| 1909 was by many standards a remarkable year. In | | | | areas of dark staining. They were also limited in their |
| that year Louis Bleriot became the first man to fly | | | | inability to remove blonde hair as the older lasers were |
| across the English Channel, Robert Peary became the | | | | colour blind. In 1998, ESC Sharplan announced the |
| first man to reach the North Pole and the little known | | | | introduction of a new technology called Intense Pulsed |
| French chemist Eugène Schueller founded the | | | | Light IPL (R) for hair removal and photorejuvenation to |
| French Harmless Hair Colouring Company. The turn of | | | | a waiting world. As the cosmetic market again turned |
| the century was indeed a time of wondrous inventions. | | | | to physics for help, other lasers such as Israel's |
| It started with the 1900 World Exhibition in Paris, which | | | | Syneron Aurora (R) entered the market˜using |
| was attended by many people, including the little | | | | newer laser technologies to remove blonde hair and |
| known Japanese scientist, Arinobu Fukuhara. Arinobu | | | | reduce wrinkles by stimulating the underlying skin to |
| was in joyous mood as he had just invented a skin | | | | produce collagen. Within a short period, these lasers |
| lotion called Eudermine. Within a few years, the world | | | | could also be adapted to treat acne and deal with |
| witnessed the introduction of the Kodak Brownie, the | | | | unsightly veins. A decade ago, when Nelson Mandela |
| flight of the Zeppelin and the sound of the first | | | | was inaugurated the first black leader of South Africa |
| gramophone discs. It continued with the world's first | | | | and Princess Diana opened her heart to the BBC |
| aeroplane fight and the introduction of the Ford Model | | | | television programme Panorama, the world had hardly |
| T. | | | | heard about the field of cosmetic medicine. |
| It was a time of great change in Chemistry, Marie | | | | Most cosmetic procedures were expensive and |
| Curie discovered radioactive Radium, Eugène | | | | largely in the hands of cosmetic surgeons. The |
| Schueller discovered p-phenylenediamine and Hamburg | | | | introduction of biology to the new science of cosmetic |
| chemist Paul Beiersdorf developed the first chemical | | | | medicine gave ways to some of the biggest |
| that could bind oil and water. Arinobu Fukuhara sent his | | | | advances the world had yet seen. In 1992, an article on |
| son to study pharmacy in America and the chief of | | | | the cosmetic effects of the biological toxin from a |
| the Apache Indians, Geronimo died at Fort Silk, | | | | bacterium Clostridium botulinum, written by Dr. Jean |
| Oklahoma. Wonderful memories, however where's it all | | | | Carruthers appeared in the Journal of Dermatological |
| leading? If I said that analysts at Goldman Sachs | | | | Surgery. It was the same year that Bill Clinton became |
| estimate that the industry spawned by these three | | | | President of the United States. In 1996, a Swedish |
| chemists is now worth $75 billion annually you would | | | | company called Q-Med used genetically engineered |
| become more interested. That's right, Eugène | | | | bacteria to synthesise the world's first non animal, non |
| Schueller created the first safe commercial hair | | | | allergic, non toxic collagen substitute called Restylane |
| colouring and his company, the French Harmless Hair | | | | (R). |
| Dye Co., later became L'Oreal. | | | | It was the same year that British beef farmers were |
| Paul Beiersdorf's cream to bind oil and water now sells | | | | facing ruin because of fears that "mad cow disease" |
| in 150 countries and his company became known to | | | | or BSE could cause Creuzfeld Jacob Disease or CJD. |
| the world as Nivea. Arinobu Fukuhara's new | | | | Within a few years a German company had |
| Eudermine cream became the basis of the | | | | perfected another genetically engineered form of |
| cosmoceutical company, Shiseido. In fact, the world | | | | Hyaluronic Acid called Matridur (R). |
| market is dominated by only six or seven multinationals, | | | | During this period, another American company, Isolagen |
| which accounts for four fifths of the total market. But | | | | (R) used the biological sciences to patent a novel |
| now there's a new kid on the beauty block, one that | | | | technique where a patient could receive a transplant |
| challenges the position of these older chemical | | | | of their own repair cells or fibroblasts in an effort to |
| companies and one that aims to eat into this colossal | | | | restore their youthful appearance. In 2002, FDA |
| market by providing clients with the newer sciences of | | | | approval to be given to an American company |
| physics and biology and results that are more | | | | Allergan to produce Botox (R) for cosmetic use and |
| reproducible. It's cosmetic medicine! | | | | the new field of cosmetic medicine was born. |
| The difference was that while the older firms were | | | | That year saw the introduction of radiofrequency |
| hopping on the older science of chemistry to make | | | | devices such as the Israeli Polaris (R) and the |
| money in cosmetic enhancement, the newer ones | | | | American Thermage to the Irish market, in an effort to |
| were turning to physics and biology. Lasers had been | | | | launch the world's first "scalpel-free facelift". Both |
| first used in the1980s to remove the top layers of skin | | | | devices were similar as they used radiofrequency to |
| in an effort to reach the fresher layers below but this | | | | heat up the skin's collagen and consequently tighten |
| led to many weeks of recovery, potential scarring, | | | | the face. |
| inability to tan and Asian patients often ended up with | | | | |