:
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"El Mundo" newspaper, the third most readed newspaper in Spain has today a piece about Winnie Harlow, the top model who suffers vitiligo. This is MJ's related segment:

People fell in love with the model last year when she appears in America&#8217;s Next Top Model and talk openly about vitiligo.

Some months later, she had the support of the model Tyra Banks, one of her idols, even though Winnie feels a special predilection for Michael Jackson. "Michael was a talented music figure and a big icon for a lot of generations of people. His music talk directly to me. I don't think I can suvirve without it. Michael paved the way for a lot of artist, above all for the minorities. To see all that he achieved, inspires me. I think in this life everything is possible with hope and faith"

http://eju.tv/2014/11/la-modelo-con-vitiligo-me-inspira-michael-jackson/

P.S. My excuses if there's any translation mistake.
 
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Terrence Jenkins known on BET and E! Reveals he has Vitiligo

terrence_jenkins.jpg

Terrence Jenkins, an E! News personality who was co-hosting with Leah Remini, revealed that he too has vitiligo, a skin condition that causes white patches to form on one's skin. Watching Brown-Young on the season premiere of Top Model inspired him to be less conscious of his own skin condition, Jenkins admitted on-air.

He also spoke on The Breakfast Club Power 105.1 "..I got diagnosed with vitiligo so I was scared about my health. My skin started breaking out and I was just depressed. I took the time and went to Haiti. I think the trip to Haiti really changed my perspective on things because it was the opportunity to give back and the people of Haiti were just so strong. They went through such a tragedy but all they wanted to do was rebuild and read books and be better. I came back and that was what was the trigger for me and I had to hit this ground running.&#8221;

"....Terrence Jenkins stated on-air co-hosting E! News, during a segment about the recently leaked nude celeb photos, that he understands that people could have nude photos on their cells for medical reasons, because he uses his to snap photo of his body to share with his doctor for purposes of monitoring his Vitiligo..."


 
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[youtube]aPkV63aKXGI[/youtube]

The PRWEB Blog Article:

Huahai Vitiligo Hospital is First to be Authenticated by Chinese Government
(PRWEB) December 01, 2014​

Huahai Vitiligo Hospital was authenticated by the Chinese Government as a top vitiligo specialist on November 16th. They have also released a new theory for the disease&#8217;s treatment, which has cured people in 116 countries.

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On November 16th, a ceremony was held for Huahai Vitiligo Hospital to formally be authenticated by the Chinese Government as a top vitiligo specialist. Included among the officials who presented was Wu gang, deputy director of China&#8217;s state administration of traditional Chinese medicine, and department chief priest Xu Zhiren. This is the first time that the vitiligo illness has been included in traditional Chinese medicine. Huahai Vitiligo Hospital is known for its first class service and solid scientific research. Soon vitiligo patients from all over the world can come to Huahai Vitiligo Hospital to get the best service, scientific, and effective treatment.
Currently, the Chinese government manages medical institutions with the hospital evaluation system, which receives the strictest management. To take part in the review, participants must be in the country and region; have a scale, research, and development abilities; the core technology; and be a reputable hospital. Before being approved, government experts inspect all aspects of the organization including medical service and management, quality and safety, technical level, and efficiency of the comprehensive system.
Huahai Vitiligo Hospital&#8217;s research team has proposed a new theory for the diagnosis and treatment of vitiligo entitled, &#8220;Black and White Cured Together.&#8221; Through the use of their new controlled technology, they can eliminate cause and development of the disease; balance Yin and Yang to regulate the immune system; activate cells to promote regeneration; and perform a two-way adjustment - black, white, and beautiful. This technology has cured patients in 116 countries.

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About Huahai Vitiligo Hospital
Huahai Vitiligo Hospital has specialized in the treatment of vitiligo for 20 years. They have the largest vitiligo research laboratory and preparation center in China and have taken China's National Ministry of Science and Technology to new heights regarding researching vitiligo. They have obtained more than 20 national patents and the protection of non-material cultural heritage. They have performed research of vitiligo therapeutic treatments and 13 medical monographs. In addition they have been published in Vitiligo Thoughts as well as more than 300 academic journals both at home and abroad.

