Can microdermabrasion help with vitiligo?

While microdermabrasion is superficial and really has minimial adverse potential, one cannot guarantee that it would not trigger spread of vitiligo. In my years of practice, I have seen a couple cases of focal acne cystic flare leading to new areas of vitiligo. You need to weigh pros and cons of procedures and figure out your priorities.

Microdermabrasion will not affect vitiligo per se. It is a superficial exfoliating procedure that will not exacerbate the process of vitiligo or cause any further depigmentation. There are a lot of good treatments for vitiligo so I would suggest you see a dermatologist and have a full evaluation. This is one condition where we have made great strides in treatment options.

Thank you for your question.
Microdermabrasion removes only the very top 2-3 layers of the epidermis at most. While vigorous microdermabrasion can possibly go deeper, microdermabrasion only serves to refresh the skin and usually does not leave any severe inflammation or need for wound repair. It also does not generally have any impact of pigmentation except to possible lessen darker areas of the skin from previous inflammation. To my knowledge, there is no reason whatsoever for microdermabrasion to cause complete pigment loss or destroy melanocytes (reason for vitiligo), and thus should have no impact at all on previous areas of vitiligo.
You should be safe and feel safe with this treatment.
Good luck.