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A 33-year-old woman has a number of large cysts removed from her scalp in a new episode of Dr Pimple Popper.
Aimee, from California, has a number of pilar cysts, rare benign cysts that grow from hair follicles.
She first noticed the growths more than a decade ago and is now so self-conscious that she meticulously styles her hair so they are completely hidden from view.
Aimee, from California, has a number of pilar cysts, rare benign cysts that grow from hair follicles. She first noticed the growths more than a decade ago and is now so self-conscious that she meticulously styles her hair so they are completely hidden from view (as seen)
Aimee, 33, has a number of large cysts removed from her scalp in a new episode of Dr Pimple Popper. Pictured, the growths on top of her scalp before the procedure
Dr Sandra Lee, pictured, is on hand to remove the cysts and help restore Aimee’s confidence
‘I have some bumps on my head,’ she tells Dr Sandra Lee on tonight’s episode, airing on TLC. ‘I’ve gotten very good at hiding them. They’ve been there for a long time.’
She explains she has never sought medical treatment for the cysts, except for one occasion when one burst at the front of her head.
‘We went to the emergency room one time when one of them popped open,’ she recalls.
‘They took a piece of gauze and wrapped it around my head and sent me home. There’s a new one right next to it, where the old one was.’
Dr Lee explains that without a complete excavation of the cyst wall, the growth is likely to return and become even more difficult to remove.
Aimee first felt the growths when she was still in high school when they ‘weren’t that big’.
Aimee first felt the growths when she was still in high school when they ‘weren’t that big’. Pictured, the growths before the procedure
Aimee devised a ‘bump mowhawk’ hairstyle to keep her ‘biggest secret’ but wants to be able to leave freely. Pictured, the cysts before the removal procedure
She devised a ‘bump mowhawk’ hairstyle to keep her ‘biggest secret’ but wants to be able to leave freely.
She says: ‘[All I want to do] is be completely open to my family and friends, and go out without having to hide things from people.’
As Aimee candidly reveals, her bumps have made her paranoid when she leaves the house, as she is scared of others seeing her bumps, so her hairdo is closely monitored by her caring boyfriend of 10 years, Donald, who lets her know if any bumps pop out.
Dr Lee examines the fourth growths, noting they are ‘different sizes and different shapes’.
Dr Lee examines the fourth growths, noting they are ‘different sizes and different shapes’. She is able to remove the cysts from Aimee’s skull on Dr Pimple Popper
Dr Lee begins the procedure by tackling the six-year-old cyst at the front of Aimee’s forehead, hoping to ease Aimee’s anxiety about the ‘life-changing’ procedure
The cysts are all eventually removed and Aimee’s scalp is neatly sewed back together. Pictured, the contents of one of the cysts after being removed
Dr Lee begins the procedure by tackling the six-year-old cyst at the front of Aimee’s forehead, hoping to ease Aimee’s anxiety about the ‘life-changing’ procedure.
It is an easy extraction and the entire cyst comes out easily with a single squeeze.
Next, Dr Lee tackles the big cyst which needs more teasing out. Eventually a golden liquid the consistency of cottage cheese is squeezed out of the opening.
The third cyst is teased out of its sack, and retains its shape; it looks more like an eye-ball than a cyst. After opening up the fourth cyst, Dr Lee is surprised to discover it conceals a number of smaller cysts that each need to be tackled.
At the end of the procedure, Aimee is delighted with her smooth scalp, something she hasn’t had since she was a teenager.
She cries tears of joy as she is ‘worry free’ and can do ‘anything now’.
Watch the full episode on TLC on Thursday the 11th of August at 10pm, and previous episodes on discovery+.