Skin Scoop – Vitiligo Edition

Skin Scoop – Vitiligo Edition

Vitiligo

  • Pronounced vit – ill – EYE – go
  • A pigmentary disorder of the skin 
  • Melanin stops functioning which causes patches of colorless skin
  • Patches across skin are unpredictable 
  • Appears most notable on darker skin
  • No cure (as of now 2015) but treatable

Here are 5 vitiligo stories…

1. Michael Jackson is the most notorious person for having vitiligo. Here he explains his condition in a sit down interview with Oprah.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuHvlHxR-eg

2. Vitiligo isn’t stopping this girl from feeling blue… instead she opted to get a tattoo! Tiffany Posteraro a 24 year old living in Brooklyn decided she didn’t want to hide her vitiligo anymore. Like most people with skin conditions/diseases she hid under baggy long sleeve clothing in the hot summer months. She also dealt with teasing. Check out the rest her story and tattoo here.

3. You may know her from America’s Next Top Model. She was spotted on social media by Tyra Banks, as Tyra was in awe of the symmetrical pattern her vitiligo created. Chantelle Winnie Young-Brown who also goes by Winnie Harlow has appeared everywhere from fashion ads, walking the runway and having articles written about her. She also gave a TedxTeen Talk.

My Story Is Painted On My Body – Winnie Harlow




4. Another video that caught my attention was one about Tamar Braxton. She is one of the hosts on a TV show called The Real, an R&B singer, and sister of Toni Braxton. During this episode she struggles while discussing having vitiligo. Skip to 3:05 minute mark.




5. This is probably the most severe case I’ve seen of vitiligo. Lee Thomas is a author, Emmy award winner, and news reporter who happens to suffer from vitiligo. It started with a patch in his scalp when he was 25. It became so bad he decided to write a book about it called Turning White. He’s done multiple interviews about his skin and what its like to have vitiligo while working in the entertainment industry. Here’s one of his many interviews below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIyQvcuTJYA

Sources – http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1068962-overview
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/vitiligo/basics/definition/con-20032007

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