How I help people understand vitiligo | Lee Thomas
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 27 сен 2024
- TV news anchor Lee Thomas thought his career was over after he was diagnosed with vitiligo, an autoimmune disorder that left large patches of his skin without pigment and led to derision and stares. In a captivating talk, he shares how he discovered a way to counter misunderstanding and fear around his appearance with engagement, dialogue -- and a smile. "Positivity is something worth fighting for, and the fight is not with others -- it's internal," Thomas says. "If you want to make positive changes in your life, you have to consistently be positive."
Get TED Talks recommended just for you! Learn more at www.ted.com/si....
The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design -- plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. You're welcome to link to or embed these videos, forward them to others and share these ideas with people you know. For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), please submit a Media Request here: media-requests...
Follow TED on Twitter: / tedtalks
Like TED on Facebook: / ted
Subscribe to our channel: / ted
Enjoying this talk? You'll love the brand new TED Radio Hour series - Mind, Body, Spirit. Hear TED speakers share their eye-opening ideas on how we think, move, and feel. ruclips.net/p/PL2TjQf2riraLkqqFGxK65JI-leCAxm1eD
My girlfriend has vitiligo. She had it even before I met her for the 1st time. It never mattered to me. I still love her for who she is. She is a doctor working in rural parts of India giving medical treatments to the poor in a government hospital. She cares far more about people than even I do. That's what I am learning from her. She is indeed an angel for me.
My boyfriend has vitiligo :D he is also a very lovely person. His vitiligo has never bothered me at all, not even for one second. In fact I didn't even notice it at first until he pointed it out. I actually see it as a beautiful pattern that makes him even more interesting and beautiful. Ive told him you dont have boring one colour skin like the rest of us you have interesting patterns on yours :D He is also indian but british indian. I wish more people were informed about this skin disorder, education is important.
@zztop3000 Stfu and focus on the positive.
@@liamc1102 why? You can't ignore what's wrong and expect it to go away, you could live in the real world instead.. it was a dumb comment but just saying
@@hay7501 I do live in the real world bud. But there was no need at all for a disgusting comment like that.
@@liamc1102 no need, you're right but that doesn't change the fact that it's factually correct. Things like that should be considered before going to any country.
I work in a prison. My coworker was a black man with vitiligo, and he was talking to a black inmate who was just starting to get vitiligo. My coworker told the inmate that the more your skin turns white, the higher your credit score rises. I laughed at the joke. The inmate thought he was serious!
@America wow that's some r/RoastMe comment. you're very unique
@America what are you talking about
@America That's unnecessarily harsh to someone that didn't do anything to ask for that
prob both had Hep C as well. inmates like to lie and say that their drug lab blew up and thats y their skin is patchy. news flash its hep c
@@Full_monty I dont think you know what help c is...
"It comes and goes", I didn't know it shifts in intensity. Thats even weirder.
yeah me neither :D
It's kinda cool and strange at the same time.
yeah i have less severe vitiligo too, its like..... sometimes some patches get bigger, sometimes they start filling up again, its kinda weird, usually the shifts happen in summer when youre more exposed to sun
@Matt Taylor youre not supposed to, but then again.... youre not supposed to drink or smoke or eat excess sugar right? so its like, you take the risk associated with sun to have a life basically
My dad has vitiligo and it never really gets better. Sometimes it just grows faster but it never goes back to normal for him. I guess its very different person to person.
I have vitiligo too though i'm also white and naturally pale so it's usually very hard to see, but when i was young i had a huge streak of white hair (yes sometimes it affects hair too.) which was very noticeable. now though it's almost entirely gone aside from some around my eyes and on my hands. It's strange how it comes and goes.
The character on this man. He's the type of person everyone should look up to.
The question is, whether he will loose his n word pass
Nobody looks up to black people
@@michaelbacon8698 Are you *sure* about that?
@@michaelbacon8698 Martin Luther King Jr., Malcom X, Frederick Douglas .... yup you're blatantly wrong
I think the best website that will help on Vitiligo treatment is *4VitiligoCure. Com* I personally tried this program and i get great results. Recommended..
he... he was so energetic and the crowd was just...
👁️👄👁️
@Zero Cool i was mad at the crowd not him why are you being hostile
👁👄👁
A friend
U got mad at them for listening?
@@Koala019 what im pointing out is their lack of energy, not their acute listening skills. In a big stadium normally if someone puts a lot of energy into something and then pauses they expect a round of applause or laughter but every time he did that they just sat there and stared at him like robots with no emotion
@@xanthmardon584 but its not a big stadium, did u see how little people were actually there?