To learn more about this projects:

Binzhou Huahai Vitiligo Hospital Website:
www.cn-vitiligo.com/

Huahai Vitiligo Hospital Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Huahai-vitiligo-hospital/305133626268530

The Article Source:
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2014/11/prweb12352640.htm
 
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Thank you for this thread. :)

Never ceases to amaze me with all the proof out there now, people, not all but some, still either don't know or fail to believe MJ had vitiligo. They just don't want to let go of the skin bleaching rumour. Why is it so easy to believe someone else has it and not him?
 
Thank you for this thread. :)

Never ceases to amaze me with all the proof out there now, people, not all but some, still either don't know or fail to believe MJ had vitiligo. They just don't want to let go of the skin bleaching rumour. Why is it so easy to believe someone else has it and not him?

I agree completely. I never understood it--some people don't even believe vitiligo even exists! My uncle had vitiligo, so when I was growing up after hearing that Michael had it too, it didn't surprise me. I always knew what it was. It must have been very hard for Michael being in the public eye under such scrutiny. On top of that, hearing others say he bleached his skin and wanted to be white must have been especially hurtful. Even though in recent years, more people are informed than previously, there's still very much a lack of awareness.
 
That's so true. Especially when Michael revealed it on Oprah, it wasn't something that was well known. How do you deal with that and all the bs when your as famous as he was?
 
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The Amazon Blog Article:

My Victory against Vitiligo:
A Successful Story and a Practical Guide to Treatment

by Xichao Mo February 1st, 2014​

In this book, the author shared his personal experience in dealing with vitiligo, a skin disorder that physically and emotionally affects millions of people. Through diligent research, careful analyses, and persistent trial and errors, he finally achieved successful recovery by using a combination of commonly available therapies. The book also provides systematic and detailed information on effective vitiligo medications and therapies, including safety precautions and operating procedures, and can serve as a comprehensive guide for vitiligo treatment. Vitiligo is rarely an isolated skin disorder; rather, it is often one of the symptoms of certain underlying health issues. This is perhaps the reason why vitiligo is considered difficult to treat: without properly addressing the internal causes of vitiligo, repigmentation through topical treatment alone might not be effective or sustainable, and relapse could happen. The ultimate solution should be treating vitiligo from both inside and outside. The author shared his strategies and suggestions in tracking down and dealing with the internal issues. Vitiligo can be healed! This book will inspire you to take a new attitude: dealing with the condition actively, rather than accepting it passively. As a practical guide, it will certainly save you tremendous amount of time and money in your journey to complete recovery.


My Victory against Vitiligo Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/myvictoryagainstvitiligo

The Article Source:
http://www.amazon.com/Victory-again...=UTF8&qid=1409253088&sr=1-1&keywords=vitiligo
 
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Today was "Black Out Day" on social media - where people blog, tweet, share posts and selfies that celebrates black beauty/culture/awesomeness.

And I have to say it was awesome to see so many people proudly display their vitiligo. I think its due to the latest movement in body positivity, Chantelle - the America's NExt top Model contestant with vitiligo, but of course - due to MJ being the most famous celebrity who has had it. We've come a really long way.





The posts about vitiligo really got people asking what the heck it is, as some had no clue. And then there was stuff like this:



And one more:



Its beautiful if you ask me!
 
Yes it is. I hope one day they'll recognize that about Michael.
 
Yes it is. I hope one day they'll recognize that about Michael.

I hope so too. I hope more people realize vitiligo is a very real thing. I'm sick of people calling mike a self hater who bleached his skin because he hated being black.

