Common Myths + Misconceptions About Latisse

For thousands of years and through many good (and awful) fashion decades, one thing has stayed true: you’re stuck with what you’re born with.

Well, mostly true. Not wanting what we were born with is debatably responsible for so many of the fashion trends of the past, as well as some still around today. Born too short? High heels. Don’t like your freckles? Apply that sweet, creamy layer of base.  Eyelashes too short? Buy some hard-to-use fakes that tear your real ones out and fail on you at the worst possible moment. 

Lucky for us, at least for eyelashes, now there is. Latisse is an FDA-approved topical treatment designed to stimulate the growth of eyelashes. Essentially, the active ingredient, Bimatoprost, encourages hair growth immensely. Noticeable hair growth is evident in as little as four weeks, with “full” growth occurring around the 16-week mark.

The history of how Latisse came to be is actually pretty interesting. Traditionally, Bimatoprost was used as a treatment for glaucoma, as it reduces pressure inside the eye when applied directly to the eye. Doctors noticed that one of the prominent side effects of Bimatoprost was an apparent increase in eyelash length. So much to the point where, if patients intended to continue medicating with it, they had to actually trim them!

Of course, it wasn’t long before someone decided to patent a new solution with Bimatoprost as an active ingredient that was actually designed for eyelashes, and so we now have Latisse in its current form.

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Common myths

Like with anything good, or bad, or controversial, or for existing at all, there exists a rumor of it. And like with all those other things, proper research into those rumors is always the best way to make heads or tails of them. Here are a few of the most common involving Latisse:–

Will I have significant fat loss occur around the orbital/eye socket area, resulting in a depression?

No. This myth originates with the eye drop version of Bimatoprost, which was applied directly into the eye. There has been no recorded evidence of this occurring when used in its Latisse variation.

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Will it darken my iris if I have light colored eyes?

Nope. This also originates from its use in glaucoma patients. While this was a potential long-term side effect for glaucoma patients taking the eye drops, there is no recorded event of this occurring with Latisse users, nor would it happen since it isn’t used on the eye itself.

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Does it create hair/grow new hair?

No. It only encourages the growth of existing follicles.

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Will it cause blindness?

This is probably the most common rumor whispered in the clinical hallways, and I’m happy to say that this is entirely false. If you haven’t gathered already, the active ingredient was already used directly in the eye historically, and blindness did not occur in those patients. So, even if you accidentally get some in your eye, you’re completely safe!

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Want to know about Latisse? For more information regarding Latisse or any of our other products and services, please visit our website or call our offices to schedule a personalized consult.Hammond, La: (985) 902-7770Baton Rouge, La: (225) 399-0001