From his rise to the top to his untimely death, the story of Dr. Fredric Brandt has been characterized by his profound influence—and tragic complexities. When the pioneering cosmetic dermatologist took his own life at his Miami home in April 2015, it sent shock waves through the beauty industry and left it with a lot of questions—questions that have largely gone unanswered, or at least unaddressed, until now.
In a new podcast titled The Baron of Botox, creator and host Justine Harman takes a deep dive into Brandt’s life, shedding light on how he went from being a “Jewish kid from New Jersey” to running a small dermatology practice in Miami to cultivating a list of high-profile clientele (including Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Kelly Ripa) with his charismatic presence and refined, deftly executed results. And at a time when plastic surgery—and minimally invasive cosmetic injectables in particular—have captured the collective fascination, it highlights Brandt’s pivotal role in it all. He was an early adopter of Botox, employed cutting-edge techniques, and developed FDA-approved advancements in other treatments, such as volumizing fillers, to give his clients the smooth jawlines, chiseled cheekbones and lifted brows that have become more commonplace than ever before.

Read more at Vogue >>