“King of Pop” Michael Jackson in Santa Maria, California (USA) on February 1, 2005. (Source: AFP/VNA)

Black woman turns white

One of the most widely rumored stories about Michael Jackson from years ago involved the strange change in his skin color, from a dark-skinned boy to a man with smooth white skin.

Many years ago, when the media was still limited and the ability to determine true or false information was limited, many people believed that Michael Jackson had undergone skin graft surgery, or used skin bleaching chemicals, to turn his black skin white.

This information caused Michael Jackson to face many criticisms, that he denied his skin color to attract more white fans, to enter the upper class of American society, where racial prejudices are still very heavy.

However, it was later proven by many experts that Michael Jackson actually suffered from a rare condition called vitiligo, which causes most of the skin on his body to turn white. In Michael Jackson, the condition may have been more severe than normal.

In the same year that Michael Jackson passed away, the world learned about another similar case, that of the beautiful fashion designer living in England, Darcel de Vlugt, 23 years old.

Darcel de Vlugt, born to Trinidadian parents, was born with dark skin, but vitiligo has caused all the melanin in her skin to disappear.

Darcel’s family said the condition began when she was five years old, when they noticed white spots on her arms and forehead. Two years later, the spots appeared on her legs and body, and quickly spread.

By the time Darcel was 17, all the melanin in her body had been removed, leaving her skin white and smooth. She had to use sunscreen with an SPF of up to 100 when going out during the day. She also had a hard time answering questions about her skin tone, especially when she was with other family members. Her brother did not have this condition.

Darcel is currently running several fundraising campaigns to raise awareness of the disease. Although it is not life-threatening, it does have cosmetic effects, and therefore a significant psychological impact on the sufferer.

Darcel considers herself lucky to have turned white all over her body. But for others, having patches of different colors on their skin makes life difficult. That’s what she felt as a child, when the disease first appeared on her body, leading people to call her “Dalmatian.”

Rare disease

It is rare for vitiligo to affect nearly the entire body. But Darcel’s condition has brought to mind Michael Jackson, lending credence to claims that his skin discoloration was actually due to a medical condition, rather than cosmetic surgery.

Darcel de Vlugt with white skin due to vitiligo. (Source: Facebook Darcel de Vlugt-Figuero)

Professor David Gawkrodger, consultant dermatologist at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust – a combined medical and community service – said: “It is now widely recognised that Michael Jackson had vitiligo.” However, he also suggested that Michael may have used a de-pigmentation cream to remove the small dark patches that remained on his skin.

He also said that although the disease is not life-threatening, it has a strong psychological impact. “Because it affects visible parts of the body like the hands and face, it makes people feel very bad. Especially for people of color and Asian descent, because these white patches become very prominent,” he said.