I was diagnosed with vitiligo when I was a child. The toughest part is the daily mental battle of being stared at. Every new spot that appears on my body makes me worried more that it’s going to impact my life a little more. Thanks for doing this Ted Talk, it makes me feel like I am not alone.
I have vitiligo too, im lucky to have it mainly in areas that are covered by clothes but when i was little i was always too scared to wear shorts because i didnt want people laughing at my whiter knees. Over the years i have started to not care what others think and people still ask about it on my hands, elbows knees feet, i have it on my eyelids but it is very hard to catch. I just tell them what it is and they usually dont care. Some people dont notice it until a couple of weeks of first seeing me. But yeah once in a while the thought creeps into your head of whay do others think and how do they percieve me but for me the most important part was not caring about others because everyone has their own problems to deal with and this is one of mine. I cant change it so why hide it? Plus i think my white knee hair is pretty cool 😂
Rabi Yet amen
@@jonaskastrickas1218, I think most of the time is just plain curiosity if you have never seen it before. You satisfy that and then it stops being important. I'm glad you don't care much about other's opinion anymore. We'll never live as others expect us to do. Good luck!
@Jeffery Jefferyson Haha, thank you 😅
@@patfitz6044 Yeah, i dont know if im the only one but when i also saw another person with vitiligo i was like woah i stared for a couple of seconds. Its crazy to finally see someone else with the same condition and it almost catches you off gaurd if you forget that you have it yourself. Thank you and best of luck to you too.
6:14 the two guys in the crowd doing the exact same thing with their arms lmao
and the girl in the front too..they are engaged.
The Girl just Leaned back
Jesus, how do you even notice these type of things? Can't unsee it now
@@markusrudolf9377 lmao no idea
@@Rafazzel I know it's only been 2 days, but... are they married yet?
Lee Thomas is a hometown hero. I remember when he did a "coming out" on the news station about his condition. I'm sure it must have been very difficult for him, but all of us in Michigan and Detroit supported the man 100%! He's a great guy and a fantastic news reporter!
This is honestly one of the best ted talks I’ve ever seen
As someone with Vitligo, I really want to give this guy a big hug. I go through the same thing.
This was probably the most beautiful speech I’ve ever heard. Makes you feel like it really is worth it to struggle everyday.
_a precious jihad, a lesson for all_
I think without struggle we can’t appreciate the good times. There is no good without bad. Hopefully people learn from there bad times and move on wiser for it.
After he wiped the makeup off he should have said "Yes, I became bald".
Woulda been perfect
He might be shaving because it makes it easy to use makeup.
😂😂
dragonlaughing Vitiligo on the scalp can also affect the hair, creating large swathes of white hair
He was bald before he wiped the makeup off .....
I’ll be back in 2 years when this one blows up
I mean, he did say the pigment came back after being nearly completely white.
Add me to that list I'll bring the beer.
Vitiligo will not make him blow up, i dont think you understood what he was explaining
@@MirLo1989 r/whoosh
@@MirLo1989 please don't be serious
It's interesting how animals, like cats and dogs have spots and weird colors all over them. And it's completely normal for animals.
That's fur pattern. Beneath the fur they have unicolor skin
@@namelesslad5803 Not all I think? Like horses and cows?
@@Republic3D No cows and horses still follow the same rule. Individual with spots are like freckles on humans
Skin color is a respond to the environment (heat, sunlight strength, camouflage etc). But since animals have fur, they simply don't need to switch skin color (slower n harder to change)
@@namelesslad5803 not all of them, google "bald cat" for example and you'll see patterns on some of their skin
He was once White . Seems like he misses his short lived white privileges 😂😂🤣🤣
I want him to do one of those
"I took a picture of myself every day for a year" videos.
this has been the only thing which has worked for me and i do suffer from the condition, but YES IT WORKS amzn.to/2XTC3hY
I have vitiligo and i think of doing it .. but im scared ..
@@MrBurgos88 give me your email i want your support i also have vitiligo bust a little bit
Brother i want to see that video
I have vitiligo. Anytime someone asked I just said my mom slapped the black off me 😂 but most thought it was really cool so I'm lucky
@Alexis Drohin --- Nah, that's REvitiligo.
Sam Bishop love your humour sweets 🙏 bless
That must have been a hard slap. 🤣
I have it too. Sometimes, it's so annoying, cause, almost every stupid person makes fun of you!