One thing I've noticed that while the media always liked to make up stupid rumours about mike( In the 80's they used to call mike gay just because he didn't randomly hump females), but they didn't become truly vitriolic and hateful until mike's skin started to turn white.
after mike's skin turned white all hell broke loose.....
 
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The Medical Press Blog Article:

Vitiligo Treatment Holds Promise for Restoring Skin Pigmentation
Posted: September 17, 2014​

A treatment regimen is safe and effective for restoring skin pigmentation in vitiligo patients, according to a Henry Ford Hospital study.
"Our findings offer patients with vitiligo worldwide a renewed hope for a bright future in the treatment of this disfiguring disease," says Henry Lim, M.D., chair of Dermatology at Henry Ford and the study's lead author. "Patients with lesions on their face and arms could have a more rapid response to the combination treatment."
Henry Ford dermatologists described the repigmentation results as "superior," and said the treatment combination holds promise as a future therapy for the more than 50 million people worldwide living with vitiligo. It affects about one in every 100 people in the United States.
The study will be published online Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association-Dermatology.
In a multi-center study led by Henry Ford, dermatologists sought to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a treatment combination of afamelanotide, a drug that induces skin pigmentation, and phototherapy using narrowband ultraviolet-B rays (NB UVB). Phototherapy, or ultraviolet light therapy, is the treatment of choice for many patients with widespread vitiligo. It has been shown to be effective, though the degree of repigmentation varies.
Dr. Lim, an international vitiligo expert, says afamelanotide "enhances the ability of the UVB to induce repigmentation of the skin."
Patients were randomly divided into two study groups: Group A received the combination therapy; Group B received only NB UVB treatment.

Key findings:

Vitiligo Treatment Holds Promise for Restoring Skin Pigmentation
[youtube]Pnr1sw94oN0[/youtube]
(Courtesy of HenryFordTV)

Repigmentation occurred faster in patients who received the combination treatment compared to patients who received NB UVB.
Patients who received the combination treatment achieved appearance of pigment on their face and arms after 40 days compared to 60 days for patients who received NB UVB.
In dark-skinned patients, repigmentation occurred faster in the combination group compared to the NB UVB group.

fkzwc5Pt342IvuP7.jpg

Henry Lim, M.D., chair of Dermatology, Henry Ford Hospital, highlights the study. Credit: Henry Ford Hospital
Afamelanotide is in the process of being submitted for approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in treating vitiligo.


Vitiligo is a skin disease that causes the skin to lose color and develop white patches that vary in size and location. It develops when cells called melanocytes are killed by the body's immune system, causing the area of skin to turn white because the cells no longer make pigment. Vitiligo is more noticeable in individuals with darker skin tones, but it affects all races and ethnicities.
While vitiligo is neither contagious nor life-threatening, there is no cure. However, it causes low self-esteem and depression for those living with the disease.
The Henry Ford study represents its latest research into investigating new treatment options for vitiligo. In a 2012 study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, Henry Ford dermatologists showed the benefits of skin cell transplant surgery, called melanocyte-keratinocyte transplantation or MKTP. Henry Ford has since performed more than 190 MKTP procedures on patients from Michigan, 23 other U.S. states and Canada.
For this new study, 55 patients were enrolled at four sites &#8211; Henry Ford, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York and Vitiligo and Pigmentation Institute of Southern California and University of California Davis' Department of Dermatology.
In the two study groups, 28 patients were enrolled in Group A and 27 patients in Group B. Both groups received phototherapy two to three times a week for six months for a total of 72 treatments. In addition to phototherapy, patients in Group A received a dose of 16 mg of afamelanotide in four monthly treatments. Afamelanotide, about the size of a grain of rice, was implanted just under the skin.
Two common vitiligo assessment scoring systems &#8211; Vitiligo Area Scoring Index and Vitiligo European Task Force &#8211; were used to evaluate the repigmentation response.
While patients in both groups showed repigmentation, the response in Group A was superior to Group B by the 56th day of treatment and even better by the 168th day of treatment. The most common side effect was redness of the skin.


