Botulinum therapy has a fascinating history that is closely linked to the couple Dr Alan Scott and Dr Jean Carruthers.
Their joint work and discoveries helped to revolutionise the use of botulinum toxin in medicine.
Dr Alan Scott, an American ophthalmologist, was looking for a solution for strabismus in the 1970s, a condition that leads to uncontrolled eye movement. In 1978, he developed the theory that botulinum toxin injections could relax the muscles and thus control eye movements in strabismus. He carried out experiments on monkeys and found that botulinum toxin had the desired effect.
Meanwhile, Dr Jean Carruthers, a Canadian dermatologist, was working with patients suffering from blepharospasm (involuntary eyelid twitching). She was looking for a non-surgical solution to the problem and came across Dr Scott’s work with botulinum toxin. She decided to try his method on her patients and noticed that botulinum toxin not only reduced the eyelid twitching but also smoothed the wrinkles around the eyes.
Dr Scott and Dr Carruthers recognised the enormous potential of botulinum therapy in aesthetic medicine and began researching together. In 1987, they published their groundbreaking study on the use of botulinum toxin to treat wrinkles. This was the first scientific publication to highlight the aesthetic benefits of botulinum toxin.
Their discovery led to a paradigm shift in aesthetic medicine. Botulinum toxin injections became one of the most popular non-surgical treatments for wrinkles and for smoothing the skin. The treatment became known as “Botox”, after the brand name of the commercially available botulinum toxin from Allergan.
The Scott and Carruthers couple continued their work and were also involved in training doctors and researching further areas of application for botulinum toxin. Today, botulinum toxin is used not only to treat wrinkles but also to relieve various medical problems such as excessive sweating, muscle spasms and migraine.
The work of Dr Alan Scott and Dr Jean Carruthers has had a lasting impact on the medical landscape and has allowed millions of people worldwide to benefit from botulinum therapy. Their joint efforts have earned them international recognition, and their contribution to the development of aesthetic medicine is invaluable.
Dr. med. univ. Görkem Atalay
Specialist in Plastic Surgery
Neumarkt 36-38 50667 Köln (Cologne)
References:
1. Scott, A. B. (1980). Botulinum toxin injection into extraocular muscles as an alternative to strabismus surgery. Ophthalmology, 87(10), 1044-1049.
2. Carruthers, J. D., & Carruthers, A. (1992). Treatment of glabellar frown lines with C. botulinum-A exotoxin. Journal of dermatologic surgery and oncology, 18(1), 17-21.
3. Carruthers, J. D., & Carruthers, A. (2001). Botulinum toxin in the field of dermatology: past, present, and future perspectives. Journal of cutaneous medicine and surgery, 5(4), 295-300.
4. Frevert, J. (2009). Content of botulinum neurotoxin in Botox®/Vistabel®, Dysport®/Azzalure®, and Xeomin®/Bocouture®. Drugs in R&D, 10(2), 67-73.
5. Dover, J. S., & Monheit, G. D. (2001). Botulinum toxin type A: a treatment for facial lines and wrinkles. Dermatologic Surgery, 27(4), 379-383.
6. Blitzer, A., Binder, W. J., & Aviv, J. E. (2002). The management of hyperfunctional facial lines with botulinum toxin. Aesthetic Surgery Journal, 22(3), 255-261.
7. Klein, A. W. (2006). Complications and adverse reactions with the use of botulinum toxin. Seminars in cutaneous medicine and surgery, 25(2), 123-128.
8. Hexsel, D., Dal’forno, T., Hexsel, C., & Do Prado, D. (2010). Long-term follow-up of side effects of intradermal botulinum toxin type A for facial rejuvenation and hyperhidrosis. Dermatologic Surgery, 36(Supplement 4), 2159-2163.
