Researchers began to study botulinum toxin, a neurotoxin that weakens muscle, in the 1970s, and whether it could effectively treat muscle-related disorders.
In the ‘80s, Vancouver-based ophthalmologist Dr. Jean Carruthers routinely used BOTOX to treat eyelid spasms when one patient demanded an injection near her inner brow. Dr. Carruthers explained that her patient wasn’t spasming there, but the woman was insistent. “Every time you treat me there, I get this beautiful, untroubled expression,” she explained.
Carruthers relayed that information to her husband, Alistair, a cosmetic dermatologist. She told him she might have an answer for patients who struggled with frown lines. Though Alistair was skeptical, he was curious to see the results for himself, so the couple tested it on their receptionist. Jean was next to try it.
The result? “Jean hasn’t frowned since 1987,” Alistair joked to Business Insider.
The Start of Something Big
Over the next decade, this power couple went on to research and publish papers on the cosmetic use of BOTOX. The product quickly became so popular that in 1997, the U.S. ran out of supply, inciting alarm among people who relied on it to maintain a wrinkle-free appearance.
On the other side of North America, Dr. Mitchell Brin learned that the same neurotoxin produced benefits for his patients struggling with involuntary muscle contraction. So, after more than a decade of researching BOTOX at Columbia University and Mount Sinai, he joined the pharmaceutical company Allergan in 2001.
It took until 2002 for BOTOX to get the FDA’s first stamp of approval for cosmetic use. Since then, it’s earned FDA approval for three aesthetic purposes and become a runaway success for Allergan. In 2017, this wonder drug made $2.2 billion in revenue for its medical and cosmetic uses.
The Benefits Keep Growing
BOTOX is FDA-approved to treat excessive sweating and involuntary muscle spasms in adults who’ve experienced strokes, multiple sclerosis, or brain injury. It can also treat persistent migraines, incontinence, and upper limb spasticity.
A Bright Future
While BOTOX has come a long way in a short time, research into other benefits continues. For example, in recent studies, BOTOX has produced promising results for people living with depression. And heart surgeons have used botulinum toxin type A to treat their patients’ irregular heartbeats after bypass heart surgery.
Medical researchers have found new applications for BOTOX in cosmetic medicine, from scalp injections to prolong hairstyles to foot treatments to relieve the pain associated with high heels.
As time goes on, you can be confident more uses of BOTOX will emerge – either through research or another happy accident.
BOTOX in Vancouver
To learn more about BOTOX and other aesthetic treatments in Vancouver, reach out to Dr. Eric Pugash today.
Call us at (604) 522-5199 or schedule an appointment online. We’d be happy to book your consultation at your earliest convenience.