Good Morning America recently highlighted the drug’s off-label uses, spotlighting a bride-to-be who wanted fuller eyebrows. Dana Gaiser, 27, regretted overly plucking them during her teenage years, and when she saw ads for Latisse thought it might be her answer.

Although her doctor was reluctant at first, she 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.

Dr. Alan Bauman, a hair restoration doctor in Florida, told GMA that he prescribes it for some patients for hair loss.

For Dr. Bauman’s patient Richard Paduda, 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’s 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.”

Allergan, the maker of Latisse, is currently planning clinical trials to evaluate bimatoprost, Latisse’s active ingredient, for male and female pattern baldness.

Read: “At Long Last”

Latisse

Throughout her 16-week treatment on Lastisse, Danes was photographed at different angles to demonstrate her lash growth. The gallery is posted on the Latisse site and none of the photos have been retouched.

Danes said she became the latest “Latisse girl” because she was curious about the product. “The more I learned about Latisse, the more impressed I was. I’ve never used a product that actually affected real physical change,” she said.

In 2001, Allergan developed a glaucoma treatment called Lumigan, and a side effect was discovered—patients began growing longer, fuller lashes. This led Allergan to study the active ingredient in this other product, and after a clinical trial, Latisse was born and earned FDA approval in December 2008.

During research of Latisse, doctors reported on average:

• 25 percent increase in eyelash length
• 106 percent increase in eyelash fullness
• 18 percent darkening of the eyelashes

The effects of Latisse are not permanent, so you have to keep using it, as the eyelashes will return to normal if you stop using Latisse.  Advancements in Dermatology offers Lastisse; call for more information and special introductory pricing. You can sign up for Latisse Lash Perks to get a $20 rebate on Latisse. (images via www.latisse.com)

A: Latisse is a bimatoprost ophthalmic solution 0.03%, originally developed and used as a glaucoma medication. In using the medication, many patients noticed that their eyelashes grew significantly, to the point that some even felt the need to trim them.  Allergan, who owned the medication, began to market it as Latisse, for topical use in patients with “inadequate eyelashes.”

Q: How long has Latisse been on the market?

A: Though Latisse has only been available for about 6 months, its related safety record as an eye drop solution spans well over 10 years. Any medication that is used in the eye must be very safe.

Q: Why do I need a prescription for Latisse?

A: Latisse can result in eyelash improvement of 105% in thickness and over 25% in length. Latisse is not an over-the-counter medication. The FDA approved Latisse as a prescription medication to treat hypotrichosis, i.e. reduced amount of eyelash growth.

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.  Most people begin to see an increase in their lashes after about 3 or 4 weeks. By 16 weeks the lashes will have reached their full length and thickness. Discontinuation of Latisse will result in a return of the lashes to their previous state.

Q: How do I apply Latisse?

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.

Q: Is Latisse expensive?

A: It’s not terribly expensive.  From most physicians in the Twin Cities, it will be about 100-120 dollars for a one-month supply.

Q: Are there alternatives to Latisse that work the same way?

A: There are no comparable products on the market right now. Other eyelash enhancement products that claim to increase eyelash thickness and length are usually conditioners, which don’t stimulate eyelash growth.

>>> Learn more about Latisse in Mpls/St. Paul.