Botulinum Toxin's Evolution from Medical to Cosmetic Use
Get comfy, it's "Botox" story time again...
Once upon a time in Vancouver, a doctor named Dr Jean Carruthers was getting ready to treat her third patient of the day with injections of a medicine called Oculinum.
Dr Carruthers is a brilliant eye doctor who was using the medicine to help patients suffering with strabismus (often known as "a squint" or "crossed eyes") and blepharospasm (involuntary eye twitches).
Now on that day in Vancouver back in 1987, Dr Carruthers' third patient was a mild-mannered woman named Catherine, who had been having treatment for 2 years.
"Catherine" the nurse called in the waiting room.
"Hi Dr Carruthers, I've been counting down the days until my treatment" said Catherine.
"Have you?" Dr Carruthers replied, puzzled.
Usually her patients weren't as eager as this to have injections close to their eyeballs. She'd noticed a few patients seemed particularly keen recently though.. She wondered what was going on.
Dr Carruthers performed the treatment injections and was just beginning to clean up.
"We haven't finished yet, Dr Carruthers", Catherine said.
"Yes we have" said Dr Carruthers, a little surprised.
"No" said Catherine, "You missed this bit, you have to do this bit for me". She pointed to her so-called 'crows feet' wrinkles at the side of her eye.
Dr Carruthers wondered what on earth was going on.
"Why do you want an injection there? You don't need that one today".
Catherine was worked up now, "Oh you really must, please.. IT GETS RID OF MY WRINKES!".
"Wow!" thought Dr Carruthers. Is she right? Dr Carruthers added the injection and continued her day.
That night at dinner with her husband, Dr Alastair Carruthers, Dr Jean said "you'll never guess what happened today?" Now, Dr Alastair is a dermatologist. and prior to this otherwise completely normal dinner, he had spent most of his day seeing patients asking for his help to get rid of their wrinkles. The two doctors shared a lightbulb moment! Maybe Botox could be useful cosmetically?
Oculinum was acquired by Allergan and the name was changed to Botox.
The two doctors ploughed their energy for many, many years that followed to blaze a trail and get Botox licensed by the FDA for cosmetic use, finally succeeding in 2002. Dr Jean Curruthers has henceforth been known affectionately as the Mother of Cosmetic Botox and Dr Alastair Carruthers, the Father.
And that's how Botox made the leap from Eye Alignment, via the dinner table, to the most popular cosmetic treatment in the world! It's estimated more than 9 million cosmetic botulinum toxin treatments are performed per year! Thank goodness for a imperfectly aligned eyes, a serendipitous marital dinner and two very determined doctors.
Dr Jean Carruthers continues to practice aesthetic medicine in her at her wonderful clinic
Dr Jean Carruthers Cosmetic in Vancouver. Thank you Dr Carruthers; all of us with wrinkles owe you a debt of gratitude.
The End.
*This story is based on true events. The images are AI generated for illustration only and do not bear true likeness to the real people. The patient name is fictional and the exact events and timeline of the story may have been fictionalised for dramatic purpose.
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