Welcome to the first in our series on Botox – covering the history of it, production of the drug, alternatives, what to expect, and how it may even be impacting society.

Botox is a naturally occuring toxin produced by the Clostridium botulinum bacteria. It works by paralyzing muscles, and is the same toxin that causes botulism if ingested.

Botulinum toxin was first discovered in 1897, after a group of Belgian musicians became ill after eating smoked ham at a funeral. The ham was sent for analysis by a professor of bacteriology, Emile van Ermengem, at the University of Ghent. Dr. van Ermengem discovered the bacteria that caused the illness, and it was later isolated and purified by Dr. Edward Schantz in 1946. It wasn’t until 1965 that D.B. Drachman demonstrated the toxin’s paralysis effect while conducting animal studies in the US.

In the 1970s, American ophthalmologist Dr. Alan Scott began to investigate the toxin as a possible treatment for eye diseases. In 1978, he injected the toxin into a patient for the first time, in an attempt to treat the eye muscles after a surgery for retinal detachment. This experiment was successful, and led to the use of the toxin for other conditions, such as strabismus. Dr. Scott’s groundbreaking research led him to become known as the “Father of Botox.”

The FDA originally approved Dr. Scott’s drug, OnabotulinumtoxinA, for use in 1989. In addition to treating strabismus, it was also used for blepharospasm, a condition in which the eyes shut tight involuntarily. He sold the rights to the drug in 1991, and the new distributor, Allergan, began selling it branded as Botox.

Around this time, Drs. Alastair and Jean Carruthers, Candian ophthalmologists, were using Botox to treat blepharospasm. One of Dr. Jean’s patients noticed that when it was injected into the forehead, her wrinkles went away. The next day Dr. Jean experimented on her receptionist, successfully treating her glabella, removing a deep wrinkle between the eyebrows. Five years later, after treating 18 patients, the first study of cosmetic Botox use was published in 1991.

Clinical studies were then initiated to validate this result and helped identify the most effective doses and injection points for treating forehead and eyelid wrinkles. and by 2002, the drug received FDA approval for cosmetic applications, including treating frown lines, crow’s feet, and forehead lines.

To learn more about Botox treatments near you, in Naples, Florida, check out our Botox page or head to Vagaro to schedule a consultation and treatment.