Dr Kwan Zhenli Skin Specialist

11/08/2025

You can manage eczema flare ups while staying active! Check out the following tips on how to exercise if you have eczema
💧👕🧴 Stay hydrated
💧👕🧴 Wear eczema-friendly clothing
💧👕🧴 Choose gentle workouts
💧👕🧴 Keep cool and wipe off sweat
💧👕🧴 Shower after workouts
💧👕🧴 Moisturise before and after

04/08/2025

You see the skin. You don’t see the struggle. 💔

Psoriasis is more than what meets the eye—it affects sleep, confidence, finances, and mental health every single day.

This Psoriasis Awareness Month, let’s talk about what’s really going on beneath the surface.

👉 Swipe through to understand the daily battles many face.
❤️ Tag someone who needs to feel seen.
🔁 Share to help end the stigma around invisible illnesses.
✅ If you’re living with psoriasis, know that you’re not alone—and it’s okay to seek help. Talk to a healthcare provider today and take the first step towards effective treatment to restore your confidence.

03/08/2025

Talking about scalp biopsy today at the Hair & Scalp Workshop 💆🏻‍♀️ For those interested, the approach and interpretation is well-summarised in Dr Catherine Stefanato’s landmark paper🗒️ (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2559.2009.03439.x)

Thank you to the Department of Dermatology, Hospital Kuala Lumpur for organising this excellent course and for the kind invitation 📬

01/08/2025

Thank you MMA Berita for featuring Mohs micrographic surgery and raising awareness on the treatment of non-melanoma skin cancers 😍

13/07/2025

Sharing on nail biopsy techniques at the HKL Dermatology Symposium 2025 💜 Thank you for the invitation

13/07/2025

Check out my latest article on LinkedIn where I share about my observations and tips for working abroad as a doctor

Malaysian social media has been abuzz with the viral advertisement recruiting Malaysian doctors to work in Singapore whether as medical officers or clinical associates. With uncertainties in terms of career progression and job security, these work opportunities abroad do seem attractive to young doc

09/07/2025

The Malaysian Journal of Dermatology (MJD) January - June 2025 issue is now available online at https://journals.lww.com/mjd

Here are the highlights of this issue:

Original Articles
🌐Prevalence of contact allergen sensitization in Malaysian atopic dermatitis patients
🌐Contact sensitization in patients with chronic leg ulcer and stasis dermatitis
🌐Clinical features of onychomycosis and its causative organisms: a retrospective, single-centre analysis
🌐Identifying nerve involvement in newly diagnosed multibacillary leprosy: clinical versus electrophysiological test

Case Reports
🌐Pyoderma gangrenosum presenting as generalised ulcerative skin lesions in a patient with end-stage renal disease: a case report
🌐Reconstruction of a lateral lower eyelid defect following Mohs surgery
🌐Syringocystadenoma papilliferum associated with apocrine nevus – A rare lesion on the leg
🌐Lepromatous Leprosy With Lucio’s Phenomenon Treated Successfully With Sungai Buloh Augmented Multidrug Treatment

Correspondence
🌐Bullous mastocytosis masquerading as chronic bullous disease of childhood

Letter to Editor
🌐A brief reflection on my placement at the Department of Dermatology in Sarawak General Hospital, Sarawak

29/06/2025

In conjunction with June as the Acne Awareness Month, let’s take a look at a few commonly asked questions about acne treatment and skin care.

1.How do I integrate acne treatment into my skin care regime?

Topical treatment for acne can range from benzoyl peroxide, antibiotics like clindamycin, to retinoids. A simple mnemonic to remember is CAMP where:

C – Cleanse; A – Acne Treatment; M – Moisturise; P – Protect

In general, topical acne treatment should be applied after cleansing and before moisturising and protection (sunscreen). Nevertheless, some people who experience irritation from topical acne treatment can choose to use the “sandwich method” where moisturiser is applied both before and after the active treatment e.g. topical retinoid.

2.What labels should I look for on my skin care products?

Look out for terms like:

Non-comedogenic
Non-acnegenic
Oil-free
Does not clog pores

3.Is benzoyl peroxide safe?

In 2024, Valisure, an independent laboratory, found high levels of benzene in certain benzoyl peroxide products used for the treatment of acne. Benzoyl peroxide can break down into benzene, which can cause cancer. However, the testing in the laboratory was done under high temperatures which may not reflect real world conditions.

