Sandra Siew Pin Lee was born in the Flushing section of Queens, New York, on December 20, 1970, to ethnically Chinese parents;[8][4] her father, a retired dermatologist, is Singaporean while her mother is Malaysian. Her parents migrated to New York in 1969, and the family relocated to Southern California when Lee was five years old.[8][9]
Lee attended UCLA as an undergraduate student. During this time, she worked part-time as a medical assistant for an allergist in Downtown Los Angeles.[10] After her graduation from UCLA, Lee attended medical school at the Drexel University College of Medicine and graduated in 1998. She completed her internship at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh. Lee completed her dermatology residency at Southern Illinois University. After her residency finished, she went to San Diego to further her experience with laser, dermatological and cosmetic surgery. Lee now lives in Upland, California with her husband, fellow dermatologist Jeffrey C. Rebish (married May 28, 2000), and currently works at Skin Physicians & Surgeons.[3][11]
Career
Lee is a board certified dermatologist and a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology, the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, and the American Society for Mohs Surgery.[11]
Online video
In 2010, Lee began uploading videos to YouTube but did not begin to heavily post content until 2015, after she noticed the popularity of her Instagram videos of skin extractions.[12][13] In exchange for written client permission to record and post content, Lee offers patients discounted or free treatment.[12] In late 2019 the decision to make future content subscription-based drew criticism. She explained that it was caused by YouTube having blocked advertising in the channel's videos that usually featured unsightly material and thus the channel needing another source of funding.[14]
Skincare
In 2017, Lee launched her own line of skin care products, SLMD Skincare Products.[15] Products in the line include acne cleanser and lotion, clarifying treatment with retinol, and daily moisturizer.[16] Prior to this, Lee also sold comedo extractors and other merchandise branded with the name of her channel.[17]
Television
In 2018, Lee signed with TLC to have her own Dr. Pimple Popper TV series, which premiered on July 11.[18] A special Christmas episode of Dr. Pimple Popper, "The 12 Pops of Christmas", aired on December 13, 2018. Season 2 of Dr. Pimple Popper premiered in January 2019, and Season 3 premiered in the United States on July 11, 2019.[19] The fourth season premiered on December 26, 2019.[20]
Personal life
Lee is married to fellow dermatologist Jeff Rebish. They have two sons.[21]
Lee has over 7.7 million people (as of June 2023) subscribed to her YouTube channel, with total views being 5.1 billion and counting.[5] On August 14, 2018, she made a guest appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live![22]
