TLCDr Pimple Popper has proved popular with those who get a certain sense of satisfaction from watching a long festering zit finally exuding its pus.
However, the dermatology work of Dr Pimple Popper – real name Dr Sandra Lee – also has a very real and positive impact on the lives and wellbeing of her patients.
This is brilliantly demonstrated in the case of Patrick from Montana, a former crane operator whose nose had doubled in size over a ten-year period.
Patrick explained how his problems began back when he was working on building sites in Las Vegas:
I tried using sunscreen and keeping the sun off my nose, but it was still always red and irritated.
About 10 years ago, the scar tissue started building up to the point where my nose expanded twice its normal size.
It’s thick and rubbery, almost like a fake nose, and it’s constricting my nostrils to the point where it’s actually hard for me to breathe in through my nose.
But the worst part is that your nose is the focal point of your face, and if you have a bad one, like I do, people notice.
Worst of all, Patrick’s nose has even affected his relationship with his grandchildren, who were reportedly scared by their grandfather’s appearance.
Patrick revealed his heartbreaking hopes that Dr Lee could remove the roughness from his nose and make him ‘look presentable again, for my grandkids’.
After examining Patrick, Dr Lee diagnosed him with the most advanced case of rhinophyma she’d seen, and expressed concern in regards to the functioning of his nostrils.
Dr Lee operated on Patrick twice. The first time, she worked to reduce the swelling around his nostrils to allow him to breathe. However, she was forced to stop on account of Patrick being on blood thinners.
The second procedure involved Dr Lee using a loop electric cauterizer to scrape away the rest of the rough skin from Patrick’s nose, leaving him looking like a new man.
TLCThe now far more confident Patrick said:
Now that the rhinophyma is gone I feel more outgoing.
Being out in public now is like going back in time 15 years.
I’m really relieved that Dr Lee stuck by me to get this procedure done.
Hopefully Patrick can now look forward to a new chapter in his life, and can spend some quality time with his grandchildren.
You can watch Dr Pimple Popper on TLC, Thursdays at 9pm.
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Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.