Latisse is an eyelash serum that boosts hair growth for longer, thicker, fuller lashes. Researchers believe its active ingredient, bimatoprost, prolongs lashesâ natural growth phase so they grow longer, more quickly. In one manufacturer study, participants who used this serum saw 25% longer, 106% thicker, and 18% darker eyelashes after 16 weeks, compared to a control group who didnât use it.
Because Latisse can supercharge the growth phase of any hair, itâs also commonly used to grow thicker eyebrows.
Pros
Cons
Youâll need two or three bottles to see your lashes in full effect. After that, you can use it less often to maintain your results.
Because Latisse is considered cosmetic, it will not be covered by insurance, Medicaid, or Medicare.
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.
Latisse should be applied daily. Itâs typically recommended to use it as part of your nighttime routine, after youâve washed off any makeup, sweat, or oil and taken out contact lenses.
You can wear mascara and any other eye makeup products you regularly use during the day, and apply Latisse to clean lashes at night.
This eyelash-growth serum comes in a dropper bottle, with sterile single-use applicator brushes. You place one drop on the applicator brush and sweep it across the skin of the upper lash line, at the very base of your lashes, as close as possible but not actually on the hairs themselvesâyou want it to reach the follicles. Then you repeat the same process with a different applicator brush for the other eye. The applicators should be discarded after each use to prevent the spread of bacteria and possible infection.
Take care not to get any excess Latisse in or around your eye, or on the lower lid, as this could result in irritation or eyelid skin darkening. Use blot around the eyes with tissue to prevent this from happening. Itâs also important not to touch the tip of the bottle or applicator brush to other objects, surfaces, or fingers, to avoid contamination.
Latisse is for the upper eyelid only â not for the lower eyelashes, due to the risk of their curling into your eyes.
RealSelf Tip: Latisse works well for eyelash hypotrichosis (an inadequate amount of lash growth), but the 2010 study Bimatoprost in the Treatment of Eyelash Hypotrichosis from Clinical Ophthalmology April says it isnât proven to help reverse eyelash alopecia (a condition where hair follicles are attacked by your immune system).
Longer, fuller lashes are typically seen after two to four months of consistent use. Some people notice changes in as little as a month.
If your lashes have been pulled out by the root or fallen out, it will take longer to regrow them. âLatisse will prolong the length of time lash hairs are in the growth cycle, but they must be in the growth cycle first,â says Dr. Nasrin Mani, a La Jolla, California, plastic surgeon, in a RealSelf Q&A.
If you miss a dose or two, you can continue to apply the product and still see results. âMissing applications of Latisse wonât cause any negative effects, but continuing to forget applications can cause results to plateau,â says Dr. Nick Slenkovich, a plastic surgeon in Littleton, Colorado. âI suggest just picking up where you left off and continuing to apply it to the lash line each night before bed. Many people think they can catch up on applications, but applying more than you need can actually cause the opposite effect. Try to keep yourself regimented each day and you will start to see improvements in five or six weeks!â
The bottom line is that Latisse requires a bit of patience and discipline. Some RealSelf members who rated it âNot Worth Itâ felt it took too long or didnât have a dramatic enough effect. Many others found their results well worth the wait.
Latisse isnât FDA-approved for brows, but Dr. Benjamin Barankin, a Toronto plastic surgeon, says in a RealSelf Q&A that many of his patients have used it off-label âwith excellent results.â If you have thin brows and prefer the Cara Delevingne look, Latisse can probably set you on your way.
Latisse can also be used for a thinning hairline or on the scalp. âPeople are using it on their hairline for hairline thickening, especially women with menopausal or hormone/stress-induced hair loss on the temples and frontal hairline,â says Dr. Jason Emer, a board-certified dermatologist in Los Angeles. âThis is an off-label use, combined with PRP. Even men use this on their beard, if they do not have a full thick beard.â
Many people have noticed that lash extensions cause their eyelashes to thin or fall out, so lash technicians and dermatologists often recommend using Latisse prior to an extension appointment. Those who start the product early find that their fallout rate is lower. Plus, with new growth from Latisse, youâll have more lashes on which to attach extensions, allowing for a fuller effect.Â
You can also use Latisse along with a lash lift for more dramatic results.
RealSelf Tip: Latisse is the same product as Lumigan (also manufactured by Allergan), but Lumigan is prescribed for glaucoma and administered differently. âIf you use insurance to cover Lumigan but do not have glaucoma, you might be accused of fraud,â warns Dr. Sullivan Miller.
Latisse is not a permanent solution for longer eyelashes. Youâll need to commit to applying the product for as long as you want your enhanced lashes to last. Once you stop using it, your lashes will return to their original length within a few months.Â
Once youâve achieved the lashes you want, you may be able to decrease your use to maintain them. âSome patients, once they achieve the length and fullness that they like, reduce their use to every other day, with good results,â says Beverly Hills, California, plastic surgeon Dr. Sheila S. Nazarian in a RealSelf Q&A.
âThe majority of the over-the-counter lash products are conditioners and contain antioxidants, growth factors, and peptides to help the appearance of the hair (darker, stronger, longer) but do not regrow hairsâ like Latisse does, explains Dr. Emer.Â
Related: Eyelash Growth Serums: Experts Explain How They Work and How to Choose the Best One
Updated February 20, 2024