Approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in 2008, Latisse is considered safe. Its active ingredient, bimatoprost, mimics hormonelike compounds involved in the bodyâs healing response. Bimatoprost ophthalmic solution and similar drugs have been widely used and considered safe for the treatment of glaucoma and eye pressure in the United States since 1996. Patients noticed that a side effect of their glaucoma eye drops (marketed under the name Lumigan) was eyelash growth, which led to the use of bimatoprost in hair-growth serums.
Latisse is available only by prescription, but Dr. Kamakshi Zeidler, a plastic surgeon in Campbell, California notes that âmany doctors offer virtual consults and e-commerce transactionsâwhich is nice during these times and also great for busy people who just donât have the time to stop in for a consult, quick as it may be.â Consultations rule out any eye conditions that would make it unsafe to use. Your provider will also make recommendations on how to use it for the best results (with minimal side effects).
Donât use Latisse if you have a stye, infection, macular edema, swelling, degeneration of the eye, or an artificial lens. If youâre allergic to prostaglandin, youâre not a good candidate for it either. The FDA hasnât approved its use for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, giving it a âCategory Câ rating which means it caused adverse effects in animal studies but hasnât yet been tested on humans.Â
Itâs also not safe to use expired serum on your eyes, âeven if the bottle hasn't been opened,â says Dr. Julia Ann Sullivan Miller, an ophthalmologist in Edison, New Jersey. âMedicines and other chemicals in them degrade over time. They can lose their potency or become other forms of chemicals that [may have adverse] effects.â
If you have any eye redness, loss in vision, swelling, itchiness, or complications related to the product, contact your dermatologist or eye doctor immediately.