Alexis Drohin lmao but uncle ruckus would said “black be gone.”
My grandpa had vitiligo. He was the most kind, compassionate man I'll ever know. Every time I see people with vitiligo, I remember him. Every time, I want to stare just because I associate the pigmentation patterns with an amazing person- it feels like the closest I can be to him in the flesh again. But I try not to stare. If you have vitiligo, know that I think you're beautiful 💙
I have some vitiligo myself, but very small patches so far. I've talked with other people who are afflicted, and they tend to get the stares themselves. Because of my experience I simply go over and talk with them. It's a weird disease with no known cause, but it's your own immune system attacking your pigments, not a contagious disease. Very brave to get up in front of people and explain the emotional component to this disease. God bless Lee Thomas.
AND U TOO .
Autoimmune illness commonly associated with non celiac gluten sensitivity
Dr William Davis book, total health
@@steponroach I'll definitely look into that Sunshine. As it turns out I do have the celiac gene, and perhaps there is a link there. On a side note, I have been on a Keto diet for the last 6 months and have seen no progression of my disease. On this diet I avoid all gluten based products, and indeed all simple carbs. I limit my carb intake to under 15 gms a day.
I assume you mean "Wheat Belly: Total Health"?
Thanks for this info, much appreciated.
I had it selsun gold the brand I used a dandruff shampoo is what fixed it I went to many doctors and nothing worked all the creams etc this was 13 years ago, then and old lady someone who knew one of my family members told em, use this product on your skin rub it in 5 minutes before showering I gave up hope, and even the back of the product states don't use it the way I was gonna, so I did it anyway and it slowly worked about a week later it was noticeable by a month down the road it was gone, don't believe me lol I wouldn't either try it for yourself what's the worst that can happen.
@@zil5311 Cool trick....... I'm going to give that a try. Thanks for sharing!
I laughed, I cried... thank you Lee Thomas, I feel this video has made me a better person.
I honestly find vitiligo so attractive
Growing up in Detroit, I remember when Lee Thomas went public with his vitiligo. He was able to encourage a lot of people to be comfortable with the skin they are in when he spoke out. He is such a good soul. Love you Lee and thank you for doing this! I’m so happy to see him on this TED talk! ❤️
I remember when I was a child, one day an Albino kid came to the restaurant with his parents. I had never seen an Albino before. But my parents immediately told me, hey don't stare at them, it's rude, that's just a skin condition. We should teach our kids about these conditions and how it's normal. That way you wouldn't see people staring at your for 5 minutes.
SAHM I had an acquaintance in college who was albino. Once 1 person accepted him, everyone did. People are FOLLOWERS!!
Agreed, thats the best way to take that fear out of people.
I think in this time of technology, we can all take these chances to learn about things like that. Googling the causes can explain easily that's just another person with a physical difference. I'll explain it to a small child this way... you see that cats and dogs have different colors on their skin? Sometimes human skin does that. It's not very common, that's all.
@@patfitz6044 This is an awesome explanation.
i saw an albino for the first time in real life a few years ago... first, let me state that i AM biased, in that pale skin is a massive turn-on to me (but typically, think loki: porcelain skin, jet black hair)... but she was an asian young woman, and one of the most beautiful people i've ever seen... it's really hard to *not* stare when you're fucking gorgeous to begin with, and then you happen to fall in my own niche fetish beyond that...
so... i think i got all my "staring from inexposure" out of me now. ...can't promise i wouldn't stare while looking at my phone if i ever saw her again, though...
He is so beautiful. I believe his disease makes him look unique and only adds to this. Thank you for the wonderful and insightful video Lee Thomas.
One of my friend told me to try *4VitiligoCure. Com* to get rid of my Vitiligo. I tried this Program and I got great results...So I am recommending this product to all you guys....
Bless that little girl who tried helping him. I don't have vitiligo, but I'm glad that he helped raise awareness for people that do have it.
Wow, this one hit home with me.. everything you said is so accurate. I was born without a left hand I've been battling my demons for a long time.. it's true, you need to be positive even when you are going through something always give yourself time to heal and have faith that things will get better.
Dawit,
It is hard to stay positive when strangers ask you stupid questions and stare
Rich Hall very true, all you can do is speak the truth and it’s up to others to accept it or not
When i saw this video in my feed i thought "Huh, I've never seen that word before"
So i now know what vitiligo is, thank you
I’m so thankful for his awareness to this condition. It’s such a blessing to know we are not alone . With social media I’ve been able to leave my home and attempt to live life again
The stares the comments are sometimes enough to take you to really dark places . Great TeD talk !!!!!
