Q: What is Latisse?
A: Latisse is a eyelash enhancement product made of bimatoprost ophthalmic solution 0.03%, originally developed and used to treat glaucoma. In using the glaucoma medication, patients noticed significant eyelash growth. Some even had to trim their lashes due to excessive length. Allergan, who owned the medication, began to market it as Latisse, for topical use in patients with “inadequate eyelashes.”
Q: How does Latisse work?
A: Latisse is thought to affect the growth stage of eyelashes by increasing the duration of the growth phase while increasing the number of hairs in the growth phase.
Q: How is Latisse used?
A: Latisse is applied to the base of the upper eyelashes nightly for 16 weeks. After 16 weeks, the application can be reduced to every 2-3 days to maintain growth. Latisse is not applied to the lower eyelashes. However, during sleep some of the medication will diffuse across to these lashes increasing them as well.
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.
