Long, Lush Eyelashes - The Latisse® Way

For women with scanty eyelashes, cosmetic solutions such as kohl, mascara, false eyelashes and extensions have their limitations. Latisse®, a prescription drug has been approved by the FDA for use as an eyelash-lengthening cosmetic formulation.

Long, lush eyelashes are an asset that highlights your eyes and makes you instantly look seductive and glamorous. However not all women are fortunate enough to have them. Some are born with short, scanty growth that makes their eyes look bald and plain. Others may have lost them along with all their hair to medical treatments like chemotherapy.

The eyes are one of our most visible and attractive features, and long eyelashes highlight them in a way that looks more alluring. For women who are not well-endowed, there are cosmetics, kohl, mascara, falsies and extensions that can make scanty, stumpy hairs look long and glamorous.

But all these solutions have their drawbacks. Mascara and kohl are convenient and can create a thicker and longer look, but they are made from pigments, waxes and resins and can get clumpy and flaky over the day or night. Also they must be removed before sleeping to keep your eyes healthy.

Fake eyelashes can lend some Hollywood glamour to an evening out, but not all women enjoy the process of gluing them on and some may be sensitive to the chemicals used. Synthetic extensions can give you about two months of maintenance-free thickness, but they ultimately fall out along with the older hairs and another bonding session can set you back by $200 or more.

However, medical science has discovered a way to grow longer lashes without the messiness of cosmetics and glue. A new drug, bimatoprost, was found by its manufacturer, Allergan, to have the ability to make eyelashes grow longer and thicker. Bimatoprost, a prostaglandin analog, is currently sold under the brand name of Lumigan, for the treatment of glaucoma.

This rather serendipitous discovery has proved to be a boon for women looking for options that will add a little glam to their look. Latisse®, the product that came out of this lucky finding, has now been approved for use by the FDA as an eyelash-lengthening formulation. According to the manufacturer, it takes from 8 to 16 weeks to grow longer, fuller, darker lashes with regular use.

In a minority of patients, Latisse® was found to cause side effects such as eye irritation and darkening of the eyelid, but in most it was found to be safe for use. It is currently being studied for use in young people and those who lose their hair due to chemotherapy. Since the product will stimulate growth anywhere on your skin, you must be careful not to get it on areas where do you not want hair to grow.

Although bimatoprost was thought to be contained in a number of other cosmetic products that promote eyelash growth, only Latisse® has been studied for effectiveness and approved by the FDA. It requires daily use in order to work effectively. Stopping it results in eyelashes returning to their former appearance once the old ones have been shed.

Since it is a prescription drug, Latisse® will require a prescription from a physician to purchase. However, with the extensive clinical trials and proven efficacy, it is a much safer and surer to create the beautiful, long, fluttering eyelashes you’ve always desired.