Dr. Daniel Sugai
Known online as Dr. SPF, Daniel Sugai is a Seattle-based dermatologist sharing skincare routines, product reviews and clear explanations of skin and hair concerns.
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Latest
Daniel’s happenings, collected from public sources, plus his backstory and Starbook, where fans write.
Known for
YouTube
YouTube
YouTubeOverview
- From
- Waialua, on Oʻahu’s North Shore, Hawaiʻi
- Based in
- Seattle area, Washington
- Also known as
- Dr. SPF
- Training
- University of Hawaiʻi medical degree, 2012; Harvard dermatology residency, 2016
- Online beginnings
- Instagram in February 2020; YouTube in April 2020
- Beyond his channels
- Founder of Sugai Academy for healthcare professionals
Mini bio
From the North Shore.
Daniel grew up in Waialua on Oʻahu. On his Academy site, he describes a modest upbringing, public school and being the first in his family to pursue medicine. His interests in visual art and science helped draw him toward dermatology.
The training behind the videos.
He earned his medical degree at the University of Hawaiʻi in 2012 and completed dermatology residency at Harvard in 2016. He went on to practice in the Seattle area, bringing that clinical experience into his online explanations.
How it started.
His medical assistant downloaded Instagram onto his phone in February 2020. That April, he and Christian Franz worked together to build his YouTube channel. Their early focus included ingredient misinformation, affordable products and making skincare more approachable for men.
Finding his audience.
By the time his Friends of Franz episode was published in December 2021, the show described an audience of over a million across social media and a YouTube Silver Creator Award. Fans could follow Dr. SPF for sunscreen explanations, retinoid comparisons and practical routines.
Teaching beyond skincare.
He now also runs Sugai Academy, helping healthcare professionals develop their own presence on social media. His stated aim is to make medical information both credible and entertaining.
Creditschronological, newest first
Videos
- 2026Best Sunscreens of 2026Host and creator
- 2021Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 Versus Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol SAHost and creator
Appearances
- 2025Gaming for CauseDermatology guest during Ninja’s livestream with La Roche-Posay
- 2021Friends of Franz: Dermatology and Skin CarePodcast guest
Awards
Quotes
I felt like medicine, specifically dermatology was a perfect fit for me as it combined visual arts with science.Daniel Sugai, Sugai Academy About page
Reflecting on why his interests in art and science led him toward dermatology.
Trivia
- Before becoming a creator, he used YouTube to learn how to fix things around the house.
- He received a UH Presidential Scholarship that included funding for a trip to India, an experience he later discussed in medical school and residency applications.
- He met his wife while attending medical school at the University of Hawaiʻi.
- His professional biography lists him as a former resident director of Project Phoenix, a pro bono tattoo-removal clinic at MGH Chelsea Healthcare.
Find Daniel
Follow Daniel for skincare reviews, routines and a little clinic humor.
Are you Dr. Daniel Sugai?
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