Mandel's Childhood Trauma: Bugs Under His Skin

Howie Mandel, 70, shared details about a rare and traumatic skin condition he experienced as a child. Larvae from a sand fly had burrowed under his skin, creating moving bumps that Mandel described as a 'horror film.' During a dermatology convention in his hometown of Toronto, doctors allegedly put him on display, a deeply disturbing event for the young Mandel.

He recounted being placed on a table in his underwear while nurses applied liquid nitrogen to the infected areas, causing his skin to sizzle and burst. These procedures, performed when he was around six or seven years old, left him screaming. His mother intervened, removing him from the table and expressing her dismay at the doctors' actions.

Following this incident, Mandel's mother would diligently treat the bumps each night. She used a rough washcloth and alcohol to break the skin and kill the larvae, a process Mandel recalls as traumatizing. This deep-seated 'ick factor' has been linked to his ongoing struggles with severe OCD and germaphobia.

Family physician Dr. Bayo Curry-Winchell emphasizes that Mandel's experience with traumatic medical treatment is not uncommon. She stresses the critical need for doctors to listen to patients, show care, and consider the long-term impact of their actions on a patient's mental and physical health. Curry-Winchell founded Clinicians Who Care to help patients find empathetic healthcare providers.