The condition causes a person to lose melanin , the pigment that determines the color of skin , hair and eyes , in patches or all over the body . Jackson was burned while singing for a Pepsi-Cola commercial in 1984 . His skin condition , vitiligo , causes a person to lose melanin , the pigment in skin . The result is that his body doesn't produce enough of it and he ends up with patches of white on parts of his face. More rumors emerged in May that Jackson had skin cancer , but were discredited .
Jackson was burned while singing for a Pepsi-Cola commercial in 1984 . His skin condition , vitiligo , causes a person to lose melanin , the pigment in skin . The result is that his body doesn't produce enough of it and he ends up with patches of white on parts of his face. More rumors emerged in May that Jackson had skin cancer , but were discredited .