LATISSE® eyelash enhancer is the first and only U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved cosmetic treatment for increasing the length, thickness and darkness of eyelashes. Available only through prescription, it is applied once a day to the base of the upper eyelashes. Results may be apparent within four weeks; full results take sixteen weeks.
Exactly why LATISSE liquid solution causes eyelashes to grow is unknown. However, its active ingredient, bimatoprost, seems to increase the number of hairs in, and the duration of, a hair follicle's growth period. The result is longer and fuller lashes.
Once LATISSE treatment is discontinued, its benefits gradually end.
Application of LATISSE Solution
LATISSE solution is applied at night. Contact lenses and makeup are removed, and skincare products applied, before using the LATISSE solution.
To prevent contamination, the LATISSE solution is applied with a single-use disposable applicator. The applicator, which is coated with one drop of solution, is applied to the base of the upper eyelid, at the lash line. The applicator is moved from the inside of the lash line to the outside. Excess solution is blotted to prevent its spreading to other areas. A separate applicator is used for each eye.
Contact lenses can be put back in 15 minutes after LATISSE treatment.
Candidates for LATISSE Treatment
Anyone who wants longer, fuller and darker eyelashes may be a candidate for LATISSE treatment. Those who have eye infections, or broken or irritated skin on their eyelids, or who use products for elevated intraocular pressure, should not undergo LATISSE treatment. A doctor-performed full medical history is taken prior to the start of LATISSE treatment.
Side Effects of LATISSE Treatment
The common side effects of LATISSE treatment end when treatment ends. Side effects include the following:
- Eye itchiness
- Eye redness
- Skin-darkening
- Eyelid redness
- Eye irritation
- Eye dryness
There is one potential serious side effect of treatment. According to the manufacturer's website, LATISSE treatment "may cause increased brown iris pigmentation of the colored part of the eye which is likely to be permanent," although its occurrence is "very infrequent."
