We don’t usually think of short eyelashes as a medical condition. Nonetheless, FDA has approved a prescription drug that can make your lashes grow longer. In some ways, we owe this medicine to serendipity, as it was originally developed to treat a serious eye disorder, glaucoma.
Latisse So Your Lashes Grow Longer:
Q. I love Latisse. I have been using it for over a year to lengthen and strengthen my eyelashes. The plastic surgeon who prescribed it for me told me that no one with blue eyes has had eyes turn brown WHEN USED AS DIRECTED. In other words, used at the lash line and not as eye drops.
I have always had lashes that hit my eyeglasses, and that was annoying. When they grew longer due to the Latisse, my lashes actually turned up and didn’t hit my glasses anymore. I have received unsolicited compliments almost daily, but I’ll admit I have experienced drier eyes with this product.
A. Bimatoprost (Lumigan) was originally developed to treat glaucoma. Then patients started reporting an unexpected side effect: their lashes grow longer while they are using the eye drops. People with blue eyes sometimes experienced a change in eye color, but that was usually after using the drops directly in the eyes. This medicine can also cause the eyelashes or the eyelids to turn a darker color as well.
Concerns About Latisse:
FDA approved the same medicine, bimatoprost, as Latisse in 2008. Thanks for sharing your experience. People who need to use Lumigan for glaucoma might not be able to lower their eye pressure as much if they also use Latisse. Consequently, they should discuss this possibility with their eye doctor and make sure that they measure their intraocular pressure regularly. In addition, some people using bimatoprost eye drops to treat glaucoma developed macular degeneration. As a result, people prone to macular degeneration might wish to avoid Latisse even though it can help eye lashes grow longer.
Sally reported on her experience:
“Latisse works well for me. I wear gas permeable contact lenses and am sensitive to eye makeup, even the hypoallergenic mascaras. This product has significantly lengthened/thickened my lashes, and darkened them a bit. At first, I used Latisse nightly; now that I am pleased with my lash growth, I use it every other night or so for maintenance – so, one $100 bottle lasts me about 6 months! (Still, that’s a lot of money to spend.)
“It is crucial to take good care of your eyes. Latisse is not intended for use in the eye, but just along the lash line – it doesn’t require much product, which helps save $; also, by avoiding overly-generous “dosage” you greatly reduce the chance of getting the product in your eye. The day after use, my eyelids are a bit pink in appearance. An esthetician and an eye doctor have both told me that eye redness is the most common side effect.”
