Dr Ko Brand Research (2026): How a Klang Dermatologist Built a Nationwide Skin Clinic Network and the Dermax Skincare Range

Dato’ Dr Ko Chung Beng trained in Glasgow, ran a government dermatology department, then opened one skin clinic in Klang in 1997. Today Klinik Dr Ko spans more than 80 towns, runs mall skincare counters and an academy, and sells seven skincare ranges. The founder’s story, the products and the strategy — built from the founder’s interviews, the NPRA cosmetic registry, the National Specialist Register and the brand’s own web shop.

Brand research · Written by Aiman Zafran · Data captured 3–25 September 2026 · Last reviewed 4 October 2026

Quick answer

Dr Ko is a Malaysian skin-clinic group founded in 1997 in Klang by consultant dermatologist Dato’ Dr Ko Chung Beng, registered on the National Specialist Register for dermatology (NSR 124291). It runs Klinik Dr Ko clinics nationwide — 94 Google Maps listings captured on 24–25 September 2026, and 84 branches claimed on its website — plus DR.KO Dermaceutical mall counters and Ko Academy. Its skincare ranges (Dermax, KO Dermacare, KO Perfect, 3 Series, AESthetique and others) total 89 active NPRA notifications, mostly made in Malaysia (NPRA extract, 3–5 September 2026), and retail from RM42 to RM438. The group does not publish revenue.

Key takeaways

• A specialist founder. Dr Ko is a UK-trained consultant dermatologist who headed Hospital Seremban’s dermatology department before going private in 1997.
• The widest dermatologist-led network we mapped. 94 Google Maps listings (89 clinics excluding retail counters and duplicate pins) with 7,452 reviews, reaching small towns from Kangar to Tawau (captured 24–25 September 2026).
• A clinic brand that went retail. DR.KO Dermaceutical, launched in 2020, sells the ranges in shopping malls, and the drkoskincare.com web shop lists about 70 items.
• Numbered, prescription-style products — Bio Perform Acne Cleanser 1A, Bio Hydro Gel 7A, Perfect C Serum 23, Perfect White 31 — make a routine easy to recommend and reorder.
• A training engine. Ko Academy, launched with MAHSA University’s School of Medicine in 2021, trains doctors and beauticians.

Dr Ko at a glance

Who is behind Dr Ko, and where did it come from?

The group was founded by Dato’ Dr Ko Chung Beng, who is its Founder, CEO and consultant dermatologist (koskinspecialist.com). The National Specialist Register lists him under dermatology (NSR 124291) at Klinik Pakar Kulit Ko Sdn Bhd, Klang (NSR, checked September 2026). The skincare is notified mainly by two sister companies at the same Klang address, Koyi Aesthetic Sdn Bhd and New Aesthetics Sdn Bhd.

From Kepong to Glasgow and back

Born in Kepong in 1961, Dr Ko went to the United Kingdom at 17 for his A-Levels, studied medicine at the University of Glasgow from 1981 to 1986, obtained his MRCP in 1990 and trained in dermatology at Hull from 1990 to 1994, adding a Diploma in the Scientific Basis of Dermatology from Cardiff in 1993 (Top 10 of Malaysia interview, 23 November 2021). After 14 years in Britain he came home in 1994 to head the dermatology department at Hospital Seremban.

1997: one clinic in Klang

In 1997 he opened the first Ko Skin Specialist Centre in Klang — a small clinic for dermatology, lasers and aesthetic treatments that is still the group’s headquarters (koskinspecialist.com). He describes the drive behind it simply: he “refused to believe there was no way to treat the patients” (Top 10 of Malaysia). That refusal to give up on a patient is the thread that runs through everything the brand has built since.

Growth, retail and an academy

The Malaysia Book of Records recognised the group as the country’s largest skin and laser centre, and by 2021 it had nearly 50 centres including four in Indonesia (Top 10 of Malaysia, 2021). It launched DR.KO Dermaceutical in 2020 to sell its skincare in shopping malls, and Ko Academy in 2021 with MAHSA University’s School of Medicine to train doctors and beauticians (same source; drkoacademy.com). Its website now claims 84 branches.

What does Dr Ko sell, and to whom?

Dr Ko sells dermatologist-branded skincare in seven ranges, sold in its clinics, at DR.KO Dermaceutical counters and on drkoskincare.com, at RM42 to RM438 per item (web shop, 70 listings, read 25 September 2026). It also sells supplements from RM88 to RM465.

Source: NPRA active notifications, extract 3–5 September 2026; prices from drkoskincare.com.

The numbering system

Many Dr Ko products carry a number — Cleanser 1, Toner 2, Hydro Gel 7A, Pimple Solution 13, Perfect C Serum 23, Perfect White 31. It reads like a clinic protocol: a doctor or therapist can prescribe “1A, 7A and 80” and a customer can reorder the same routine at any branch or online. It is a simple, clever piece of brand design for a multi-clinic group, and one of the best examples we have seen in Malaysia.

Who the customer is

Dr Ko serves the patient who wants a dermatologist’s name behind the product — acne-prone teenagers and young adults, pigmentation and ageing concerns — across every income level and region. Its footprint runs from Klang Valley malls to towns such as Kangar, Dungun, Kemaman, Labuan, Bintulu, Sibu, Tawau and Temerloh (Google Maps, September 2026).

Why has Dr Ko grown so widely?

Dr Ko grew because it combined a specialist’s credibility with a network small enough in each town to feel local and large enough nationally to be trusted — and then turned its prescriptions into retail products.