Westport simplemom people are IGNORANT!! & RUDE!!!! You are a good person.. FORGET others disrespect!!!
@@flipz4398 I know this is 3 years late, but I let people stare and ask questions because I understand they don't know what it is. Its fine to ask questions, as long as you are not being rude about it. Maybe I'm just used to it after having it for 14 of my 18 years but I think that's the best way of going about it.
Mr. Thomas, you deserve kindness and compassion every single day.
Thanks for the reminder to be positive. It's a good one.
Wishing you the very best.
I am even a vitiligo patient and thanks for this video, I hope people who watch this video will not treat vitiligo patients differently.
Yes, it is not CONTAGIOUS. I pray for mental strength to all the vitiligo patients to face such situations with a smile.
Last year I suffered from Chronic Vitiligo disease but after using the herbal medication of doctor iyhere on youtube, it cured me and my skin was back to its normal color
@@crystalblessing5608 can I get more information about that treatment?
When he smiled after wiping 😊👍
Feels like wiping a mask off that you never wanted on...
Soo cool the story with the little girl touching his face, lovely... I wish the best!
I didn’t realize the pigment could come back, it’s like an ever changing, live Rorschach painting
His pigment is white not black
It really doesn’t
Even I have Vitiligo , I kind grown with it . Yes , his feelings are real and I had same feelings over the years . Over the years, I developed a trait to ignore any one who tries to discriminate. But thankfully my friends around supported me in all my phases of life . Mr. Lee you are good man and thank you for bringing this inspirational video . Wish you a good life ahead and love from India.
Michael Jackson had this and people said hE jUst wAnTeD tO Be WhItE
smh black people am i right my guys?
People speculated that because he kept quiet about it for so long and made his nose so thin.
@@ixionchowdhury4896 People still said it after he spoke out about it. They just didn't believe him.
@@melanieperez1699 He displayed this mysterious personality and remained private almost all the time that people in the media had to speculate things about him. We got to know for sure after his death, though it was obvious to people around him that he had vitiligo.
@@skadi6750 He never said he had no plastic surgery. What interview are you talking about?
It's human beings like this guy who are my heroes. Now this is a real tough guy. His strength of character is so inspiring!
This talk hits hard. 😭😭😭Thank you for spreading awareness. I had vitiligo for two decades now and still not getting used to second looks, judgmental stares, etc. A solid support group from family especially my husband and 2 kids, relatives and friends keeps me going. Thank you!
Michael Jackson: had vitiligo, “I’m starting with the man in the mirror. I’m asking him to make a change.”
This guy: has vitiligo, “If I wanted change, the change had to start with me.”
Yesss, same message, different words
Also, this guy: watches kids play at the park
🤔
Bbgm95 I was just waiting for the part of that story where the kid’s parent would come over and chastise this guy.
I doubt Michael Jackson actually had vitiligo. I think he was just odd and wanted to be white.
@@bandawhat33 Look. You don't have to like his music. You don't have to like him as a person. But please do some basic research about any person, not just Michael Jackson, before attacking someone like that.
There are a few private photos of him without make-up, there are concert photos of him where his make-up was washed away by his sweat (these were public events, not possible to fake them), you can see it in behind the scenes photos of They Don't Care About Us in Brazil, people that were more or less close to him said it multiple times and it's even in his autopsy report.
If he really hated being black then he really did a good job hiding it. He was one of the very few people who casted black people for the ancient egypts, the whole song They Don't Care About Us is for every person that experience discrimination but in the entire video black people are shown, in 2001 he talked out about racists in the music industry what basically killed the financial success of his last studio album "Invincible".
Btw. When the disease reached his face, he didn't talk about it even with his own make-up artist, because he was ashamed. And in photos in 1984 you can see he put on unprofessional transparent make-up himself to hide it from everyone. He put on black make-up to hide that he got white spots. When he couldn't hide it anymore from his make-up artist, they used professional camouflage make-up. But the white spots became the majority, so they decided that they'll go slowly lighter step by step, so he don't have to cover everything when his full body was nearly complete white.
And there is also a photo of Michael as a kid with his grandfather who also had that disease. It's in the genes.
Good luck if you should ever get a disease like that. I would really hope there won't be people that talk about you like that. This just sucks.
10:59 As someone who's currently working with children between the age of 1-3 years, that one really got to me. Much respect for fighting for that positive state of mind. Best of wishes from Denmark.