The US FDA later tested 95 acne products containing benzoyl peroxide and only 6 had high levels of benzene. The FDA concluded, “Even with daily use of these products for decades, the risk of a person developing cancer because of exposure to benzene found in these products is very low.” Research has also found that the regular use of benzoyl peroxide for acne is not linked to higher levels of benzene in the blood and is not linked to an increased risk of developing cancer.

You can take the following steps to prevent or reduce the breakdown of benzoyl peroxide:

Do not store in high temperatures (e.g. do not leave it in your car or in a hot shower)
Refrigerate benzoyl peroxide
Replace products that contain benzoyl peroxide after 10-12 weeks

You may also use benzoyl peroxide in the form of a wash.

4.How do pimple patches work?
Pimple patches are made from hydrocolloid. They absorb pus and fluid from pimples while protecting the pimple from touching/picking or dirt. Some also contain active ingredients like salicylic acid, niacinamide or tea tree oil, or may even have microneedles to deliver active ingredients. Pimple patches work on pimples with pus, red/angry pimples and early-stage pimples. Hydrocolloid may also help maintain moisture in the area which supports healing and reduces scarring.

23/06/2025

Wedge excision of the ear 👂🏼is used to remove small-to-moderately sized skin lesions (e.g. skin cancer, keloids) at the rim of the ear and to reconstruct the wound after removal of the lesion. A star shape is used to prevent buckling of the ear cartilage.

This gentleman had a wedge excision of his left ear for a squamous cell carcinoma. At two months, he has healed well after surgery with good cosmetic result.

In dermatologic surgery, the choice of surgery depends on the type of skin lesion diagnosed and each individual patient’s condition. The doctor will usually discuss treatment options after assessment and diagnosis to determine the most appropriate course of action.

16/06/2025

Day 1 at new place - hope to be able to serve you better 😍👩🏻‍⚕️🏥

15/06/2025

Happy and Blessed Father’s Day to all the daddies out there! Today I would like to express a special shout out to the husbands/partners of female physicians who help with the family and the home while we work and train in Medicine ❤️ Hope you have a great celebration today 🥰

13/06/2025

“Every story has an end, but in life every ending is just a new beginning.”

Thus, closes one chapter of my professional life - the end of a 13 year journey in academic dermatology and marking a new beginning in a new yet familiar place. UM is my alma mater and will always have a place in my heart. When I graduated from medical school in 2008, one of my dreams was to go back to UM Faculty of Medicine to contribute and share whatever I can with my juniors. I was very touched to receive the Inspire Award and I hope that throughout my tenure I have managed to touch some lives in a positive way.

When I look back on our journey in UM Dermatology over the past decade and more, I reflect on the many milestones we have achieved together as a team and I am truly thankful and blessed to have many mentors and colleagues (past and present) who have walked with me on this path, through thick and thin, bitter and sweet experiences. I would also like to express my appreciation for the allied health staff, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, receptionists, clinic assistants and administrative staff in UM, UMMC and UMSC who have been a great help and without whom, no hospital can run effectively.

Among the services that we managed to establish were:
🐦‍🔥 Patch testing
🐦‍🔥 Phototherapy
🐦‍🔥 Clinical trials
🐦‍🔥 Biological drugs for various indications
🐦‍🔥 Mohs micrographic surgery and dermatologic surgery
🐦‍🔥 Nail surgery
🐦‍🔥 Lasers

In terms of academia, I will forever be grateful to UM for the opportunity to explore research in various fields related to Medicine and Dermatology, including work on finite element analysis and artificial intelligence (AI), which is now the new frontier of technology that we are applying in our daily lives. I would also like to take the opportunity to thank my collaborators, whether in Malaysia or abroad, for the privilege of working together and learning from your experience and expertise in your various fields.

Lastly, I would like to thank the various heads of department and heads of unit that I have worked with, including Prof Dato’ Goh Khean Jin, Prof Sanjiv Mahadeva, Prof Shahrul Bahyah Kamaruzzaman, Prof Ida Normiha Hilmi, Prof Gan Gin Gin, Prof Rokiah Ismail, Dr Ch’ng Chin Chwen and Dr Adrian Yong, as well as my clinical/research mentors Prof Lim Kheng Seang, Dr Richard Barlow and Prof Tan Maw Pin.

Moving forward, I hope to continue to be able to contribute to the university and the hospital and continue serving patients in whichever roles I am entrusted with.

Signing out, Zhenli 💟