Nov 11, 2009 5:46 pm US/Central
Chicagoans Disappointed With Sammy Sosa's New Look
Dermatologist Thinks Sosa Is Using A Powerful Chemical To Remove Skin Pigmentation
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Former baseball player Sammy Sosa is seen on Nov. 4, 2009 in Los Angeles; and again on May 13, 2009, in New York City.
Kevork Djansezian/Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images
Sammy Sosa's publicist told the Tribune, the former slugger is considering endorsing and marketing the European skin bleaching cream he says he's been using. But Chicagoans CBS 2's Derrick Blakley spoke with Wednesday seemed more disappointed than impressed with the results.
Paul Saporito says he had one thought when he saw
Sosa's recent photo.
"I wondered what he was doing to himself," said Saporito.
"It looks like he's trying to bleach the color out and it makes me sad, because you shouldn't want to change your face like that," said Nancy Novit. "What's the point? He is what he is."
Erick Osorio said he thought Sosa was simply ""trying to be a white person."
But Sosa says, it's not so, claiming he's trying to repair sun damage to his skin after playing years of day baseball.
In an interview with the Spanish TV network Univision, Sosa said, "I have a cream that I put on at night before I go to bed, and it lightens the skin on my face a bit. But this has caused such a controversy that even I am surprised."
A Chicago dermatologist says he shouldn't be.
"I see a man who has changed at least six shades of color in his skin," said Dr. Omeed Memar.
Dr. Memar believes Sosa used a more powerful form of the chemical hydroquinone, which ultimately removes all skin pigmentation, including on his lips.
Looking at a recent photo of Sosa with lighter skin, Dr. Memar said, "Here you're seeing almost like lipstick color, so this is most likely a lip tattoo, a permanent tattoo."
Hydroquinone is usually used to treat vitiligo, the disease which Michael Jackson said produced blotchy white patches, and led him to bleach his skin to even out his skin tone.
Sosa denies having vitiligo, but Dr. Memar isn't so sure.
"I would consider that not treatment going from black to lighter color, or de-pigmented white. That's almost mutilation," said Dr. Memar.
Unless Sosa suffered some kind of skin disfiguration, Dr. Memar says hydroquinone is both unprofessional and dangerous.
"He's subjecting himself to a potential carcinogen," said Dr. Memar. "He's setting himself up for skin cancer for the rest of his life, because of the loss of pigmentation."
Dr. Memar says Sosa probably used the cream for at least three months, and possibly several more, to achieve the degree of skin lightening we've seen.
But Dr. Memar also points out, his conclusions are only an educated guess and Sosa's medical history is no one's business but his own.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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