Manny MUA Is Not Letting Vitiligo Get in the Way of His Fierceness!
Last year, Manny MUA "came out" to his followers and revealed he has the skin condition vitiligo. The popular beauty guru shared the emotional news on his YouTube page and opened up about his diagnosis.
"I feel like I've been in the closet with this and it's been a weight on my chest and I don't want to hide it anymore," he said in the candid video. "I want to be honest with myself and honest with you guys… I have vitiligo."
The 26-year-old showed his viewers the discoloration he is developing on his hands and admitted the diagnosis has not been easy. "It's been really hard coming to terms with it," he explained. "It's not something I was born with, it just came on randomly. All of a sudden I noticed a spot… and it started growing and it started spreading. So I went to the doctor and they diagnosed me with vitiligo.
He continued, "I wanted to make this video because I'm just so tired of hiding it. I'm so tired of being a victim of this ailment. It's so f–king frustrating. I don't have the darkest complexion so it's not like I have to worry about very intense high-contrast. I've been very lucky with this."
So, what exactly is vitligo?
Vitiligo is described as a disease that causes the loss of skin color in blotches. According to the Mayo Clinic, this occurs when pigment-producing cells die or stop producing melanin — the pigment that gives your skin, hair, and eyes color. While doctors don't know why it happens, they believe it can be related to a disorder in your immune system and your family history. The condition affects about five million people in the United States and other well-known celebs who have spoken out about the disease include model Winnie Harlow, Michael Jackson, and Jon Hamm.
Manny MUA hopes to inspire others with similar conditions while being his fierce, fabulous self. "It's a very real disease, it's a terrible disease, it really sucks, but I'm going to move on and I'm going to be fine and I'm going to be OK," he added. "I'm healthy, I'm very happy… I'm just tired of hiding and I'm tired of being scared of people finding out because now it's just a part of me."