Latisse For Longer Eyelashes
Posted Under: Latisse
Latisse For Longer Eyelashes
SEATTLE, WA, August 02, 2009 — Women have been using eye makeup at least as far back as ancient Egypt if not longer. Dark, thick, long eyelashes have always been attractive and using makeup to achieve that beauty is part of many women’s daily routine.
Now you can make your eyes more beautiful a different and easier way. Latisse is a new product offered by Allergan that has FDA approval for treating sparse eyelashes (a condition known as hypotrichosis). It is a prescription treatment and provides very noticeable, even dramatic results.
How Latisse Works
Latisse has an active ingredient called bimatoprost. The exact way Latisse works is not known, but it is thought that bimatoprost lengthens the growth phase of the eyelashes. All hair has a three-phase growth cycle:
1. Growth phase
2. Transition phase
3. Dormant phase
By prolonging the growth phase, Latisse causes hairs to grow longer, and more hairs to grow. It must be applied once a day, preferably in the evening, to the base of the upper eyelashes.
How to Use Latisse
Latisse comes in a pack with sterile applicators and a supply of the Latisse solution. Holding the applicator horizontally, you put a drop of the solution near its tip, then draw the applicator along the upper eyelash baseline. It is done much as you would use a liquid eyeliner. If you get some of the solution in your eye, it will not cause any problem.
Each applicator should be used only once and then discarded. This is to guard against any eye infection arising from contaminated applicators. Use a separate applicator for each eye. If there is any excess solution, carefully blot it and next time put slightly less solution on the applicator.
• If you forget to use Latisse one evening, don’t use extra to make up for that. Just wait till the next evening’s regular dose.
• Avoid touching the tip of the applicator or bumping it against any surfaces
• When you start applying Latisse, mark it on your calendar so that you can document your progress. You might even want to take a few photos for a Before and After set.
Latisse Results
You will start to see the Latisse difference after about four weeks of daily use. After two months and three months you will have longer, darker and thicker eyelashes, and after four months you will see the full results.
The process is gradual and cannot be rushed because the natural growth cycle of hair cannot be rushed. In the clinical trials conducted for FDA approval, 78 percent of the participants achieved significant increase in their eyelash length, thickness and darkness by the end of 16 weeks.
Latisse is not FDA-approved for use on the lower eyelashes, as this was not included in the FDA testing process. So for safety’s sake, do not apply it to your lower eyelashes until further research has been done. However, the upper lashes touch the lower lashes when we sleep, so there might be some effect on the lower lashes even though you do not apply it there directly.
Some Possible Side Effects
You might find that your body needs a little time to adjust to Latisse use. At first there might be some redness and itchiness, but typically it will resolve by itself within one or two weeks. In the FDA tests, just four percent of participants had these side effects for a while. It does not mean that your eyes are being harmed.
In rare cases, skin darkening may occur where Latisse is applied. The pigment which creates skin and hair color is melanin and while increasing melanin in the lashes, Latisse could possibly increase it also in the nearby skin. Perhaps that would simply look like a little eyeliner. It would disappear if Latisse use was discontinued.
If you are in the Seattle area and would like to know more about Latisse and whether it would be a good option for you, please contact Bellevue LASIK & Cornea. Dr. Kent Leavitt offers a full range of laser vision correction procedures and is now offering Latisse as an extra service for residents of Seattle, Bellevue, Everett, Olympia, and Tacoma, Washington.
Originally posted. August 2, 2009
