The rumour mill which has been buzzing for some years now about whether or not Tamar Braxton has bleached her skin has been addressed.

In an interview with Ebony this week, she laid the rumors to rest by revealing that her lighter toned skin is due to vitiligo, a skin disease which causes discoloration.

In order to show that she is not throwing dust into our eyes, she shared an Instagram pic of the discoloration on her hands along with a photo of herself as a child.

This is what she told Ebony…

Anybody with skin issues knows that that’s a very sensitive subject. And that’s why I’ve never shared that I have Vitiligo, because I do. I’ve always had it, since I was a young girl. It’s not as bad as others because everybody has it differently, but I’ve certainly had mine diagnosed.  That’s why I tan. People say, “You bleach your skin!” But I tan just so I can have a better tone on my skin, boo!

It’s gotten worse since I’ve gotten pregnant. If you shake my hand now, to me it’s more noticeable. But when you get diagnosed with a skin disorder, it’s hard. It does weigh on your self-esteem. It really does. But I’m done defending that. I’m not bleaching my skin and if I was bleaching my skin and I felt like saying so, I would, but for the record, I am not.