Latisse

This is a topical medicine used to make the eyelashes grow longer.  This drug is the same medicine used in the glaucoma drop Lumigan (bimatoprost). Eyelash growth is a known side effect of prostaglandin glaucoma drops and Allergan is capitalizing on this with their topical product. Latisse is typically applied to the upper eyelid at night. While effective, especially compared to the “holistic” eyelash treatments on the market, there are some real side effects with this medicine you need to be aware of.  First, the medicine can increase the pigmentation of the skin around the eyes, especially with long-term use. Another is that prostaglandins can cause a certain amount of redness and irritation to the eye itself – this is why it is applied at night so that you can sleep through any irritation.  Also, this medicine can darken the eye color (the iris color) especially in people with hazel-colored eyes. Admittedly, we don’t see these complications often in our practice, despite a large number of our patients on glaucoma drops. For our glaucoma patients the potential side effects are easy to justify – as glaucoma can cause blindness if not well-treated.