I love watching his movie reviews and celebrity interviews. Even when I'm in a pissy mood Lee Thomas forces a smile on my face and reminds me to be kind.
Which has nothing to do with vitiligo and everything to do with this good man... and his mother.
Al Davis AMEN!!!!! Bless you!
This is such a sweet and wonderful video of seeing Mr. Thomas’s explanation of his journey of self acceptance. I’m glad he was able to love and be proud of his body's changes and he was so emotional as well it could be seen through his eyes how much it had effected him when he had to reminisce. It still is so sad that in society most people we’ll see others who have vitiligo as some strange being when it is just a human with a difference and change in their skin and someone who just feels like anyone else. I wish well in life and his self love to be more strong each day as well. :’D Also glad his final push was seeing a child like him to inspire him to truly show himself who he was on TV. He truly did inspire others. :’)
You made me cry, thanks for such beautiful words. ❤️❤️❤️❤️
My best friend has vitiligo and I didn't know much about it before knowing her.
To me, she's always been wonderful and so beautiful and I couldn't care less about those spots.
The best thing we can do is to raise awareness about it.
To all the people out there with vitiligo, you are as good as anyone else.
Your skin colour doesn't define you.
We know you didn't ask for it.
It doesn't matter now.
Walk with your head held high, you're just as good as anyone else, maybe even better. :)
Thank you :)))
Even i never was depressed or sad about my vitiligo this comment kinda made me happy 😊
This comment made me a little happier too. Thank you. I don't have a bad case of it but its slowly taking over my right wrist at the moment so I had to hear this.
@Ankit Sharma this is a good comment. We need more positivity like this.
❤️
You just made my list of role models. 100% amazing. One of the most captivating ted talks I’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to.
The dude was staring at him because he recognised him from TV. But was confused because he looked different.
Wow, wow, wow, how inspiring!!! I don't have the condition but what a gift to see and hear him.
I've lived in Metro Detroit since I was a kid and I've always loved Lee Thomas! What a wonderful surprise to find a TED talk by him today. His story was always inspiring and sweet. He's such a nice guy and I hate seeing how people prejudged him by his appearance.
sugaryxegnirys I grew up in Detroit, and I’ve always loved him as well! Seeing him do a TED talk was definitely a pleasant surprise ❤️
This is Great & Brave. I know Lee Thomas from playing Basketball at the Royal Oak & Birmingham YMCA. One of the greatest men I have ever met. We saw as he was going through his challenges & transition. We did not care, he was a part of our basketball family. Hats off to you Lee for bringing clarity to us all. Much Love & Respect.
Lee, thank you for the education. This might be the best TED talk I ever listened to. Some day you can ask your creator why he made you this way and presented you with this test in life. You are, however, passing his test with flying colors. :)
@@rafaelw8115 I certainly will!
@@rafaelw8115 my best wishes to you, too. 🙏🏻
Awesome human being! Stellar performance. Moving, inspiring, courageous, bold, daring, monumental, healing, powerful. Thank you. 💖💖💖💖
👍👍👍👍👍👏👏👏👏
Dads scare small children when they shave their beards. So best not put much weight on their reactions :)
Which just shows you all the more how painful this type of condition can be. He would have known on a surface level the kid was just scared from a strange thing but when he was conditioned to respond a certain way and think the world is out to get him because people can be cruel or rude yeah :/
This presentation was great.
@@Soniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiic yeah when people react that way to someone with a skin disorder or other condition that affects their appearance kids can be rude not because theyre actually jerks but because they don't see it every day and nobody told them about it, and kids have an instinctive response to things that arent familiar to them. this is why its important for disabilities to get media exposure to normalize it so children arent intimidated when they see it
My sister when she was a baby kept crying at my dad "Take it off! Take it off!" about his beard. So he shaves it. Comes out of the bathroom... "Put it back on! Put it back on!"
right I don't know how you flipped that one around in your mind for it to make sense, but this was a story SPECIFICALLY about a child who had no preconceived notion about what this man looked like but reacted with horror when she saw him because of his abnormal face relative to people in general.
You're downplaying the trauma that this caused him, the fact that in addition to all of the other trials and tribulations he faced with his condition, that he also had to come to terms with the fact that children had no filter and they reflected exactly what everyones initial reaction to his condition was: terror and confusion. He was, in the eyes of children and to an extent adults, a monster.
It's delusional, self centered, and toxic to try to dilute this experience by saying "oh children think everything's scary," even comparing it to the loss of facial hair- because you're either lying or ignorant and for some reason opposed to the idea of listening to this person who has experienced great pain when they're telling you why they're feeling it.
