Did Michael Jackson have lupus? In the later years of his life, fans did notice skin color changes in Michael Jackson: lupus does sometimes attack the skin, leaving rounded patches of dark red or nearly purple. However, a disorder known as vitiligo was actually responsible for the lightened patches on his face, neck and hands.
Though he did not have lupus, Michael Jackson did have a type of autoimmune disorder. Doctors believe that a faulty immune response causes vitiligo, based on the cellular changes that produce the characteristic mottled pigmentation. Compared to later photographs of Michael Jackson, lupus pictures – which could include malar (butterfly) rashes on the cheeks and nose, rough, scaly patches of reddened skin, sores or darkly discolored areas with slightly raised edges – clearly indicate the outward differences in the two diseases.
The autoimmune response in lupus is wholesale, and often systemic. Antibodies that target bodily tissues are created in the lymph glands; they may attack organs, bones and areas of the skin. Wherever they attack, these antibodies destroy entire cells, causing severe inflammation and pain. When major organs or the central nervous system are involved, the complications can be serious, even life-threatening.
Symptoms of Vitiligo
Vitiligo, on the other hand, is less invasive than lupus, and not at all life-threatening. It attacks the melanocytes, the cells responsible for skin color. Scientists aren’t sure what causes it, but it is possibly triggered by sunburn or physical trauma. It is not a painful condition, but it can be very embarrassing for the person who has it, especially those with naturally dark skin.
If Michael Jackson had lupus, he might well have suffered facial scarring from the antibody damage to his skin, which can be permanent and difficult to disguise. Instead, he likely attempted to darken the lighter patches through phototherapy, a medical procedure that exposes the affected areas of the skin to ultraviolet light to stimulate melanin (pigment) production in any remaining melanocytes. He might also have applied creams or ointments with drugs such as tacrolimus or pimecrolimus, which are milder and have fewer side effects than the corticosteroid creams prescribed for lupus skin disorders. Some also chose to bleach the unaffected skin for a uniform appearance, although the procedure is permanent.
Although it would be nice to have such a well-known celebrity as an advocate for a cure, there isn’t really a connection between Michael Jackson and lupus, save that vitiligo is also a form of immune disorder. Vitiligo is a rare condition, but it is neither painful nor fatal. The pigment changes can generally be hidden with makeup – which is always readily available to a celebrity.
