Michael Jackson's Health and Appearance - Skin Color

Skin Color

Jackson's skin was a medium-brown color throughout his youth, but, starting in the mid-1980s, his skin gradually grew more pale through what was widely considered to be skin bleaching and changing of his features to appear European. These changes gained widespread media coverage. In February 1993, Dr. Arnold Klein, at Jackson's request, announced that he had diagnosed his skin disorder in 1986. The dermatologist said it is not contagious, and is caused by "the loss of pigment producing cells of the skin". Even today the exact cause of the disease is not fully known. Between 1% and 2% of the worldwide population are considered to be affected. The depigmentation occurs in patches, and affects all ethnic/racial groups equally. The patches become gradually larger; the progression can be slowed or stopped, but patients cannot be cured of vitiligo. A clinical study of 2002, revealed that the skin of affected individuals does not age as fast as the skin of healthy individuals of the same age and the same gender. The study was conducted of patients who did not avoid sun exposure completely.

According to J. Randy Taraborrelli's biography, in 1986, Jackson was diagnosed with vitiligo, which Tarraborrelli noted was sometimes considered by doctors to be a consequence of damage done by bleaching chemicals over the years. Taraborelli stated that around the time Jackson began making his nose smaller, his skin became gradually lighter and that he was using the over-the-counter skin-bleaching cream called Porcelana to achieve that look. Taraborrelli reported that Jackson's sister, Latoya, used Porcelana as well, and that they had crates of this cream stored at their family home Hayvenhurst, "hoarding it as the most valuable beauty product ever produced."

Taraborrelli also stated that Jackson was diagnosed with lupus, that the vitiligo partially lightened his skin and the lupus was in remission and both illnesses made him sensitive to sunlight, which could have caused his lupus condition to recur. To treat these conditions, Jackson used Solaquin, Tretinoin, and Benoquin. He also had hydroxychloroquine injected directly into his scalp regularly. The treatments he used for his condition further lightened his skin tone, and with the application of pancake makeup to even out his skin tone, he could appear very pale. For example, Stevie Nicks recalled, in a Rolling Stone interview: "I remember before, Michael sent somebody to find out if I had any foundation make-up he could borrow. I was using some light Chanel foundation at that time, and Michael sent back a note to say, thanks, but the foundation wasn't quite light enough for him." On sunny days, Jackson would use an umbrella to shield himself from the sun.

In 2013, the medical examiner, Christopher Rogers, testified that Jackson did not suffer from lupus.

In February 1993, Jackson gave a ninety-minute interview with Oprah Winfrey, his first televised interview since 1979. During this interview, he stated that he never bleached his skin and even stated that skin bleaching products do not exist, stating publicly for the first time that he suffered from a skin disease, and that he used heavy makeup to even out his complexion. The interview was watched by 62 million Americans. It also started a public discourse on the topic of vitiligo, a relatively unknown condition before then. Also, in 1993 Dr. Pearl Grimes said, based on the footage of the interview, she could not definitely determine whether Jackson's skin had been depigmented, or he used makeup to camouflage the disease.

During the Australian leg of the HIStory World Tour, Jackson married his dermatologist's nurse, Debbie Rowe. The pair first met in the mid-1980s, when Jackson was diagnosed with vitiligo. She spent many years treating his illness, as well as providing emotional support, and they built a strong friendship before becoming romantically involved. The couple divorced in 1999 and remained friends thereafter.

According to Dr. Jeffrey Marmelzat it is "'extremely difficult' to get depigmented areas to darken". On June 29, 2009, multiple tubes of Benoquin and hydroquinone were found in Jackson's home. Both creams are commonly used to treat vitiligo; Dr. David Sawcer said some patients with vitiligo get to the point where it makes more sense to remove the brown bits because so much of the skin is pale. A side effect can be an acute sensitivity to the sun. Jackson's autopsy did not confirm or refute the claim that he had lupus, and with respect to vitiligo, his skin was found to have reduced (though not absent) melanocytes, the cells active in skin pigmentation, something which may be consistent with vitiligo. The autopsy report states a "focal depigmentation of the skin," i.e. the depigmentation occurs on one or a few areas of the body. In Jackson's case, there were 5 affected areas.