Suzanne Noël

[3] At the outbreak of World War I, without having been able to defend her doctoral thesis, like all the interns, Suzanne Gros was allowed to practise medicine in the city.

From there, under extremely precarious conditions, she participated in the war effort by operating on the "broken mouths", the wounded in the face.

[2] Noёl developed an interest in cosmetic surgery when she saw that the French actress Sara Bernhardt, who was over sixty years in age, had returned from a trip "looking rather rejuvenated" in 1912.

Her famous "petite operation" was a technique in which she would make small invisible incisions along the hairline, before suturing just enough skin to fabricate tension without excising any underlying tissue.

In Paris she began doing bolder surgeries such as reshaping the breasts, slimming the abdomen and arms, excising fat from the legs and eliminating wrinkles in the hand by injecting a sclerosing solution into the blood vessels.

[2] Noël's concern for her patient's well-being extended beyond surgery as she would make incisions behind the hairline or dye the bandage to match their hair color.

She would even suggest changing one's hairstyle or buying a new hat so they wouldn't have to explain what happened to friends and family who were unaware of the surgery.

The main purpose of this fund is said to be covering the cost of continuing education for women physicians who are interested in plastic and reconstructive surgery.