Dr Jean Carruthers is the Canadian physician who is credited for discovering the wrinkle-fighting properties of Botox®. Dr Carruthers, an ophthalmologist, was treating a female dystonia patient with botulinum toxin type A. (It wasn’t called Botox® at the time. Manufactured by Oculinum Inc., the product was called Oculinum until Allergan bought the company in 1991 and renamed it Botox®.)

The husband of the patient was a dermatologist, and noticed that the creases on his wife’s forehead smoothed out following treatment. He remarked that such a result was quite difficult to achieve with collagen and autologous fat, which were the only dermal fillers available on the market at that time.

Learning this, Dr Carruthers spoke with her husband, a cosmetic dermatologist, and decided to conduct a study using the form of botulinum toxin type A she was using. Although the results of her research did in fact prove that Oculinum could successfully treat wrinkles, she and her husband faced criticism from their colleagues and peers, who thought that using a toxin was dangerous. They continued to conduct research and promote their findings, and their persistence, obviously, has paid off.

Today, Dr Carruthers is still a practicing physician but has devoted herself to aesthetic medicine. At 61, she remains the leading authority on Botox®.

Did you know that one of the oldest tattoos ever found was on a 5000-year-old preserved corpse? It was discovered in Western Europe sometime in 1991.

Because the placement of the tattoos were mainly located on the joints, it is believed that the markings found on the corpse were created for therapeutic purposes, unlike those today (which are mainly for aesthetic purposes).

Ear surgery is considered one of the oldest forms of surgery in the world. Also known as otoplasty, it dates back to Ancient India hundreds of years before common era and was described in the ancient medical text, Susrutha Samhita.

Women have been battling cellulite for years. While Endermologie is a preferred treatment for those unsightly dimples these days, this cosmetic innovation has only been around since the late 1970s, gaining international reputation a decade later.

Years before Endermologie, women in Europe dealt with cellulite by less technological means. They went to a masseuse to knead that cellulite away. The massage would entail a session of deep squeezing, prodding, rubbing and grinding with expert palms and fingers to break down the pockets of trapped toxins, fat and fluids that cellulite is comprised of. This stimulated blood flow to the area so that the body could gradually get rid of the cellulite by its own waste processes. Needless to say, a cellulite massage was quite intense and often left the treated area bruised and battered. But, according to reports, it did apparently work.

Endermologie basically works on the same premise, but is performed by a patented device. There may be some bruising and discomfort, but most likely not as much as a massage performed by a masseuse.

Did you know that a gynecologist and his son invented the liposuction procedure? It was two Italian physicians, Dr. Giorgio Fischer and his son of the same name, who are credited with inventing liposuction back in 1974. However, it was a few years later when liposuction was actually used purely for cosmetic enhancement.

Before bronzed skin, it was pale skin that was considered attractive – so much so that women in Europe used to smear a creamy concotion of vinegar and powdered white lead on their faces to achieve the fashionable pallor. The fad began in the mid 1550s by Queen Elizabeth I.

Fortunately, we all know about lead poisoning and no longer follow this fad. While pale skin is still considered attractive for some, it is naturally pale skin that is coveted.