Yesterday the world was witness to the premature death of the greatest pop icon of all time. While we may never truly know the inner psychology of this troubled performer, it is not hard to postulate that Jackson's vitiligo skin condition played a large role in his descent into ever-increasing depression and isolation.

The HisTory of Michael Jackson's face

Vitiligo: More Than Skin Deep In Repair

The latter article is filled with quotes from Jackson's makeup artist, who said that his vitiligo became so widespread that it eventually became too much of a project to cover him with brown makeup. Thus he decided to bleach his skin white so that it would at least be evened out. Ultimately even this failed, as evidenced by this post-bleach photo:

http://media.photobucket.com/image/j...auvitiligo.jpg

The media pounced on him, dubbing him with the monker of "Whacko Jacko." And why not? He robed himself bizarrely from head to toe so that his skin wouldn't be seen.

Plaster of disguise: Bandaged Michael Jackson goes shopping in Las Vegas | Mail Online

He walked under umbrellas and seemingly only ever made extended appearances at night.

His tale seems to be one ripped straight from Hollywood screenplays. Darkman ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099365/ )
is the tale of a once-normal looking scientist who's personal life goes to tatters once he is horribly disfigured by a laboratory accident. In a science fiction twist, he has figured out how to build a prosthetic face to cover his own skeletel and hideous one, but alas, it only lasts for a little over an hour.

Such is the dillemma Jackson faced when he was forced to wear nearly full-body makeup to cover his vitiligo splotches. A normal, even beautiful man for a few hours...and then back to his ruinous, gawk-inducing appearance.

Vanilla Sky ( Vanilla Sky (2001) ) is another example. A handsome man (played by Tom Cruise) who is wildly successful and loving life has it all ruined one fateful day when he survives a car crash that permanently disfigures his face. After the incident, he is never the same man. His relationships fall apart, he loses his job, and he becomes extremely isolated and lonely, unable to accept himself or the new way people react to him.

Vitiligo, like keratosis pilaris, rosacea, and other skin disorders, is classified as a purely "cosmetic" condition. According to doctors and dermatologists, it is not life-threatening and thus in need of minimal attention. I beg to differ. Michael Jackson is proof positive of the extreme psychological and emotional dysfunction a "cosmetic" skin disorder can create in the heart and mind of a previously normal, handsome, healthy human being.

While none of these skin diseases have the power to stop a heart by themselves, they do have the potential to ruin lives and mortally wound self-esteem. The fact that the medical/dermatological communities throw up their hands and say "It's only cosmetic!" is absolutely unacceptable and a slap in the face to the millions of people who suffer from these diseases.

Perhaps Michael Jackson's death, but most certainly elements of his isolation and depression, are unfortunate and tragic testaments to the devastation of so-called "cosmetic conditions."

[Caveat: I am not attempting to say that his emotional turmoil over his skin condition led him directly to his death -- I'm merely saying that it's not hard to see how a rare and misunderstood skin condition correlates to his (allegedly) fragile self-esteem and self-imposed isolation]

My mum new a lady with Vitiligo growing on her arms and chest. She wanted to bleach her skin too but chose to just leave it because she didn't have the money. I don't blame Michael for doing what he did, especially with all the pressure of looking good in Hollywood. It was either have blotches all over him or lighten the skin (you cant darken it). Fell so sorry for all the problems he had to go through.

And yes, it's a HUGE loss. Not just in music but for someone that was constantly analyzed for being different..or as I like to call it 'unique' when he was just trying to make the world a better place.