Michael Jackson's skin turned white primarily due to a medical condition called vitiligo, a rare autoimmune disorder that causes the skin to lose its pigmentation in patches. This condition was diagnosed by his dermatologist in the mid-1980s and confirmed by Jackson himself in a 1993 interview with Oprah Winfrey. Vitiligo caused uneven blotches of lighter skin, which Jackson sought to even out by using fair-colored makeup and possibly skin-lightening prescription creams, further lightening his overall appearance

. Jackson's skin tone had been medium-brown during his youth but gradually became paler from the mid-1980s onward as the vitiligo progressed. The use of makeup and creams was a way to cover the uneven patches caused by the disorder, not an attempt to bleach his skin to appear white, as he publicly stated. He explained that his skin condition was hereditary and something he could not control

. In addition to vitiligo, Jackson was also diagnosed with lupus, another autoimmune disease that can affect the skin and overall health

. The combination of these conditions, along with the treatments he used, contributed to the significant change in his skin color over time. In summary, Michael Jackson's transformation to a lighter skin tone was due to vitiligo and lupus, with cosmetic measures taken to manage the appearance of his skin condition rather than intentional skin bleaching