If you’ve seen a photo of Brandi Glanville lately, you probably didn't recognize her. Honestly, it’s jarring. The former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star, once known for her model looks and sharp tongue, has spent the last few years living through a literal nightmare that most people think is just "bad filler."
It isn't. Not exactly.
What happened to Brandi Glanville’s face is a saga of medical mysteries, $130,000 in doctor bills, and a "ticking time bomb" inside her skin. This isn't just about aging or vanity. It's about a woman who basically became a hermit because her face started "melting away."
The Morocco Trip and the "Face Parasite"
Everything changed in early 2023. Brandi was in Morocco filming Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip. While she was there, she claims she ate meat that had been sitting out for hours, swarmed by flies.
About six months after she got home, things got weird.
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It started with a condition called angioedema—severe, stress-induced swelling that made her face puff up so much she could barely speak. But then it got worse. Brandi started telling anyone who would listen that she could feel something moving under her skin.
"I feel like it's sucking or having babies in my face," she told Entertainment Tonight.
She described a sensation of "tiny bubbles bursting" under the surface. She was convinced it was an exotic parasite she picked up in North Africa. For two years, she obsessed over it, even trying "beauty hacks" like putting Nair on her face to "piss off" the parasite, which—shocker—just gave her chemical burns.
The Botched Connection: What the Doctors Say
While Brandi was convinced she had a "face worm," the medical community was skeptical. She saw 21 different doctors. She spent her life savings. Eventually, she turned to Dr. Terry Dubrow from the show Botched.
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Dubrow didn't buy the parasite story.
He theorized that the disfigurement was actually a mycobacterium or a fungus. Basically, an infection or a "foreign body reaction" to something she’d had injected years ago. He called it a "ticking time bomb." The idea is that old filler or some other substance was reacting with a new infection, causing her face to "sink in" and creating "oily, foul-tasting drainage" that allegedly caused her to lose five teeth.
It’s a mess. A total medical mess.
The Financial and Mental Toll
Brandi hasn't just lost her "old face." She’s lost her life as she knew it.
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- Cost: Over $130,000 spent on specialists.
- Isolation: She admitted to staying inside for two years because of "extreme anxiety" about her looks.
- Health: She’s had PICC lines for long-term antibiotics and multiple biopsies.
The 2026 Update: Finally a Diagnosis?
By the end of 2025, Brandi finally shared some good news. After years of being told it was "all in her head" or just a result of too many procedures, she started working with an infectious disease specialist, Dr. Michael Scoma.
In December 2025, she officially announced she had a diagnosis. While she hasn't released the specific name of the condition to the public yet, she described it as a "huge relief."
It seems the "parasite" theory might have been a bit of a misnomer, but the physical damage was very real. She’s currently on a long road to recovery, which includes fixing her teeth and trying to regain the 10 pounds she lost during the stress of the ordeal.
Why This Matters for Everyone Else
Brandi Glanville’s story is a cautionary tale, but maybe not the one you think. It's not just "don't get filler." It’s about the terrifying intersection of cosmetic procedures and rare infections.
If you’re worried about your own skin health after seeing Brandi's journey, here is what the experts suggest:
- Vet Your Injectors: Always ensure any filler or Botox is administered by a board-certified professional in a sterile environment. "Cheap" filler is often where these "foreign body reactions" begin.
- Watch for "Late-Onset" Swelling: If you have filler and experience sudden swelling years later, especially after an illness or a trip abroad, see an infectious disease specialist, not just a plastic surgeon.
- Don't Self-Treat: Brandi’s use of Nair and at-home light therapy devices only made her scarring worse. If your skin is reacting, stop all "hacks" immediately.
Brandi is still fighting to get back to "normal," but for now, she’s just happy to have an answer. She’s looking to move past the "parasite" era and, hopefully, get back to being the Brandi who doesn't have to hide from the cameras.