Style Watch: Malaysian dentist Dr Ben Gee believes in always dressing his best

When dentist Dr Ben Gee is out of his whites, he dazzles on social media with his daring and dramatic outfits. Photo: Instagram/Dr Ben Gee

Dentist by day and social media star by night, Dr Ben Gee is very much an unexpected fashion figure in Malaysia.

Born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, the 29-year-old made his name on TikTok sharing his experience as a dental practitioner and doling out professional advice in humorous ways. His videos on the platform has a total of more than 52 million likes, with 3.5 million people following him.

Photo: Instagram/Dr Ben Gee

On Instagram however, he is seen indulging in his love for dressing up. He regularly posts up snaps of his outfits – where they are deemed as bold, dramatic and daring. He has close to 200,000 followers on Instagram.

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That said, the two different aspects of his life seem to go hand in hand. He has no problems in having a serious career while still embracing a love for style.

Although he is a keen social media user, he is still mindful of how it can sometimes be deceiving. He says that what is posted up online can be a mere illusion and is not always real.

Whether for “likes” or not, it does still show that such platforms can be used as an outlet for creativity.

You are seen showing off your OOTDs regularly on Instagram. Is this your way of reconciling your love for fashion while still maintaining a professional career?

Somewhat yes. I’ve always loved fashion and I’m a believer of the phrase “dress for success”. Dressing up for work sets the tone for the day. When you look good, you’ll feel good. And when you feel good, you sit up taller, talk more confidently and hence, it affects your performance of that day.

Photo: Instagram/Dr Ben Gee

Can your describe your personal style? What sort of a fashion person are you?

Modern gentleman. I love experimenting with new shades and looks. I embrace florals, prints and colours to create a soft yet contemporary look that’s just risque enough to make your date blush.

You’re often compared to Korean stars in terms of your dressing. Do you see a difference between fashion in Western and Asian countries?

On the surface there may seem that there are not much differences but if you look closely there are. Asian fashion is much more conservative – as in, instead of pairing shorts with a singlet or crop top, Asians would go for a dress shirt or T-shirt instead. It’s like we are trying to highlight only a specific part, while in Western fashion, more is more. I myself actually lean more towards the Western style. I love to be experimental and I dress to make a statement.

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The thing that people notice from your snaps is your flawless skin and well-styled hair. What’s your grooming regime like?

Believe me or not, it only takes me 15 minutes to get ready. Most of the time – you can even say, all of the time – I have my outfits planned out and ironed a day before. I start off with washing my face, followed by a simple skin care routine, putting on my favourite tinted sunscreen and then doing my hair. My secret of having flawless skin is skincare. Although I don’t put on makeup, I still double cleanse to ensure that my pores are all free from the dirt and gunk. And that is also how you prevent “maskne”.

Do you have any advice regarding showing off one’s best side for social media?

Use filters and facetune! It’s natural for us to always want to show our best self and our “perfect” life on social media. Social media does have this effect. However, no one is perfect – except me (laughs). All jokes aside, we live in the age of envy. Please always remember that what we are constantly bombarded with may be just be photoshopped lives and not “real” lives.