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Skin condition transforms black girl into white woman
Emma Rowley11 Aug 2009
A woman who was born black told today of the extreme skin condition that has turned her completely white.
Darcel de Vlugt, 23, was born with dark skin but vitiligo has taken the pigment from her entire body.
The fashion designer, from Islington, who works in London, must wear Factor 100 sunscreen in mild sunshine and struggles to convince people of her heritage. “I have a hard job convincing people that I was actually born with dark skin,” she said.
“My father worked for the United Nations and we travelled the world a lot with his job. My family believe the stress of moving at such a young age brought on the condition.
“At the age of 12 I tried UV laser treatment, but it didn't work and by then, 80 per cent of my body was white so I decided to leave it.”
Vitiligo is the skin condition that Michael Jackson was said to have suffered, but it is extremely rare for a person's entire body to change colour.
Darcel was five when her parents Peter and Charmaine, both from Trinidad, first noticed white spots on their daughter's arm and forehead.
Two years later, these were joined by patches on her legs and spots on her body which expanded until, at 17, she had no pigment left.
The designer, who studied at the London College of Fashion, has a brother Dion, 29, who does not suffer from the condition.
She now raises money to increase awareness of vitiligo, explaining: “Even though this condition is not life-threatening, the psychological and emotional aspects of having such a visibly challenging condition can be quite devastating.
“I am lucky enough in that my entire body has turned white, however for others, they may not be as fortunate and may have patches of different colour on their skin. I too went through this and it is quite traumatic, especially at a young age.”
The cause of vitiligo is not known but it is thought the body may make antibodies to its own pigment-producing cells and so destroy them.
People of all races can be affected by the condition, but it is more noticeable on darker skins.
Reader views (8)
It is so sad for her to have lived with patches for most of her teenage life and now to have to live with such pale skin.
I hope she gets a break. Good on her for telling her story.
- Sophie, Cornwall, 08/12/2009 13:45
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Look at Ali G. He used to be black now didn't he?
- Adam, Harrow, UK, 08/12/2009 12:45
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I was very facinated by your story. I to have vitaligo and also was born in Trinidad, West Indies. I am in my mid 40's. I don't allow it to or allow people to make me feel less than. I am not define by what i look like on the outside. I am more than that.
Stay strong and for all those who have vitaligo, please know that there are a large group of us who are enjoying life and are not hiding ourselves in the dark.
- Shelleyann, Dallas, USA, 08/12/2009 12:45
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This is an good example of how extreme some cases of vitiligo can be. I’ve had vitiligo for nearly 20 years and my only affects about 20% of my body. In part, I’ve managed to control it by trying various treatments. The Vitiligo Society (the UK support charity) have been an great source of information. I don’t think there’s any treatments that have guaranteed success, but it’s good to know that there are options and support available.
- Rob, London, 08/12/2009 12:45
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My friend had vitiligo on his face, which was spreading rapidly. Then he bought a Protopic cream and the first 6 months it reduced it by 50% and then it desapered from his face complitely. He has been cleared now for 4 years. It does work!
- Ika, London, 08/12/2009 12:45
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Darcel - no matter what you look like, its what's inside that counts!
- Trunk, US, 08/12/2009 12:45
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I completely agree with you Jos, UK. People are ignorant, and it is just too easy to judge a person and get away with it. Why is it that NOBODY believed Michael Jackson when he talked about his disease, and now everyone goes like 'poor girl, must be terrible'... Would anyone dare say she is lying? NEVER, but it was soooo easy to attack MJ.
- Cs, Spain, 08/12/2009 12:45
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I find it hard to believe that people dont know or are just ignorant that vitiligo can make u become white if u actually black. People thinks MIchael Jackson deliberately changed his skin colour. If your skin colour is about 80 to 90% white, then you obviously want to even it out to get one colour. People need to read about vitiligo and stop judging wrongly. Who will want to be seen with blotches on their skin.
- Jos, UK, 08/12/2009 12:45
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