It seems like you might be trying to be encouraging but you just don't do that by telling someone that their problem isn't real/justified, you say you're sorry, try to understand what they're going through, let them know that you're on their side, and help them find positivity.
Austen McKee sometimes thinking about something in a different way helps make lighter the load. I definitely empathize with the guy. But the story of the child in particular, I felt it’s important to know children can be irrationally weird with things.
I especially don’t think he’s a monster in any way whatsoever. And the child’s reaction shouldn’t indicate in any way he is.
I get where you’re coming from, but you definitely don’t get where I’m coming from.
He has a very noticeable skin condition. I have the same, but I’m white, so it only shows when I tan. Which was mostly a problem as a kid, outdoors a lot.
Children can be cruel. I feel your stance kinda support the idea he looks like a monster, to which I disagree strongly. Child’s horror somehow being the proof. But as I said, children can be horrified at a dad losing his beard. Yes, it’s someone they know. But dad looks different than he used to, same as someone with vitiligo looks different to what they are used to. Different =/= monster, despite what a child’s reaction might make it seem.
Definitely empathize with the guy. I just wanted to lighten the load.
It brings so much joy to me that somebody with such a visible disability that's likely the source of so much criticism, that a person like that is able to find so much joy and happiness in life.
Ahhh so this guy has the reverse of that disease uncle ruckus had to overcome.
uncle ruckus would give everything to be him
yeah. he calls it re-vitiligo
When I saw the thumbnail I thought that re-vitiligo was a real thing for a second
Michael Jackson has some weird alias names..
Oh my god, just look at that picture of him with a completely white face. If I met him in the street at that point I would never know.. wow
Hehe, shows how superficial we can be, doesn't it?
he should've went straight to the bank at that point
@@interstellarsurfer no, it really doesn't.
“I got black I got white watchu want”
😂👌
I have vitiligo too. To me I grieve being able to be outside in the sun. My dermatologist says I have to avoid it now 😕
sunscreen and exposure after 4 pm and youll be fine
Mariano Ntrougka I tried that and I itch horribly
glizta42 that is the one thing that bothers me about mine also. The worry about damaging my skin, sever sunburns. It’s by far the most frustrating thing to me. However my vitiligo is minimal and small still. But it grows and changes every month
Dayton Diederich mine was rapid. It started in 2016 and now most of my skin color is gone. My dermatologist said I must stay out of the sun or cover myself up completely.
glizta42 Does vitiligo skin have literally no melanin?
Watching him wipe the make up off looks like he's peeling his skin off
Samuel Cho stop
Mmah, it's just make up.
@@berg249 Why? Your discomfort with someone else's innocuous statement is not their fault/problem to deal with.
That's why he has the N word pass
My race is farm kid, but a while ago I got a sunburn that peeled the tan right off my arms in patches. It looked funny there for a while.
Me and my mother got vitiligo about 15 years ago (when I was about 7,8) - funny thing is that we got it at the exactly same time. We used to make jokes that it happened, because we had been drinking too much milk. She has been always very ashamed of having it; keeps covering all the white spots with make ups and keeps looking for treatment. Unlike her, I have been always very happy of having "white tattoos" on my body. I like exposing them, especially in the summer time, when I get tanned and my spots are much more visible. I like getting new ones and analize shapes. For some reason, it has never come to my mind that I could be ashamed of having them. I treat them as my special body tattoos and I think they are beautiful. I like talking about them, I don't mind explaining the condition to others. Sometimes people stare and I can see that they are curious, but they are afraid to ask about it.
You grew up with it, she didnt. That's probably why
I was more surprised at the matching makeup to his skin tone than I was with the vitiligo tbh
I found a another useful video www.jabelali.com/vitiligo-and-loss-of-skin-color-symptoms-causes-and-treatment/
I have vitiligo, and it's awesome man, because people with vitiligo if they have friends they are real one mannnnn.
I just want to say that love yourself, accept yourself no matter what, because God dont make worthless things on earth, Just care yourself and others also
Be Human 💓🙏🌺
Nice
Ur A HERO dude...nothing else.
Always nice to see someone staying strong through this! Keep going, brother!
That man has courage and strenghth. That is absolutely incredible!
These words could be applied to many things in life, actually. Quite inspiring.
Imagine having lost all the pigment and trying to tell people you're a black man
You just defined colored people with albinism
blackness isn't solely defined by melanin.
