Latisse is a liquid product that is applied to skin at the base of the eyelashes via a single use brush once per day, usually nightly. It belongs to the group of medications called prostaglandin analogs and is indicated to treat hypotrichosis or decrease growth of eyelashes by increasing eyelash growth, length, thickness and darkness. In addition to bimatoprost (active ingredient of Latisse), it also contains benzakonium chrolide (preservative) as well as some inactive ingredients ( sodium chloride, sodium phosphate, dibasic, citric acid and purified water). Although the exact mechanism of prostaglandin analogs are not known, it is believed that the growth of eyelashes occurs by increasing the percent of hair in the their growth phase.
Any patient considering initiating Latisse therapy should be aware of several potential side effects. Those include:
1. Potential for eyelid skin darkening—this may be reversible upon discontinuation of product use.
2. Potential for iris darkening—usuallymore likely in patients with hazel, green or multicolored eyes; this effect is likely to be permanent thus any patient with those colors should be careful not to get any of the product inside of their eyes should they choose to start Latisse therapy.
3. Potential for unexpected hair growth or eyelash changes—this is increasingly rare in clinical practice and could occur is Latisse repeatedly touches the same area outside of where it is actually applied. Proper use of brush usually eliminates these side effects.
Other issues that have been reported include itchy eyes, redness of conjunctival (the clear covering of the eyeball), eye irritation, dryness of eyes, and redness of the skin around the eyes. All of these are rare (less than 4% of all patients in the clinical study used to obtain FDA approval), and from my clinical experience, tend to subside after several days of use.
You should know, though, that the effects are not permanent and once the product is discontinued, the eyelash state is expected to return to the original level. Latisse has not been shown to cause any hair loss upon the discontinuation.
In general, all of the ingredients used in Latisse are safe if used properly. It is not recommended to use the product if there is any history of allergy to any of its ingredients. There are no other contraindications to Latisse use.