Brandi Glanville is recovering from a harrowing cosmetic mishap after suffering severe chemical burns to her face while attempting an unconventional at-home treatment.
The 52-year-old former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Brandi Glanville revealed the injury in a recent TikTok video, explaining that she had applied the hair-removal product Nair to the lower half of her face for seven minutes in an effort to kill what she believes to be a persistent facial parasite.
“I know I look attractive,” Glanville joked with dark humor as she displayed the raw, reddened skin on her cheeks and chin. “Good news – you don’t have to spend a lot of money on peels and lasers anymore.”
An At-Home “Hack” Gone Wrong
According to Glanville, she has been battling mysterious skin issues since July 2024, which she attributes to a parasite she has nicknamed “Caroline.” In her video, she explained that she thought exfoliating her skin with Nair might irritate the parasite and force it out. She said:
“Nair is the fountain of youth. I figured it out, but I overdid it.”
While the star framed the mishap as a tongue-in-cheek “beauty hack,” she later cautioned her followers to “do a test patch” before trying any such product – particularly on the face.
You can see the damage here; viewer discretion is advised.
Fans Sound the Alarm
The comments on her TikTok were filled with alarm and concern. “Who is checking on this woman?” one follower asked.
Others urged her to seek immediate professional care. “NAIR is not meant to be a chemical peel,” one commenter warned. “Brandi, please don’t do anything that’s not recommended by a doctor… This can be so dangerous.”
Several viewers pointed out that chemical depilatories contain potent ingredients designed to dissolve hair, which can cause severe burns on sensitive facial skin.
Ongoing Health Struggles and Financial Strain
This incident is the latest chapter in Glanville’s long-running health ordeal. Over the past year and a half, she has spent nearly all her savings seeking answers for her condition, which has left her with swelling, skin damage, and debilitating pain.
Some doctors have suggested she is suffering from a facial parasite; others believe it may be stress-induced edema. Glanville herself has publicly blamed her health decline on her contentious relationship with Bravo, the network behind RHOBH and The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip.
Her medical troubles have included repeated hospital stays. In April 2025, she was rushed to the emergency room after waking up unable to move her head or neck for several hours. “I hate this place, but should be another fun ambulance bill,” she quipped from her hospital bed.
Beyond her personal plight, Glanville has used her platform to advocate for others dealing with unexplained skin and facial conditions. She said:
“I just wanna find a doctor who makes it his mission to help me – and not just me. These other poor women… and men, too. I’ve had a couple of men reach out. I know exactly what they’re talking about.”
For now, she continues to update fans on her recovery – though after her Nair experiment, her followers hope those updates won’t include any more at-home chemical treatments.