Fans of Michael Jackson know that he’s a vulnerable soul, and while he sort of grew into his skin at one point, there were times when his looks deeply bothered him.
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Prince Jackson Opens Up About Michael Jackson’s Reaction To His Chronic Skin Condition Vitiligo
Growing up, Michael Jackson was a beautiful black boy, but along the way, his skin started lightening that it got to an extent he was white – well, he started using powder at one point so it’s hard to tell how light his skin actually got.
The reason his skin started losing its blackness was because he suffered from a chronic condition Vitiligo, which is sometimes caused by genetics or a change in the immune system.
It is characterized by patches of skin losing its pigmentation and giving these areas a milky white appearance.
The Jackson kids rarely give interviews, but Prince, 26, appeared on the “Hotboxin’ with Mike Tyson” and talked about the way his late father’s appearance affected his confidence.
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“When I was younger, he was always explaining to me, speaking about that,” said Prince. “I think it was even in the autopsy report. I think the cause of it is up for speculation, but it’s either vitiligo or some form of lupus contributed to the vitiligo.”
“He had a lot of insecurity around, kind of looking blotchy in his appearance,” Prince remembered. “So he wanted to see if he could smooth out his appearance, to help with his security on his physical appearance.”
Michael Jackson Addresses Rumors Around His Brightening Complexion: “It Is Something I Cannot Help”
In a 1993 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jackson talked about the condition after rumors started swirling that he was using creams to lighten his complexion.
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“I have a skin disorder the pigmentation of my skin. It is something I cannot help,” the “Smooth Criminal” singer, who died in 2009, said at the time.
“When people make up stories that I don’t want to be who I am, it hurts me. It’s a problem for me. I can’t control it. But what about all the millions of people who sit in the sun to become darker, to become other than what they are? Nobody says nothing about that.”
“It’s in my family, I can’t control it. It makes me very sad,” he added, denying rumors of surgery and bleaching his skin. “I try to control it, and using makeup evens it out because I have blotches on my skin and I have to even it out. But you know what’s funny? Why is that so important? That’s not important to me.”
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