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Dr. Sandra Lee, otherwise known as Dr. Pimple Popper shares her inside tips to attacking and eliminating acne and other skin issues.

Dr. Sandra Lee, aka Dr. Pimple Popper, attends Discovery Inc. 2019 NYC Upfront at Alice Tully Hall
Dr. Sandra Lee, aka Dr. Pimple Popper, attends Discovery Inc. 2019 NYC Upfront at Alice Tully Hall | Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for Discovery Inc.

Lee’s YouTube and TLC series Dr. Pimple Popper features how Lee treats extreme cases, often meeting with patients who require medical intervention to manage a skin issue. However, Lee shares that some skin conditions, like acne and regular blackheads, can be managed at home.

Some instances, however, should be attended to by a dermatologist, she revealed. Lee shared on Instagram three treatment routes for treating three types of pimples.

Dr. Sandra Lee shares how you can treat acne at home

Lee shared that regular acne and blackheads can be managed with a home treatment. “For blackheads/whiteheads: I recommend SALICYLIC ACID, which is going to crystallize and dive deep into your pores to unclog them from the inside out!” she wrote.

She shared an additional video on Instagram of how blackheads can hide inside forehead lines. “Blackheads lines up within the creases of the forehead remind me of little [ant] is that weird?” she posted. She showed how a small blackhead removal tool can easily dislodge clogged pores too.

Lee also posted a video of a pretty extreme blackhead that required medical attention. The blackhead is located above the patient’s lip, which made for a tender spot when it came to squeezing it. “At first you don’t see it… but then you do! TAG someone to show them this undercover blackhead!” she shared. Lee initially tries to squeeze the surface but it requires a more invasive treatment, which results in quite the pop.  

In addition to blackheads and acne, Lee shared that patients can also treat papules and pustules at home too. “I recommend BENZOYL PEROXIDE or SULFUR (if you’re sensitive to BP), both of which will kill acne-causing bacteria or ANTIBIOTICS!” she recommended.

Seek professional help for cysts and nodules

The majority of Lee’s videos feature medical intervention that should only be performed by a physician. This includes tackling cysts and nodules. “I recommend taking a trip to your local derm so they can give you a personal consultation and treat you with prescription topicals, meds, or antiobiotics!” she wrote in her Instagram post.

Lee shared a video of an inflamed cyst near her patient’s lip. She added in the video that the pop “just kept going too!” She said the material inside the cyst was broken down matter. Lee always tries to offer comfort to her patients while she works, asking if they are feeling pain. This pop oozes as the puss continues to pour from the opened cyst.

She also posted a video and explanation of the treatment for an inflamed cyst. “What is an I&D (aka incision and drainage)? This is when I make an incision and try to relieve pressure from the area by removing some of the contents,” she wrote. “This patient had multiple inflamed cysts we had to remove. I didn’t want to excise (open) this cyst all the way, as there could be a chance for bacteria to get under the skin, so I chose to go this route! Hope you enjoy!”

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