@Real Donald Trump Michael wasn't gay wtf
Log "I'M BIRACIAL" ic
It would be easy to tell. Race is more than just skin color. You can pretty easily tell if a person is of negroid, caucasoid or mongoloid phenotype.
Fantastic I don't have V but I am benefitting from this Ted Talk 💚💚💚
many years ago it was very difficult to accept the fact that I had vitiligo, stares and insults all I received but now I accept myself as I am.
Try not to insult someone's shortcomings (diseases / genetic disorders) because I know, how different people feel about suffering.
Imagine being the most famous person on the planet and have vitiligo....rip MJ ❤️
I can only imagine what Michael Jackson had to go through with this skin disorder the poor guy.
I think of him too. But I wonder if in his case his Vitiligo ( which the autopsy showed) wasn't induced..
And vitiligo changed the shape of his nose?
Walking D-day NO .. a fall which broke his nose & healing problems due to lupus changed his nose!!! Had to have repeated surgery to correct his nose since it wasn't healing properly!! DO YOUR RESEARCH!!!!!!!!!!
PS .. I'm white but have small dime to quarter size patches where it's whiter & wont tan on my arms & face .. never asked for diagnosis but do know white people can have it .. I can cover with makeup cuz wouldn't want any one else to know
@@flipz4398 Thank You!
To bad we didn't have the compassion or understanding 20-30 years ago when Michel Jackson went through this.
It has not been 20 to 30 years since he died. What are you talking about?
@@Michelle-pn9xt When his vitiligo started/while he went though his change, Brainlet.
@@sr212787 He was going through this until he died. He died in 2009. What on earth is a Brainlet?
@@Michelle-pn9xt You can derive what he meant from the context. You are unduly focused on semantics. Let me help you.
Change "when Michel Jackson went through this," in his first comment, into "when Michel Jackson started going through this."
Now the conveyed meaning should match the words used.
A quick google search indicate that "Brainlet" is a derogatory remark that children on the internet seemingly tend to use. In my judgment, knowing Its supposed meaning offers little utility. This is because, in my experience, those who use this type of vocabulary tend to disregard the literal meaning of the words. They presumably use them as tools to inflict pain, and it can be interchanged with any other insult.
SR212787
But that’s partly Jackson’s own fault. He should have, at some point, shown his patchy skin to the world.
I never knew the pigment could come back after it had gone, an informative video - a great contrast to how I feel having a debilitating autoimmune disease but no one can 'see' it i.e. an invisible illness which is what a lot of autoimmune diseases are. I have spondyloarthritis which is similar to rheumatoid arthritis in my whole body and I'm in my 20's so I am in constant pain and have chronic fatigue but I look normal to everyone else so it can be hard to get people to see how horrible my disease really is. I am managing it well atm due to meds and lifestyle and teach biology at a university here in Melbourne part time (I was so sick for 2 years because of a flare up that I couldn't work).
I only noticed the other day that one of my students has vitiligo which I think is super cool. His face always looked normal but his hands were definitely affected. I think it's beautiful and makes you special. My next class with him I will compliment him on it :)
I never knew that either. Learn something new everyday and I'm 75
I just love Lee Thomas! I'm glad to be back in the Detroit area after 15 years away and I'm able to watch him on channel 2 again. I remember working at the Palace and he came to my window to pick up tickets and I noticed his hands and honestly it made me love him even more
I am so thankful that he shares his life experience and feelings with us. Michael Jackson was the first Person I learned about having Vitiligo. However I never realized how this constantly affects your psyche.
"positivity is worth fighting for"
Thank you for your honesty brother. Live loud. Love loud.
I've known about Vitiligo since I was a kid because of Michael JAckson.
Me too he was very brave living with that skin disorder
The most confident talk ever.. u wud put anyone with a normal skin to shame👏 way to go.
I can't remember the last time that I laughed out loud as I did right now. You're an incredible soul, a blessed person. Realy.. I like it a lot
Cmon guys this channel needs more support
Really inspiring. Love the part about staying positive and courage to step out into the world again and not just hide away or get angry at the world. Change from within. I'll try to remember that ☺️👍
I think it's good that we are getting more and more exposed to different appearances. I believe it is tough to have vitiligo in a superficial world based on looks. But as someone without vitiligo, I can say that it looks ok, it just needs a little getting used to. This man is very sympathetic! And his smile is contagious. Why do we like patches in pets, but not in people? We can become more open-minded.
Now there's a guy who's wearing blackface for an interesting reason
But is it still wearing blackface if youre actually black?
