'Dr. Pimple Popper' Offers Social Media Advice

Social media transformed Sandra Lee, MD, FAAD, FAACS, into “Dr. Pimple Popper.” While not every dermatologist aspires to have their own television show, many would like to maximize the impact of their social media presence, and Dr. Lee shared pearls from her own experience at the Winter Clinical Hawaii 2025 meeting in Waikoloa Beach, Hawaii.

Dr. Lee said she prefers to focus her own efforts primarily on TikTok now, but early in her career, she used every platform.

“For a dermatologist,” she said, “the type of clientele that you have or you want to attract, you want to think about Facebook if you want to attract people with skin cancers, older clientele, grandparents, things like that. If you want to attract the really young ones, you want to go on Snapchat, you want to go on TikTok, right? Instagram is sort of in the middle. It’s about beautiful photos and things like that.”

Dr. Lee said her first viral video, of blackhead extractions, was criticized as much as it was praised.

“But either way,” she said, “they tagged their friends. … I just kept wanting to grow that bonfire and see where it would take me.”

Dr. Lee advised that doctors post their own content in their own voice in order to be genuine, and she said the appropriate type of content is key.

“Try to put up information that is useful but entertaining, but educational at the same time,” she said.

Other tips Dr. Lee offered included:

• Remembering that any dermatologist represents the entire profession
• Personalizing (without getting too personal) and showing a human side
• Finding a niche that you enjoy

Dr. Lee said she avoids making the specialty seem simple, as if anyone can do it, or excessively glamorous/superficial. She does not film herself using injectables or lasers. She also does not allow social media to take over her time.

“Social media is a side gig,” she said.