The Article Source:
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2014-09-vitiligo-treatment-skin-pigmentation.html
 
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Clinuvel-Logo.gif


The Clinuvel Medical Blog Article:

Vitiligo Data Presented at World’s Largest Dermatology Conference
Posted: Friday, 20 March 2015 07:57​

Clinuvel Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: CUV; XETRA-DAX: UR9; ADR: CLVLY) today announced that its vitiligo program will feature in presentations to be given at this week’s American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) 73rd Annual Meeting in San Francisco. Data from Clinuvel’s vitiligo program will be reviewed and discussed by experts involved in the CUV102 and CUV103 clinical trials, where SCENESSE® has been used as a combination repigmentation treatment for darker skinned vitiligo patients.

“We are seeing an increasing recognition of the need to treat vitiligo in practical dermatology, which is reflected in the number of presentations featuring Clinuvel’s program,” Clinuvel’s Director, Clinical Affairs, Dr Emilie Rodenburger said. “There are few public forums like the AAD which truly allow our thinking and data on the treatment of vitiligo to be presented to, and challenged by, a global audience of leading academics and practitioners. Given we’re the first pharmaceutical company to fully focus on the treatment of vitiligo, this feedback remains invaluable to our program.”

The AAD meeting is the largest of its type anywhere in the world, with nearly 20,000 attendees from across the globe, and will run from March 20-24

Presentations – American Academy of Dermatology 73rd Annual Meeting, The Moscone Center San Francisco

Grimes, P. What’s New in Vitiligo Therapy? March 21, 4:05pm, Room 3022.

Hamzavi, I. Newer Systemic Treatments for Vitiligo. March 24, 11am, Room 2014.

Hamzavi, I. Combinated therapies. March 24, 1.30pm, Room 120.

Hamzavi, I. Overview and Vitiligo. March 24, 3.30pm, Room 120.

Henderson, M. Vitiligo: What’s New? March 20, 11.30am, Room 2014.

Lim, H. News on afamelanotide. March 24, 2pm, Room 120.

- End -

Media enquiries

Lachlan Hay, Clinuvel Pharmaceuticals Ltd. +61 3 96604900 Lachlan.Hay@clinuvel.com

Nick Miles, Cabinet Privé de Conseils s.a. +41 22 321 4540 miles@cpc-pr.com

Ted Agne, The Communications Strategy Group Inc. +1 718 631 3117 edagne@comstragroup.com

About Clinuvel Pharmaceuticals Limited

Clinuvel Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: CUV; XETRA-DAX: UR9; ADR: CLVLY) is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on developing drugs for the treatment of a range of severe skin disorders. With its unique expertise in understanding the interaction of light and human skin, the company has identified patient populations with a clinical need for photoprotection and another population with a need for repigmentation. These patient groups range in size from 5,000 to 45 million. Clinuvel’s lead compound, SCENESSE® (afamelanotide 16mg), a first-in-class drug targeting erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP), has completed Phase II and III trials in the US and Europe, and has been granted marketing authorisation under exceptional circumstance by the European Medicines Agency for adults with EPP. Based in Melbourne, Australia, Clinuvel has operations in Europe, the US and Singapore.

For more information please go to:

The Article Source:
http://www.clinuvel.com
 
Thanks soooooo much for this thread!!! I came across some rather nasty comments lately, so it's good to see that fans are trying to set the record straight. I really don't get it why this rumour about bleaching his skin is still out there. It's even in his autopsy report. There's proof, both in writing and in pictures. What else do people need to believe??
 
Thanks soooooo much for this thread!!! I came across some rather nasty comments lately, so it's good to see that fans are trying to set the record straight. I really don't get it why this rumour about bleaching his skin is still out there. It's even in his autopsy report. There's proof, both in writing and in pictures. What else do people need to believe??

I think more people know its true he had Vitiligo than they want to admit. For some it's easier to keep repeating a lie than to have to say they were wrong.
 
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