@@mikeg6285 well in that old picture he was doing "whiteface" XD
@@mikeg6285 Is he really black? At some point in time he was pretty albino looking.
Yes hes black. He "lost pigmentation" or lost color, his book is called "turning white" and like he said he was on tv when this started so theres video of him before. Also the whole point of that picture was to show how severe it got.
@@mikeg6285 I guess it's all relative
I'm so used to seeing people with vitiligo I don't even look twice. It's just whatever.
This is a 5-star message! Amazing human.
damn, this guy is a true entertainer. I could have listened to this for hours, he tells his stories so well.
Tyvk 4 this truly important video.
I noticed some white patches as a kid, and my mother explained that it’s just a spot with no pigmentation. It was no big deal, but then, the rest of my skin isn’t dark, and they weren’t in noticeable locations. Much later, they were nowhere to be found. Ty for solving that mystery.
I remember a man I met many years later; he was unlike anybody I ever knew for a lot of reasons. He had exceptional strength of character, and a truly dependable friend. In terms of his appearance, he was two colours. I’d never seen anybody who was two colours at one time, as though he had been a perfect work hewn of the costliest marble. I hope he knows how utterly beautiful he is (hopefully Mr. Lee finally knows that of himself, too!); it is heart-wrenching to think that this experience of being ostracized because of fluidity of pigmentation happens.
But I guess the bottom line is that we all have to go through really terrible times in our lives; just most of us don’t have to go through it for the entirety of our lives. And not everybody has it written right on their faces for everyone else to see, whether or not the sufferer is ready to share it. Maybe it’s about educating other people and being patient with them, and practising kindness. It literally took the smallest person to make the biggest difference in your life either way, And that knowledge removes the excuses we make in our lives for not doing our part. Thank you for this; and for digging so deep to put yourself out there to connect with the rest of us.❤️
I loved your talk, Mr. Thomas. Thank you.
I see some thumbs down. How can anyone not like this.
Well he is a bit awkward so I guess.. or these are just grumpy people.
I have vitiligo myself and I gotta say that people around me love it for some reason and are very supportive about me having it. Been bullied a lot from it, but people at my high school are really nice to me when they see it. Had a friend who said he even wished to have it lol. If anyone who reads this has vitiligo and is struggling with it, just know that some famous models which are male and female have vitiligo and people love it~
This mans course has been heart-wrenching. I believe that from his perspective, that there were at times negative, and sad moments but this guy had the right stuff to get his act together. There's a new show called mixed-ish and there was one episode where the main character, rainbow/bow, convinced a reporter to announce on television that she was mixed. i implore the teen who had convinced him to do what he asked and had sparked change because of his courage. So all in all, i like the video because of his message about his condition
i guess no one else saw the sadness in his eyes when he was removing his makeup but i did because i can understand how he feels
They should have had some music cued up for his washing up. Somehow I got "Chocolate Rain" going through my head.
Watched Lee for years on Detroit TV. He is an excellent reporter. He has a lot of respect in Detroit and in Windsor. FOX2 Detroit Love him.
I honestly had no idea about this disease until now, thanks for the info
interesting... for me growing up I was aware of it because my grandpa has this in his hands, they look they have splots.
*I have vitiligo i suspect it'll get worse.*
gluten is a common cause of many autoimmune diseases
@@steponroach i might have to look into That
@TotheK I N G D O M I've been in the comment sections less, as i am trying reach a positive networth by oct1, your the only person I've told This though💪
@@Je.rone_ Take care, man. 👍
@@interstellarsurfer thank you!💪
Removing the makeup live makes for such a strong statement. Fantastic TED talk. 👌
Brilliant! Inspiring! Beautiful Speech! 👏🏿 As a man with minor vitiligo, this video amongst others like this are MOVING! We all are different yet the same but We All Possess Unique Beauties to compliment us as humans and this earth we live on!! I pray Anyone whos suffering from any kind of insecurities, depression or diseases etc...finds ANY Confidence to Strongly Happily Live the Life You [WE] Should🙌🏿💙☯️☮
Peace Love Happiness & Wisdom
I've had vit since Y2K. I've lost about a third of my color. It still affects me mentally, makes me feel ugly, but I tell myself there are worse things in the world than this. Thank you for telling your story! You are an inspiration.
Hello, I recommend Doctor Iyhere on RUclips, I believe he has the herbal permanent cure for illnesses like this.🌹🌹🥰🥰
Very brave of him to do that in front of people