Sandra Lee, the Beloved Dr. Pimple Popper, Revealed That She Had a Stroke
"I had what I thought was a hot flash."
Published April 16 2026, 11:32 a.m. ET
While frightening, it’s common for notable figures to navigate health scares. However, when the person battling health woes is a medical professional, the situation can be even more concerning.
Sandra Lee is the beloved dermatologist millions of people watch on the hit T LC show Dr. Pimple Popper. Throughout the series, she treats patients from diverse backgrounds who have been dealing with unusual facial and skin conditions. And while she’s been pretty successful in helping folks restore their confidence and improve their well-being, it appears that the doctor has now become the patient.
When did Sandra Lee have a stroke?
According to People, in November 2025, Dr. Pimple Popper suffered from a stroke. Unfortunately, the incident occurred while she was filming the new season that’s currently airing.
“I had what I thought was a hot flash,” Dr. Lee told the publication. I got super sweaty and didn’t feel like myself.”
She revealed that after leaving the office and going to her parents home, her condition grew worse.
“I just felt very restless,” she said. “In one leg I kept feeling shooting pains. I noticed that I was having a tough time walking down the stairs.”
The next morning, it was clear that something was not right, especially with the left side of her body.
“I would hold my hand out, and it would just slowly collapse,” she recalled. I noticed that I had a tough time articulating and just enunciating. I thought, ‘Am I having a stroke?’”
After consulting with her father, who the outlet shares is also a dermatologist, she decided to go to the emergency room, where her suspicions were confirmed.
“It was just a shock,” Sandra shared. “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?’ ” More like a living nightmare: “What essentially happened,” she adds, “is I had a part of my brain that died.”
MRI tests revealed that she suffered an ischemic stroke. Per the Mayo Clinic, an ischemic stroke occurs “when blood supply to part of the brain is blocked or reduced.” As a result, “this prevents brain tissue from getting oxygen and nutrients,” which can damage brain cells.
During her interview with the outlet, Sandra acknowledged that she no longer sounds the same.
“I notice it right now that I don’t speak exactly the way I used to,” she told the publication. “You’re really embarrassed to speak because you notice it.”
She shared that while it’s been an emotionally taxing experience, she dealt with feelings of questioning her strength.
“It is very stressful to open yourself up,” she said. “Especially as a surgeon, you always want to show yourself coming from an area of strength.”
Dr. Pimple Popper revealed that she took a two-month break to focus on her health.
Naturally, the only decision to make was to get her health back on track. As such, Dr. Lee opted to halt filming to tend to her health.
“I don’t like that I don’t have total control of my left hand or the grip wasn’t as strong,” she said. “If I feel like I’m not at my best — it’s very scary.”
The outlet reports that Dr. Lee opted for physical and occupational therapy to help her regain balance and movement, as well as improve her ability to carry out everyday activities.
While Dr.Lee did take a moment to look back and highlight specific issues with her health that could have led to the stroke, she does look at it as a “blessing in disguise.” She’s back at work and doing better, despite dealing with PTSD from the incident.
“Thankfully, I’m pretty much back to normal,” she said. “It really makes you realize how precious life is.”