Latisse, the eyelash enhancer that has had Brooke Shields and Claire Danes tout its effectiveness, was approved by the FDA in 2008 for use on the top lashes. However, some doctors prescribe it for other uses, such as for hair and eyebrow loss that has not responded to other treatments, which Good Morning America recently highlighted.
One story spotlighted a bride-to-be who wanted fuller eyebrows. Dana Gaiser, 27, who regretted overly plucking them during her teenage years, said she thought Latisse might be her answer after seeing ads for the drug.
Her doctor was reluctant at first, warning her of possible side effects, but Gaiser did research and was persistent and got the prescription. Within six weeks of starting the treatment, Gaiser said she noticed new hairs around her brows. “I had had this one spot on my right eyebrow that would never grow,” she said. “But I put Latisse there and now it’s back.”
Some are turning to Latisse for baldness as well.
Hair restoration specialist doctor Dr. Alan Bauman told GMA that he prescribes it for some patients for hair loss.
For Richard Paduda, one of Dr. Bauman’s patients, Latisse seemed to stimulate the follicles for his head hair. “It feels great. I got some of my hair back,” he said. “I was worried about losing it, and it started coming back.”
Dr. Bauman said he has seen similar results in 70 percent of his patients, but he said there are limitations. “This is not a miracle cure. This is mainly for patients who still have some thin, wispy hair left,” he pointed out.
Latisse’s maker Allergan is currently planning clinical trials to evaluate bimatoprost, Latisse’s active ingredient, for male and female pattern baldness.
The eyelash enhancer 
Drugs sometimes make their way to the market inadvertently, and some even become ultra popular for uses that were never intended; such is the case with Allergan’s new offering, Latisse. The hot new eyelash enhancer was born out of a group of medications called topical prostaglandins, drugs frequently used to decrease intra-ocular pressure in glaucoma patients.
The recently published April ’09 issue of People featured “312 easy style updates” and one just happened to be Allergan’s new eyelash enhancement drug, Latisse.
