Dr. Sandra Lee, a.k.a. Dr. Pimple Popper, has gotten candid about her health struggles after she suffered a stroke.
Lee rose to fame via YouTube and Instagram, where she uploaded videos of skin extractions. In 2018, she signed with TLC to have her own show, Dr. Pimple Popper, which ran from 2018 to 2023 and followed her dermatology clinic in Upland, California. A follow-up series, Dr. Pimple Popper: Breaking Out, debuted on Lifetime in 2025.
Keep scrolling to learn more about Lee’s health battle:
What Happened to Dr. Pimple Popper?
In the fall of 2025, Dr. Sandra Lee was filming season 2 of Dr. Pimple Popper: Breaking Out when she had “what [she] thought was a hot flash,” she told People in April 2026.
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“I got super sweaty and didn’t feel like myself,” she added.
Lee spent the evening at her parents’ home, which is located near her dermatology practice, where she said she felt “very restless.”
“In one leg, I kept feeling shooting pains,” she explained. “I noticed that I was having a tough time walking down the stairs.”
By the next morning, Lee noticed more symptoms on the left side of her body.
“I would hold my hand out, and it would just slowly collapse. I noticed that I had a tough time articulating and just enunciating. I thought, ‘Am I having a stroke?’” she recalled.
Lee’s father, who is also a dermatologist, recommended that she visit the emergency room. There, an MRI confirmed that she had suffered an ischemic stroke.
“It was just a shock. As a physician, I couldn’t deny that I had slurred speech, that I was having weakness on one side, but I was like, ‘Well, this is a dream, right?’” Lee added.
What Is an Ischemic Stroke?
An ischemic stroke occurs “when a blood clot blocks a blood vessel in your brain,” cutting off nutrients and oxygen from cells, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Dr. Sandra Lee told People, “What essentially happened is I had a part of my brain that died.”
According to Lee’s neurologist, Dr. May Kim-Tenser of USC’s Keck medical school, “The number one risk factor is high blood pressure. [There’s] almost a 15 percent increase in stroke prevalence among patients that are age 45 up to 64.”
Lee admitted that her “blood pressure and cholesterol were not under control” prior to her stroke, and she dealt with “a lot of stress” due to work and her reality show.
Dr. Pimple Popper Details Her Recovery From Stroke
Dr. Sandra Lee revealed that she spent two months in recovery following her stroke, including physical and occupational therapy, but she still has progress to make.
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“I don’t like that I don’t have total control of my left hand or the grip wasn’t as strong. If I feel like I’m not at my best — it’s very scary,” she explained, while her neurologist said Lee’s symptoms are “pretty much resolved.”
Dr. Pimple Popper Returns to Work After Stroke
Dr. Sandra Lee returned to work in January 2026 and resumed filming Dr. Pimple Popper: Breaking Out season 2, which premieres on Lifetime April 20, 2026.
“There’s a lot of PTSD because it happened while I was filming the show,” she told People. “Thankfully, I’m pretty much back to normal. … It really makes you realize how precious life is.”
