1976 Judith Stephens
starts a career in hair removal scams, buying into Depilatron
Company's AC electric tweezer.
1982 Judith Stephens
claims to have learned needle electrolysis in 3 weeks.
1984 Judith Stephens
begins making and selling AC electric tweezers under the name
The Guaranty System in McAllen, TX
1987 The US Federal
Trade Commission wins case against AC electric tweezer Removatron
(23 July)
1987 Judith Stephens
uses loophole in FTC ruling; changes to DC electric tweezers
and changes company name to GHR - Guaranty Hair Removal. Judith
Stephens claims to have invented the device. Patent records
indicate her device is merely a copycat of a device patented
in 1981 by (Hubert) Lee Cole - Patent US5026369
1988 Judith Stephens
claims she received SCME electrologist certification
1988 IGPE, a trade
group involved in the FTC case against Removatron
1989 Rival AHRS files
an FDA 510(k) (29 March) [Docket K892514]
1989 GHR makes claims
that their device is permanent based on the IGPE "standard"
1990 GHR sues IGPE
and others for 5.5 million dollars, claiming restraint of trade
(22 March)
1990 Rival AHRS is
cleared by FDA (9 August )
1990 GHR files an
FDA 510(k) (13 November) [Docket K905125]. This is 20 months
after rival AHRS. Even the GHR lawyer states GHR is identical
to the earlier device.
1991 GHR is ordered
by FDA to remove references to FDA from their device and ads
(29 May)
1991 GHR is cleared
by FDA as identical to AHRS (5 August)
1992 Judith Stephens
files for Chapter 13 personal bankruptcy (23 January)
1992 After a 2-day
trial, GHR and IGPE settle their lawsuit with an unsigned agreement
to have GHR tested at two medical facilities. Stephens' bankruptcy
eliminated her obligations in this agreement. (28 January)
1992 Judith Stephens
enters an AEA convention under one of her assumed names (October
1997 GHR is sent a
letter by FDA ordering them to remove all references to FDA
in promotional material. GHR does not comply with the letter.
1998 A GHR salesperson
opens the "Kitty's Consumer Beware" website (consumerbeware.com),
which promotes GHR under the guise of a consumer site.
1998 FDA reclassifies
electric tweezers, stating there is no evidence they can achieve
permanent hair removal
1999 Judith Stephens
is caught promoting GHR using bogus clinical studies plagiarized
from rival AHRS
2000 FDA dismisses
claims that GHR is substantially equivalent to electrolysis,
writing that it's "an erroneous assumption that these devices
have been found substantially equivalent to needle-type epilators."
(5 January)
