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Dr. Pimple Popper
Dr. Sandra Lee on Dr. Pimple Popper | TLC

Before Dr. Pimple Popper, Dr. Sandra Lee was posting videos of extractions on Instagram and YouTube. She basically became a YouTube sensation then a reality TV sensation. Now, Dr. Pimple Popper is coming back for Season 2. Although there were many patients that were part of the doctor’s journey, there were some who turned her down. How many people turned down being filmed for her YouTube videos? Here is the answer and more to know about her YouTube career.

Dr. Sandra Lee said about 10 people turned down being filmed in her YouTube videos

Dr. Pimple Popper
Dr. Sandra Lee on Dr. Pimple Popper | TLC

The dermatologist had a smart set up when it came to her YouTube videos. She would ask patients who were already coming to her for other things if they would like a pimple popped for free if they allowed her to film it for YouTube. She made sure to keep people anonymous by using close-ups and not really having patients talk that much. But not everyone wanted to be filmed despite the precautions of keeping people’s anonymity.

Dr. Sandra Lee estimated that 10 people in about the four years she has been filming turned down being filmed, according to Jezebel. She also said one woman consented to be in a video but later changed her mind. Dr. Sandra Lee ended up respecting her wishes by not using the video and didn’t charge her for the service.

The reality star revealed why this type of service is so unique. “So, many dermatologists we won’t remove them, they say, ‘You have a blackhead there but don’t worry about it.’ But now, I’ll do the extractions for free if my patients let me videotape and use the video,” Dr. Lee told Forbes. “Of course, I make them anonymous and remove anything identifying.”

There is another reason why these extractions aren’t typically done by dermatologists. “A lot of these people really want these things to be removed,” Lee further explained. “They’re benign and they’re not anything that needs to be removed medically, which is why insurance won’t pay. So my patients win because they get the blackheads removed for free.”

She made a lot of money from YouTube

Dr. Sandra Lee in Dr. Pimple Popper
Dr. Sandra Lee in Dr. Pimple Popper | TLC

The doctor’s business plan for YouTube really paid off. She reportedly made hundreds of thousands of dollars from the platform in 2016, according to New York magazine. That specifically broke down to $4,350 every day from her videos in another report by The Sun. That money would come from viewers watching her videos and having to watch advertisements. She is unsurprisingly still posting YouTube videos even after she has gained television fame.

Of course, the YouTube videos really paid off by giving Dr. Lee a platform and eventually her television show. The next season of the show will include more pops, following patients after their treatment, and mysterious cases.

Read more: ‘Dr. Pimple Popper’: How Much Money Did Dr. Sandra Lee Make from YouTube?

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