Dr Pimple Popper star Sandra Lee says ‘part of my brain died’ after on-set stroke

Sandra Lee has revealed she suffered a stroke while filming her hit reality series, describing the moment as both shocking and life-altering.

The 55-year-old dermatologist, widely known as Dr Pimple Popper, said the incident unfolded while cameras were rolling, when she initially mistook the early warning signs for something minor.

“It happened while I was filming the show,” she said. “I got super sweaty and didn’t feel like myself. I thought I was having a hot flash.”

Symptoms worsened off camera

After finishing filming that day, Lee said her condition began to deteriorate. She experienced restlessness, shooting pain in her leg and difficulty walking.

By the next morning, the symptoms had escalated.

“I would hold my hand out, and it would just slowly collapse,” she said. “I was having trouble speaking properly. I thought, ‘Am I having a stroke?’”

An MRI later confirmed she had suffered an ischemic stroke, caused by a blockage restricting blood flow to the brain.

“What essentially happened is I had a part of my brain that died,” she said.

‘Very scary’ impact on her work

Lee immediately halted filming and began an intensive recovery process, undergoing physical and occupational therapy to regain balance and motor control.

As a practising surgeon, she said the impact on her hands was particularly frightening.

“I don’t like that I don’t have total control of my left hand,” she said. “If I feel like I’m not at my best, it’s very scary.”

She also noted lingering effects on her speech, admitting she is now more self-conscious when speaking.

Recovery and return

After two months of recovery, Lee gradually returned to work in January, though she said the experience left lasting emotional effects.

“There’s a lot of PTSD because it happened while I was filming,” she said.

With support from colleagues, she has since resumed her practice and says she is now “pretty much back to normal”, though she continues therapy and remains on blood thinners.

Looking back, Lee acknowledged several contributing factors, including unmanaged blood pressure, high cholesterol and ongoing stress.

“My blood pressure and my cholesterol were not under control, and I have a lot of stress in my life,” she said.

She described the experience as a wake-up call, prompting her to prioritise her health moving forward.

Raising awareness

Lee said she decided to speak publicly to encourage others to take potential symptoms seriously and seek medical help early.

“I want to get the word out that if you have symptoms like I had, make sure you see your doctor,” she said.

The new season of Dr Pimple Popper: Breaking Out is set to premiere on April 20, marking her return to screens after the health scare.