Sammy Sosa's skin has not been digitally altered in the recent photo you see on the left. And despite the theories flying, this also isn't Michael Jackson Part II -- his skin hasn't been stripped of any pigment by a disorder such as Vitiligo.It turns out Sosa has just been undergoing a "rejuvenation process," according to Cubs employee Rebecca Polihronis, who speaks frequently with the baseball legend.
"He is going through a rejuvenation process for his skin," Polihronis told the Chicago Tribune. "Women have it all of the time. He was surprised he came out looking so white. I thought it was a body double. Part of (the photo appearance) is just the lighting.
The photo in which Sosa's skin appears bleached was taken Nov. 4, when Sammy and his wife Sonia attended an awards event at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
After the startling photos circulated around the Internet, many began to question what exactly had caused Sosa's pale skin color. But as Polihronis said, Sosa is "not trying to be Michael Jackson."
"People who saw him in person did not react the same way. He can't believe it is such a big deal," said Polihronis, who is the former Cubs Care/Community Relations manager for the team.
According to the Tribune report, some of the possible side effects for this kind of laser skin rejuvenation include discoloration, as the treated area may become lighter or darker in appearance. Sosa reportedly sought the dermatological process in order to repair some of the UV damage from playing so many years of baseball in the sun.
Sosa announced his intention to retire from baseball on June 3, and if that retirement stands, he'll finish his career with a whopping 609 home runs and 1,667 runs batted in.
Well, now that the skin mystery has been solved, we can move on to other questions -- like wondering why Sosa has taken a liking to green contact lenses.
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