Reach

We captured 94 Klinik Dr Ko, Ko Skin Specialist, DR.KO Dermaceutical and Inanna listings on Google Maps with 7,452 reviews (24–25 September 2026). No other dermatologist-led chain in our 15,507-listing dataset reaches as many towns.

Where Dr Ko sells

• Clinics — Klinik Dr Ko branches nationwide and the Klang HQ.
• Malls — DR.KO Dermaceutical counters at Sunway Pyramid, The Mall Mid Valley Southkey Johor Bahru and KTCC Mall, Kuala Terengganu (Sunway Pyramid directory).
• Online — drkoskincare.com, about 70 listings.
• Social — Instagram @drkoskinspecialist, Facebook drkoskinspecialist and drkodermaceutical, YouTube.

Six reasons Dr Ko succeeds (our view)

1. Specialist credibility. A registered consultant dermatologist as founder gives every product a trusted name.
2. Small-town reach. Clinics in towns other chains overlook bring dermatology-led care closer to home.
3. Retail beyond the clinic. Mall counters and a web shop let customers buy without an appointment.
4. Prescription-style naming. Numbered products make routines easy to recommend and repeat.
5. A training engine. Ko Academy supplies trained doctors and beauticians for new branches.
6. Constant renewal. New products appear almost every year since 2019, including a KO Dermacare mask and a DX Dermax body wash in August 2026 (NPRA).

Lessons for your own brand

• Turn your protocol into a product system. Numbering or colour-coding a routine makes it easy to reorder. Our guide to launching a clinic skincare line explains how to plan treatment-room and retail ranges.
• Take the brand to where customers already shop. Mall counters let people meet the brand before they ever book a consultation.
• Keep the core notifications in your own companies. Dr Ko’s two core companies hold 59 of the 89 products; our NPRA notification guide explains why that matters.
• Train the people you will need. An academy turns growth from a hiring problem into a plan.

Room to grow

• More of the founder’s story online. Dr Ko’s journey from Kepong to Glasgow to 80-plus clinics is one of the great Malaysian clinic stories, yet the fullest account we found is a 2021 interview. Sharing it more widely would give the brand an even stronger voice.
• A simpler map of the ranges. Seven ranges give depth; a clear “start here” guide on the web shop would help first-time shoppers choose.

Beyond Malaysia

Dr Ko has taken its model abroad before: by 2021 it ran four centres in Indonesia (Jakarta, Palembang, Medan) and it names China and Indonesia as expansion markets (Top 10 of Malaysia; company website). A dermatologist brand with a numbered product system travels well, because the protocol — not only the individual doctor — carries the result. Compare with One Doc x Hair Doc, NARQES and the listed Dr Chong Clinic.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Dr Ko?

Dato’ Dr Ko Chung Beng is a Malaysian consultant dermatologist, trained in Glasgow and Hull, who headed Hospital Seremban’s dermatology department before founding Ko Skin Specialist in Klang in 1997. He is listed on the National Specialist Register for dermatology (NSR 124291).

Where are Dermax and KO Dermacare made?

Mostly in Malaysia: 74% of the Dr Ko ranges’ 89 active notified products are made locally, with some KO Dermacare, KO Perfect and hair products imported from Taiwan, the United States and South Korea (NPRA extract, 3–5 September 2026). You can check any NOT number on NPRA Quest3+.

How many Dr Ko clinics are there?

The group’s website claims 84 branches. We captured 94 Google Maps listings for Klinik Dr Ko, Ko Skin Specialist, DR.KO Dermaceutical and Inanna on 24–25 September 2026, including mall counters and a few duplicate pins; removing those leaves 89 clinic listings, the figure used in Malaysia’s Top Ten’s 2026 ranking of the largest aesthetic chains.

Where can I buy Dr Ko skincare?

At Klinik Dr Ko clinics, at DR.KO Dermaceutical counters in Sunway Pyramid, The Mall Mid Valley Southkey and KTCC Mall, and online at drkoskincare.com.

How much do Dr Ko products cost?

On drkoskincare.com on 25 September 2026, cosmetics ranged from RM42 (Restorative Lip Balm) to RM438 (KO Dermacare Platinum Serum). Best-known items include Perfect White 31 at RM420 and Perfect Sunscreen Plus 80 at RM428.

What is AESthetique?

AESthetique is a Dr Ko acne and brightening line of 11 products — cleanser, toner, moisturiser, spot remedy, night pigment cream, sunscreens and a vitamin C serum — notified by New Aesthetics Sdn Bhd and made in Malaysia.

Sources and method

• NPRA Quest3+ active cosmetic notifications, extract 3–5 September 2026; filter: holders Koyi Aesthetic and New Aesthetics plus any product named Dermax, KO Dermacare, KO Perfect, DR. KO, 3 Series, AESthetique or Inanna that matches drkoskincare.com (89 products; unrelated “Dermax” names excluded). Verify via Quest3+.
• National Specialist Register (nsr.org.my), dermatology list pulled 24 September 2026.
• Top 10 of Malaysia, “Leading the Way in Aesthetic Medicine”, 23 November 2021.
• koskinspecialist.com — About Us; drkoskincare.com product listings and prices; drkoacademy.com; Sunway Pyramid directory, read 25 September 2026.
• Google Maps listings, captured 24–25 September 2026 (duplicates by name removed).

About this analysis

This article uses only the public, official and company sources listed above; figures we could not find are not quoted. Registry counts reflect active notifications on the extract date; products notified by partner companies are counted where the product name matches the Dr Ko ranges sold on drkoskincare.com. Branch counts are company-stated. We did not capture marketplace sales. The assessment of Dr Ko’s strengths is our editorial view.

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