14 Nov 1st Skin Alliance Malaysia & Singapore 2025
As doctors, our duties go beyond treating patients; and this includes patient education. One of the reasons I started this blog almost a decade ago was to bridge the knowledge gap between patients and clinical practice; and simply complex skincare science, trends and industry news for the public.
The evolution of social media has reshaped patient education in dermatology. Patients today are more empowered than before; with greater awareness of skin health, earlier recognition of conditions, and better understanding of treatment options. However, the growth of social media has also created challenges such as misinformation. To combat rising misinformation, healthcare professionals play a crucial role in providing credible, evidence based information to educate and help patients to make informed choice.
1st Skin Alliance Malaysia and Singapore 2025
1st Singapore & Malaysia Skin Alliance
In August, I had the honor of participating in the 1st Singapore & Malaysia Skin Alliance event for doctors and healthcare practitioners in the region . Skin Alliance is a global medical education program founded by L’Oréal Dermatological Beauty in 2014 with the aim of bridging the gap between research and dermatological practice. The Skin Alliance Forum is a major scientific training program for international participants, held every two years in Paris. This year, Skin Alliance launched its inaugural regional summit to focus on regional skin concerns such as hyperpigmentation and acne.
With friends Tze Yun and Dr Ch’ng Chin Chwen
The first Singapore & Malaysia Skin Alliance Summit was held on 9th and 10th August 2025 at the Hilton Hotel, Kuala Lumpur. Some of the highlights of the scientific program for me were about the skin barrier science and updates on treating Asian skin, with a focus on post inflammatory hyperpigmentation, acne and eczema in the region.
Moderating the panel on social media for healthcare practitioners
Also relevant to clinical care was the topic of education for patients and healthcare providers; and the role of social media and I was involved as the moderator for the panel discussion on “Social Media for Healthcare Practitioners”. We discussed the growing importance of online engagement for doctors for patient education and awareness; and the challenges of evidence based messaging and avoiding the pitfalls of blindly following trends. The panel discussion ended with a lively Q&A session about the practical challenges of navigating social media responsibly; and efficiently, given our hectic schedules.
Part of the team that made my role as moderator go smoothly- Dr Liyana and Tian Wei from L’oreal Dermatological Beauty
Reflections on the 1st Skin Alliance- Malaysia and Singapore 2025
It was heartening to see so many healthcare professionals connect together to share our experiences, and support the collective advancement of dermatology in our region. In private practice, many of us work in our own silos, so a collaborative learning event like Skin Alliance gave us an opportunity to get updated on ongoing research and discuss patient care strategies. The insights that I’ve gained from Skin Alliance have an impact in my clinical practice; and I am honored to share my experience navigating social media for medical education with my peers.
A huge thank you to L’Oréal Dermatological Beauty for organising this enriching event, and for the opportunity to be part of it. Here’s to the next Skin Alliance and to many more collaborative educational events in our region.
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