Earlier this month people with smooth foreheads and no crows feet mourned the loss of their fearless leader and pioneer of beauty Alastair Carruthers, 79. Dr.Alastair Carruthers and his wife Dr. Jean Carruthers are held in immense regard as both are the founding fathers, if you will, of the beloved neurotoxin Botox.
The origins of Botox are surprising if not a bit shocking! Originally Botulinum toxin was 100 times more hostile to the body than cyanide in fact the US army was interested in weaponizing Botulinum toxin in some capacity of chemical warfare.
However, it wasn’t until Dr.Alan Scott an ophthalmologist found it could correct eye ailments like crossed eyes and eyelid spasms and eyelid twitching that he found the indirect results of treatment with this toxin was the patient’s brow and forehead become exceedingly smooth childlike. However, it was the Canadian dermatologist and his wife Dr. Jean Carruthers, who was an ophthalmologist, who truly pioneered the toxin for cosmetic purposes and uses.
The story began with Dr. Scott being based in San Francisco where Dr. Jean Carruthers joined him with his botulinum studies as her fellowship. Upon returning to Canada Dr.J ean continued Dr. Scott’s work with her own patients that is where the dime dropped! While treating one of her patients they did not get the smoothing effect they typically get from the botulinum treatments and they expressed disappointment stating, “‘Every time you treat me here I get this lovely untroubled expression” according to the New York Times. From there the office administrator, Cathy Bickerton Swann, was their first test patient.
Before the initial peer- reviewed study Dr. Alastair injected his wife Dr. Jean so she could be the first model for the procedure. The first study consisted of only 18 patients. And well the rest is history!
I suppose we must also thank Cathy Swann for being the trail blazer of smooth foreheads everywhere! Would you ever opt to be the first patient to try a beauty treatment? Comment below!
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