that the person's actions stemmed from an illness beyond his control?
(CNN) -- Michael Jackson's single white glove was his trademark -- an iconic image for a performer whose career constantly set, then redefined, pop culture trends.But it also was an early effort to mask a skin condition that he would struggle with for the rest of his life, say some who were close to him.
"The glove was to cover the vitiligo; that's how that glove came into being."
Jackson's dermatologist, Dr. Arnie Klein, told CNN that Jackson suffered from vitiligo, a disease that causes blotches of lightening skin, as well as a form of lupus that led to rashes and flaking of skin on his scalp.
"His was bad because he began to get a speckled look over his body," Klein said. "All over his body -- on his face and hands, which is hard to treat."It's a report that rings true to others with the disease.
"I have to wear sleeves and carry an umbrella," said Lee Thomas, who wrote a memoir called "Turning White," which discusses his physical and mental struggles as an African-American man whose skin changes because of vitiligo. "It totally makes sense to me." "I got [white spots] on one of my hands, so I used to wear a glove to hold a microphone," he said.
Dr. James Norlund, a dermatologist, never treated Jackson, but said the singer's use of the gloves and lipstick was consistent with the patterns of vitiligo, since the spots frequently first appear on the hands and face, including the lips.
Klein said he treated Jackson's vitiligo with a cream that eventually bleached Jackson's darker pigmentation to even out his skin color. He said it was that treatment -- not a once-rumored desire by Jackson to be white -- that lightened his skin over the years.
"Michael was black," Klein said. "He was very proud of his black heritage."
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/07/09/michael.jackson.glove/index.html
Edit: GeeCee, exactly! x
(CNN) -- Michael Jackson's single white glove was his trademark -- an iconic image for a performer whose career constantly set, then redefined, pop culture trends.But it also was an early effort to mask a skin condition that he would struggle with for the rest of his life, say some who were close to him.
"The glove was to cover the vitiligo; that's how that glove came into being."
Jackson's dermatologist, Dr. Arnie Klein, told CNN that Jackson suffered from vitiligo, a disease that causes blotches of lightening skin, as well as a form of lupus that led to rashes and flaking of skin on his scalp.
"His was bad because he began to get a speckled look over his body," Klein said. "All over his body -- on his face and hands, which is hard to treat."It's a report that rings true to others with the disease.
"I have to wear sleeves and carry an umbrella," said Lee Thomas, who wrote a memoir called "Turning White," which discusses his physical and mental struggles as an African-American man whose skin changes because of vitiligo. "It totally makes sense to me." "I got [white spots] on one of my hands, so I used to wear a glove to hold a microphone," he said.
Dr. James Norlund, a dermatologist, never treated Jackson, but said the singer's use of the gloves and lipstick was consistent with the patterns of vitiligo, since the spots frequently first appear on the hands and face, including the lips.
Klein said he treated Jackson's vitiligo with a cream that eventually bleached Jackson's darker pigmentation to even out his skin color. He said it was that treatment -- not a once-rumored desire by Jackson to be white -- that lightened his skin over the years.
"Michael was black," Klein said. "He was very proud of his black heritage."
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/07/09/michael.jackson.glove/index.html
Edit: GeeCee, exactly! x
