
What was once a stigmatized condition is now something celebrities — from Winnie Harlow to Jon Hamm — are speaking out about to help raise awareness and reduce stigma around this skin condition.
“Celebrity testimonials highlighting the noncommunicable nature of vitiligo and the psychosocial impact it has on the individual will greatly help in fighting against the possible stigmas that vitiligo is associated with,” says Sanober Pezad, MD, a board-certified dermatologist specializing in integrative and holistic dermatology in Dallas.
How Are People Impacted by Vitiligo?
Vitiligo may appear at any age, but the average onset of symptoms is during your mid-twenties, and pigment loss generally progresses with time.
“Vitiligo can make you feel helpless, which is one of its most unsettling aspects,” says Alpana Mohta, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Jaipur, India, and medical adviser for BetterGoods.org. “The first thing you can do is regain control of your knowledge. The more you study about vitiligo, the more equipped you will feel to deal with it.”
Read on to learn about eight celebrities living with vitiligo and their experiences and advocacy around this skin condition.
Michael Jackson

Winnie Harlow

Winnie Harlow is a fashion and runway model with vitiligo who competed on the 21st season of America’s Next Top Model. She’s also an inclusive beauty activist who uses her platform to help raise awareness about the condition.
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7 Celebrities Who Have Spoken Out About Vitiligo
Karl Dunbar

Jon Hamm

Michaela DePrince

Hedvig Lindahl

Hedvig Lindahl is a retired Swedish soccer player and another celebrity using her platform to raise awareness about vitiligo. She remains actively engaged on social media about vitiligo, including a post on Facebook on World Vitiligo Day in 2020, where she describes experiencing symptoms of vitiligo at age 5 and losing all her skin pigment by age 20.
Krizz Kaliko

One unexpected positive, though: In a Reddit “Ask Me Anything” thread, Kaliko notes his vitiligo “made me more popular than everybody else, because nobody else looked like me.”
Dean Edwards

Celebrity chef Dean Edwards, who came in second on MasterChef and is the resident chef of breakfast show Lorraine, has been outspoken about his experience with vitiligo.
In 2025 for World Vitiligo Day, he took to Instagram to share more about his journey living with the condition.
“I’m not saying it’s all been plain sailing, I didn’t have any on my face until my 30s and all of a sudden I find myself at around 70% coverage on my face,” he wrote. “I initially struggled with this and for over 10 years cooking on breakfast TV I used make up to hide my hands as the cameras would zoom in whilst I was cooking.”
He also wants to use his platform to support others who may be struggling on their journey, as he once struggled with vitiligo and feeling “visibly different” but now has “grown to love” his skin.
“I’m definitely in a place where I’m comfortable and I’m here to support anyone that is struggling in their own journey. Feel free to reach out if you are struggling I will always do my best to try and respond,” he wrote.
The Takeaway
- Vitiligo is an autoimmune skin condition that causes patches of skin to lose pigment. It can affect people of all skin types.
- This chronic condition often starts in the mid-twenties, with pigment loss progressing over time.
- Awareness around vitiligo is increasing and stigma is lessening, thanks in part to public figures who are open about having vitiligo themselves.

