The truth was that MJ tried to hide his skin problem, which was vitiligo. Vitiligo is a chronic skin disease characterized by depigmentation of the skin. Epidermal melanocytes, the pigment-producing cells, lie at the base of the epidermis, within keratinocytes (consisting of all skin cells). Vitiligo is a skin disorder in which the melanocytes within the basal layer of the skin are damaged or completely destroyed. Initially, the stem cells divide and some begin to mature, forming melanoblasts (intermediate cells that are a precursor to adult melanocytes).

Source: Philippine Star January 20, 2020 16:00 UTC