What REALLY turns Dr Pimple Popper’s stomach: Dr Sandra Lee reveals exploding cysts or extracting decades of pus doesn't faze her but finds toenail fungus 'barbaric'

  • EXCLUSIVE: Dr Pimple Popper star Sandra Lee revealed what she can't stomach
  • TV dermatologist told Femail vomit, diarrhoea and toe fungus make her squirm  
  • Shared clip from upcoming episode of TV show showing rhinophyma removal
  • Described decades of built up skin as 'two enormous grapefruits on his nose' 

Dr Pimple Popper, aka Dr Sandra Lee, is a dermatologist, TV star and social media sensation who is known for her strong stomach in the face of gruesome procedures to relieve patients' skin problems. 

The 50-year-old has made a name for herself with her gruesome pimple popping videos, which have amassed over four million followers on Instagram.

Here, she speaks to Femail from her headquarters in LA, about what gives her the 'heebie-jeebies'.

Squeezing a horn-shaped verruca out of a patient's scalp and being sprayed with an exploding bottom cyst does not faze her. However, vomit, diarrhoea and toe fungus do.

Dr Pimple Popper star Sandra Lee (pictured) told Femail from her headquarters in LA how cysts, pus and verruca's don't phase her, while vomit, diarrhoea and toe fungus make her squirm

Dr Pimple Popper star Sandra Lee (pictured) told Femail from her headquarters in LA how cysts, pus and verruca's don't phase her, while vomit, diarrhoea and toe fungus make her squirm

The world's most famous dermatologist – renowned for her pus-filled videos that have gone viral - has revealed what she can't stomach, and you'll be surprised. 

As for someone who spends her life extracting everything from four inch blackheads to neck cysts the size of grapefruits, it is surprisingly something far less gruesome that bothers her.

Dr Sandra Lee, known to her millions of fans worldwide as Dr Pimple Popper, is used to getting up close and personal with her patients; procedures that can often lead to her being sprayed by an abysses waterfall of pus. 

As repulsive as it seems, it is in fact a far more common kind of bodily fluid that fazes her – vomit. That, together with diarrhoea, and the peeling skin of toes!

Dr Sandra Lee, known to her millions of fans worldwide as Dr Pimple Popper, is used to getting up close and personal with her patients. She is pictured treating a patient on an episode of her TLC show

Dr Sandra Lee, known to her millions of fans worldwide as Dr Pimple Popper, is used to getting up close and personal with her patients. She is pictured treating a patient on an episode of her TLC show 

'My videos are there to entertain people, whether that means they are squeamish when looking at an eruptive hair cyst or infected lesion. 

'At the end of the day it is my job I am showcasing and I would never want to embarrass my patients by squirming at their skin condition or making them feel uncomfortable. My reputation is at stake.'

When asked by Femail what in fact does make her grimace, it is not something that is featured on her popular reality TV show. For the Queen of spots gets a taste of her own medicine, admitting that sick and diarrhoea is what gives her the 'heebie-jeebies.'

'I often get asked if there is anything that is just too vulgar for me to do and my answer is always no,' she tells Femail. 

'However, there are certain things that do gross me out like sick and I also have a thing for fungus on toes, I mean that is something I literally can't bear.

'My husband is a dermatologist and he removes toenails – I could never do that, it is like barbaric.'

For someone who recently posted a video showing her successful attempt at removing a verruca-like growth from someone's head, I tell her the thought of it – never mind the actual watching of it, makes me want to vomit.

The dermatologist says she can never show 'any negative reaction patients', insisting it's crucial to 'gain their respect and trust'

The dermatologist says she can never show 'any negative reaction patients', insisting it's crucial to 'gain their respect and trust'

'Look, the reality TV show likes to push the crazy stories out there – it's a guilty pleasure for many of my fans.'

When it comes to extractions, I ask Dr Lee – who often refers to the 'oatmeal pus' -the consistency of the material that is removed from growths - if she has a strong gag reflex. Surely, the stench from a 50-year-old blackhead covered in decades of pus must make her stomach turn?

'Cysts, boils, lypomas, people come to me with all sorts of things. I always wear gloves and a splash mask and I can never show any negative reaction to my patients, it is so crucial for me to gain their respect and trust. 

'Of course if something is infected it can smell bad but my staff and I know never to say anything as my patients come to me in a very vulnerable state.'

In grim scenes not for the faint-hearted, Dr Lee tells me of one such case that we can expect to see on a future episode of her TV show.

Dr Lee, pictured in New York last year, says she often gets asked if there is anything too vulgar for her to do and her 'answer is always no'

Dr Lee, pictured in New York last year, says she often gets asked if there is anything too vulgar for her to do and her 'answer is always no' 

'This guy has come to see me with what looks like something called rhinophyma, a disorder of the nose which alters its shape.

'It is like he has two enormous grapefruits on his nose which is just decades of the thickening of the skin having built up. After removing them, which is quite a big procedure, a huge ball of oil came out, in fact it looked like a Yorkshire pudding.' 

I proceed to tell her she has put me off my lunch. 

In fact, when we do meet for a meal soon – Dr Lee is due to visit the UK when travel is permitted as part of her UK skincare launch – I joke a roast is certainly off the cards!

'Okay, it actually resembled an overcooked baked potato,' she joked, as I suggest instead we stick to a glass of water – which, along with a good skincare routine, is something she swears by.

On that note - pimple porn aside - one of Dr Lee's main goals is to educate people about skincare. In fact her very own curated skincare line SLMD is already a best seller in the States – and is about to launch in the UK next week. 

Consisting of everything to starve off acne, including salicylic acid cleanser, a skin drink hydration booster and retinol serum, it is totally spot on.  

Sandra Lee, MD — best known as Dr. Pimple Popper — internet sensation and pop culture’s favourite dermatologist and skin care expert, launches her skincare range in the UK on 14 June. SLMDSkincare.co.uk 

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